The balance beam is not only a classic facility in the children's playground and gymnastics training, but also an important tool to help kids to improve the body coordination, focus, and self-confidence.
Whether it is a school, an outdoor playground, or a gymnastics training course, the balance beam can bring a tong-term value for children’s growth.
The following are 12 benefits about the balance beam in detail for kids, and some training and game ways are suitable for kids of different age groups.
What is the children’s balance beam
Children’s balance beam is a kind of equipment that is used for training the balance ability, coordination, and body control. Different from the professional gymnastics balance beams, the balance beam of children’s type usually is lower, wider, and safer, so it can be used for the indoor playground, infant school, park, and family environment.
The common types include:
Wooden balance beam
Soft-pack foam balance beam
Suspended balance beam
Modular combination balance beam
Outdoor log balancing facility
Sensory integration training balance beam
Different types are suitable for kids using of different age groups, and it can also meet the needs of the playground, school, and children’s training center.
9 benefits of the balance beams for children
1. Improve the balance ability
The balance beam has a biggest function to help children to improve the body balance sense. Children need keeping to adjust the centre of gravity when walking in the narrow area, and then enhance the vestibular system and body control ability. After long-term training, kids will be more stable during the running, jumping, cycling, or even daily walking.
2. Enhance the core muscle group strength
When using the balance beam, the belly, lumbar, and back muscles will keep to work to maintain the body stability.
This can help children:
Improve the core strength
Improve the body support ability
Enhance the sports endurance
Improve the overall sports performance
And the core strength is very important for gymnastics, such as football, dance, and other sports.
3. Improve the body coordination
Children need to control at the same time on the balance beam:
Arm swing
Step rhythm
Body direction
Center of gravity change
This kind of whole-body coordinated can effectively improve the coordinate ability, so it is very key for the children’s growth stage.
4. Help to improve focus
When walking on the balance beam, children must keep focus, if not it will be easy to lose balance.
This kind of training can help children:
Improve the focus time
Reduce the distractions
Enhance the task execution ability
Improve the classroom learning focus
For young kids, this type of the “training while playing” way usually is more effective than the traditional training.
5. Improve the self-confidence
Many kids will feel fear when playing the balance beam in the beginning, but after successfully finishing the action, they will get a clear sense of achievement.
This experience can help children:
Build self-confidence
Overcome feelings of tension
Dare to try new challenges
Enhance independent awareness
Especially in the gymnastics or sensory integration training, the enhancement of self-confidence is very clear.
6. Improve the posture and carriage
For keeping the balance, children will naturally keep their backs straight and adjust the shoulder position.
Long-term training can help:
Improve hunchback
Improve the standing posture
Optimize the walking posture
Enhance the body stability
This is very helpful for kids who sit for a long time or frequently use electronic devices in modern times.
7. Encourage the creativity and imagination
A simple balance beam always can inspire children’s an infinite space for imagination.
For example:
Pass the “dangerous single-log bridge”
Imitate a gymnastics competition
Play the role of an explorer
A volcano escape challenge
An open-ended gameplay can help children to develop the creative thinking.
8. Enhance the space perception ability
When moving on the balance beam, children need to continuously judge:
Distance
Direction
Body position
Point of landing
This kind of training can help kids build a better space perception ability, and also has a good helpful for sports and daily activities.
9. Help to release children's energy
Children stay at home or indoor for a long time in the modern, the activity amount is not enough.
The balance beam can let kids:
Keep to move
Release energy
Reduce sitting for a long time
Improve the interest of the outdoor activities
For the schools and playgrounds, the balance beam is very suitable for adding equipment in the activity area.
Suitable balance beam training and games for children
1. Timed Balance Challenge
Look at who can stand on the balance beam for the longest time.
You can add:
Stand on one leg
Close eyes challenge
Hold an item
Improve both fun and difficulty.
2. Pass the match quickly
Let kids as quickly passing the balance beam as possible, and don’t fall at the same time.
This can train:
Speed control
Balance ability
Reaction ability
3. Walk backward on the balance beam
Different from normal walking, walking backward on the balance beam is more challenging.
It can improve:
Space perception
Body coordination
Core stability ability
4. Walk with heels touching the toes
This kind of gymnastics common training sport can help children to slow down the pace, and more focus on the body control.
5. Balance beam jumping training
It is suitable for children of older ages
For example:
Jump on one foot
Continuous two-foot jumps
Left and right change to jump
These can enhance the leg strength and explosive power.
6. Object-Balancing Walking Challenge
Let children take the sandbags, toys, or lightweight items on the head top to pass the balance beam.
This can train:
Balance ability
Posture control
Focus
7. Spinning Challenge
Children need to turn a circle after walking up to the middle of the balance beam, and then keep to go forward.
It is suitable for training:
The vestibular system
Body stability
Dynamic balance ability
8. Passing Obstacles and Challenges
You can place a small obstacle on the balance beam, such as soft building blocks, sign discs, and foam blocks, let children pass the obstacle while keeping balance.
This game can help kids to improve:
Leg-lifting coordination ability
Body control ability
Reaction speed
Dynamic balance ability
For children who learn the gymnastics firstly, this is a better basic training way.
9. Color Command Balancing Game
You can stick the signs in different colors on the balance beam of different positions, parents or teachers call out the color randomly, let kids move to the designated area quickly.
This gameplay can train:
Auditory response
Focus
Balance control
Memory ability
It is very suitable for young children to play a fun interaction.
10. Balance Beam Relay Race
Divide kids into groups to start a balance beam relay challenge, every child needs to finish the specified action first, and then passes to the next teammate.
This game can not only improve the children’s sports interests, but also develop:
Teamwork
Social skills
Rule awareness
self-confidence
It is very suitable for using on the schools, playgrounds, and children's physical fitness courses.
How to choose a suitable balance beam
It is recommended to focus on when choosing a children’s balance beam:
1. Height: Infant is recommended to use a low-profile design
2. Surface material: Slip-resistant and soft is more safety
3. Width: The beginners are suitable for a broader design
4. Stability: The base needs to be stable and avoid swinging
5. Usage age: Choose according to children’s ages
6.Safe area: Keep a buffer space around the equipment
And the Tongle’s balance beams meets all of these demands, whether you want, the Tongle always can offer, if you want to know something about the equipment, welcome to contact us!
For children and kids, the balance beam not only a simple play device, but also help children to improve the balance ability, core strength, focus, self-confidence, and overall sports development. Whether in the playground, or gymnastics training, the balance beam has a higher education and sports values.
Through the rich gameplay and keeping training, children can not only get a growth to the body, but also develop the courage, creativity, and independence in the challenge.
FAQ
1. What age is the balance beam suitable for children?
A lot of children can start playing the low balance beam after the age of 2 to 3 years old. The kids of younger age are recommended to use the balance beam under the adult accompaniment.
2. How long does the balance beam training can improve a child's balance ability?
A lot of children play 2 to 3 times every week, the balance beam training each time spends 15 to 20 minutes, and usually 4 to 8 weeks can look at the clear improvement. The progress in the infant stage usually in faster, because their vestibular systems still in the high-speed growth phase.
3. What is the most suitable width of a balance beam for children?
Kids of different age groups have different suitable widths:
2-4years old: 15-20cm
5-7years old: 10-15cm
8 years of age or older: 5-10cm
The standard beam width in the gymnastics training is about 10cm
Children who first play it are recommended to start from the wider balance beam.
4. How many calories can be spent during a balance beam training?
According to the different children’s age and activity intensities:
15-minute basic balance beam training: Can spend 40-70 calories
30-minute obstacle-style balance beam training: Can spend 80-150 calories
High-strength gymnastics balancing beam course: Can spend 150-250 calories/hour
5. What is the difference between an indoor balance beam and an outdoor balance beam?
The indoor balance beam usually use the foam or soft packaging material, these are more light and safer. The outdoor balance beam more emphasizes the weather resistance and structural strength.
6. How long is the suitable daily training time for children on the balance beam?
A lot of kids train it about 10 to 20 minutes every day, it’s ok.
The younger kids is very suitable for:
Short time
High frequency
Gamified training
Too long time is easy to reduce the focus.
7. What is the standard height of a balance beam in the gymnastics?
A standard size of the balance beam in the professional gymnastics usually is:
Beam breadth: 10 cm
Beam length: 5 m
Height: 125 cm
Children's training types usually can reduce the height to improve the safety.
8. Which children's items is a balance beam suitable for?
The balance beam is commonly used for:
A gymnastics course
A sensory integration training
A physical fitness course for young children
A children's obstacle course
A school sports activity
An indoor playground
Ninja children's training course
So its application areas are very wide.
