- 1). Find an area free of all obstacles. A basement or garage floor usually works well. For most gymnasts, this space needs to be at least 8 feet wide by 14 feet long. However, for a preschool child, you can safely use a 6-foot-wide by 10-foot-long area.
- 2). Prepare the tumbling area by making sure the floor is clean and clear of any defects. For example, an unfinished basement or garage floor might include cement bumps that result in a bumpy surface. These need to be scraped off using a sturdy putty knife to provide a smooth base. A grassy back yard area is not recommended due to lack of firmness as well as the unevenness of the surface. If the landing surface sinks down or inclines even slightly, the gymnast increases the likelihood of suffering an injury such as a sprained ankle or a jammed wrist.
- 3). Cover the full gymnastics area to be used with a good firm carpet that extends at least a foot beyond the panel mat. You can buy a sturdy carpet piece at any home improvement store. Better yet, contact a local carpet store for remnant carpet pieces that can be duct-taped together. Most stores give these away rather than throw them out.
- 4). Buy a gymnastics panel mat either 1 1/4 or 2 inches thick to place on top of the carpet. The length and width of the mat depends on the size and skill level of the child. A preschooler can use a 4-foot by 8-foot panel mat to learn cartwheels, rolls, handstands, etc. For older gymnasts with greater skill-learning demands, a 6-foot by 12-foot panel mat is recommended. You can buy a mat from any number of gymnastics vendors such as The Athlete Equipment Source at www.taes.com, GMR Gymnastics supplies at www.ten-o.com, or Webclic Shopping Mall at www.webclicshoppingmall.com. In addition, the USA Gymnastic website features a list of vendors. Go to USA-Gymnastics.org and find the 10 boxes on the left side of the screen. The last box is labeled "Find...". Open this and click on the last sub category: "Gymnastics Supplier."
- 5). Buy other matting and equipment, depending on the skills that will be practiced. An octagon mat costs about $185 and up, and can be used to teach back bends, back walk-overs, and forward rolls. Incline mats start at about $180, and can facilitate learning various rolls, as well as the back walk-over and front handspring. A handspring trainer mat costs about $350 and is a great tool in learning back handsprings. You might also buy a balance beam. Make sure you place the beam on the mat during practice time.