Skill library

Cues

1. Stand tall like a tree
2. Soft knees, quiet eyes
3. Make your belly quiet

Progression

1. Two feet, wide base, hold a wall
2. Two feet, no wall
3. One foot, hold a finger
4. One foot, 3–5 seconds
5. One foot on a line, then a beam
6. Balance while catching or turning
7. Unstable surface, eyes on a target

Regression

1. Hold a wall or partner's hand
2. Widen the feet
3. Sit on a stool and reach

Common errors

• · Locked knees
• · Looking at feet
• · Holding breath
• · Arms glued to sides

Cues

1. Land like a cat
2. Quiet feet
3. Bend to greet the floor

Progression

1. Step down from a low step
2. Jump down 4–8 inches, two feet
3. Jump in place, stick the landing
4. Jump forward and freeze
5. Jump over a line, then a low object
6. Jump, land, and go (into a roll or run)

Regression

1. Hold hands
2. Jump onto a mat
3. Start from a squat, not a jump

Common errors

• · Stiff legs
• · Landing on toes only
• · Knees collapsing in
• · Looking away

Cues

1. Make a small egg
2. Look through the window (arm)
3. Slow as honey

Progression

1. Rock on the back
2. Log roll with arms overhead
3. Egg roll tucked
4. Roll to stand with help
5. Shoulder roll on a wedge
6. Roll as a transition in an obstacle course

Regression

1. Roll down a gentle wedge
2. Adult spots the head
3. Roll in a sleeping bag

Common errors

• · Head thrown back
• · Arms sprawling
• · Rushing
• · Rolling only one direction

Cues

1. Keep your roots, turn your leaves
2. Wring the towel
3. Look at the door behind you

Progression

1. Sit and twist to see a toy behind
2. Stand, feet planted, look over each shoulder
3. Twist to pass a beanbag around the body
4. Twist into a shape and hold
5. Twist, then unwind into a throw or roll

Regression

1. Sit so the feet do not have to balance
2. Hold a hoop at the waist as a guide

Common errors

• · The whole body spins instead of a twist
• · Feet hop around
• · Breath held

Cues

1. Spot something, then find it again
2. Turn in your own bubble
3. Soft feet, quiet landing

Progression

1. Step-turn in place, 90 degrees
2. Half-turn jump, stick the landing
3. Full turn on two feet
4. Turn on one foot with a finger hold
5. Turn, then go — into a run or a freeze

Regression

1. Hold both hands and turn together
2. Turn on a poly-spot so the home is visible

Common errors

• · Dizzy spinning with no stop
• · Arms windmilling
• · Landing off the spot

Cues

1. Long like a noodle
2. Small like a seed
3. Grow, then hide

Progression

1. Curl on the back, rock
2. Stretch long on the floor, then curl
3. Stand and reach up, then fold
4. Curl, roll, stretch to stand
5. Stretch and curl at different levels — low, middle, high

Regression

1. Do it lying down
2. Use a wall to reach along

Common errors

• · Only the arms move
• · Breath held in the curl
• · Hyperextending the neck to look long

Cues

1. Pour your weight
2. Hands become feet for a moment
3. Shift, then settle

Progression

1. Rock from heel to toe
2. Shift side to side on two feet
3. Bear walk: hands take some weight
4. Donkey kick or bunny hop with hands on the floor
5. Cartwheel prep: star to lunge, hands on a mat

Regression

1. Hands on a low box, not the floor
2. Adult supports the hips
3. Start on all fours

Common errors

• · Dumping weight all at once
• · Locked elbows
• · Head dropping

Cues

1. See it, then move
2. Soft knees, ready feet
3. Small dodge, not a dive

Progression

1. Lean away from a slow rolling ball
2. Step aside from a tossed yarn ball
3. Dodge in a small hoop-home
4. Dodge while holding a freeze shape
5. Dodge in a walking tag with a yarn-ball tagger

Regression

1. Sitting lean-aways
2. Warn before each toss
3. Bigger, slower object

Common errors

• · Closing the eyes
• · Leaving the game entirely
• · Crashing into a friend

Cues

1. Quiet stop
2. Stick it like a statue
3. Soft knees catch you

Progression

1. Walk and freeze on a clap
2. Run three steps and freeze
3. Freeze in a shape (wide, small, tall)
4. Stop on a line without stepping over
5. Stop, then go the other way

Regression

1. Slower start
2. A visual ‘home’ to stop on
3. Hold a hand for the freeze

Common errors

• · Stiff lock-up
• · A few extra steps after the signal
• · Falling into the freeze

Cues

1. Head up, looking where you go
2. Soft heel, then toe
3. Arms swing quiet

Progression

1. Walk in a straight line
2. Walk on a tape road
3. Walk backward a few steps
4. Walk on tiptoes, then heels
5. Change speed: snail, person, hurry
6. Walk a zigzag or curved path

Regression

1. Hold a finger
2. Shorter path
3. Push a cart or laundry basket

Common errors

• · Looking at feet
• · Toes in or out extreme
• · Shuffling with no heel strike

Cues

1. Hands and knees like a cat
2. Opposite hand, opposite knee
3. Quiet paws

Progression

1. Creep forward on a short mat
2. Creep under a tunnel or chair
3. Bear walk (hands and feet)
4. Crab walk a short distance
5. Crawl, then stand, then crawl again

Regression

1. Shorter distance
2. A wider tunnel
3. A scooter board for children who cannot bear weight on knees

Common errors

• · Same-side crawl
• · Collapsed wrists
• · Rushing onto the feet too soon

Cues

1. Three points on the mountain
2. Look where your hand will go
3. You can come down the same way

Progression

1. Climb onto a low box or couch cushion
2. Up a small hill or wedge
3. Over a low obstacle and down
4. A short ladder or wall with a spot
5. Climb, pause, choose a new path down

Regression

1. Lower the height
2. Adult at the hip, not pulling the arms
3. A job at the bottom that still belongs

Common errors

• · Rushing the top
• · Feet nowhere near the hands
• · No plan for coming down

Cues

1. Run like a cheetah
2. Quiet arms, pumping
3. Eyes on the tree, not the feet

Progression

1. Fast walk
2. Run in a straight line
3. Run and stop on a signal
4. Run around cones
5. Run, dodge, run
6. Change speed on cue

Regression

1. Chase a rolling ball
2. Hold a scarf that trails
3. Shorter distance

Common errors

• · Arms crossing the body
• · Looking down
• · Overstriding
• · No flight phase (shuffling)

Cues

1. Swing and spring
2. Land like a cat
3. Reach to the sky, then fold

Progression

1. Jump in place, two feet
2. Jump forward to a line
3. Jump backward
4. Jump side to side
5. Jump over a line, then a low object
6. Jump for distance, then for rhythm

Regression

1. Hold hands
2. Jump down rather than up
3. Use a mini trampoline with a spot

Common errors

• · One foot leads
• · No arm swing
• · Stiff landing
• · Not bending before takeoff

Cues

1. Hold a mug of cocoa (other leg)
2. Quiet hop
3. Swing the free arms

Progression

1. Lift one foot and freeze
2. Hop in place once, hold hands
3. Hop in place 3 times
4. Hop forward on a line
5. Hop 5 times each foot
6. Hopscotch patterns

Regression

1. Hold a rail
2. Start with a jump (two feet)
3. Hop onto a target, not along it

Common errors

• · Other foot taps down
• · Hips twist
• · Looking at the foot
• · Holding breath

Cues

1. Horse in front, horse behind (gallop)
2. Step, then pop (skip)
3. March then add a hop

Progression

1. Slide sideways
2. Gallop with a preferred lead
3. Gallop switching leads
4. Step-hop in place
5. Skip a short distance
6. Skip with rhythm or a rope

Regression

1. Hold hands and gallop together
2. March only
3. Use music with a clear beat

Common errors

• · Two-foot bounce instead of skip
• · Same foot always leading
• · Arms stiff

Cues

1. Sideways train
2. Don't let your toes turn
3. Step, then close

Progression

1. Side-step along a wall for a guide
2. Slide on a tape line
3. Slide both directions
4. Slide, freeze, slide the other way
5. Slide around a hoop, then a partner

Regression

1. Hold a partner's hands facing the same way
2. Shorter distance
3. Slower music

Common errors

• · Toes turning to run
• · Crossing the back foot in front
• · Bouncing too high

Cues

1. Reach the front knee
2. Fly for a blink
3. Land on the other foot, then run on

Progression

1. Step over a line
2. Leap a small hoop gap from a walk
3. Leap from a short run
4. Leap into a hoop and stick
5. Leap a series of rivers (taped gaps)

Regression

1. Smaller gap
2. Take off from a spot
3. Hold a hand for the first leaps

Common errors

• · Two-foot jump instead of a leap
• · Landing on the same foot
• · Looking down into the gap

Cues

1. Step with the other foot
2. Point your belly button at the target after
3. Show the ball to the sky

Progression

1. Push a balloon
2. Two-hand underhand toss
3. One-hand underhand
4. Overhand with a large ball
5. Overhand with opposition (step opposite foot)
6. Throw at a target, then for distance

Regression

1. Sit and throw
2. Use a scarf or beanbag
3. Shorten the distance

Common errors

• · Same-side step
• · No trunk rotation
• · Throwing only with the arm
• · Eyes off the target

Cues

1. Make a basket with your arms
2. Watch it all the way in
3. Soft hands, like catching an egg

Progression

1. Catch a scarf
2. Catch a balloon
3. Catch a beach ball against the body
4. Catch a playground ball with hands
5. Catch a smaller ball
6. Catch while moving or from a bounce

Regression

1. Shorter distance
2. Bigger, slower object
3. Roll instead of toss
4. Sit down

Common errors

• · Turning the head
• · Arms stiff
• · Closing eyes
• · Hands too far apart

Cues

1. Sit the ball on the floor, then push
2. Eyes on the gate
3. Follow with your hand

Progression

1. Sit and push a ball forward
2. Kneel and roll to a partner
3. Stand and roll between two cones
4. Roll to knock a soft tower
5. Roll, then run to receive the return

Regression

1. Bigger, slower ball
2. A taped channel so the ball stays on path
3. Shorter distance

Common errors

• · Bouncing instead of rolling
• · Eyes leaving the target
• · Ball flying off the floor

Cues

1. Eyes on the ball
2. Step, then swing
3. Toes like a giraffe (pointed) or a door (inside)

Progression

1. Walk into a stationary ball
2. Kick a large ball from standing
3. Step and kick
4. Run and kick
5. Kick to a target
6. Kick a rolling ball

Regression

1. Hold a hand
2. Use a balloon or light ball
3. Kick from sitting (rare, for access)

Common errors

• · Looking up too soon
• · Plant foot too far
• · Kicking with a floppy foot
• · No step

Cues

1. Hold it like a loaf of bread
2. Drop, don't throw it down
3. Step, then meet it with the laces

Progression

1. Drop a balloon onto a foot
2. Drop a foam ball and tap
3. Punt a light ball a few feet
4. Punt to a zone, not a person
5. Punt, then move to the next cone

Regression

1. Keep kicking a stationary ball
2. Adult drops the ball onto the foot
3. Use a balloon

Common errors

• · Throwing the ball down
• · Kicking too soon
• · No step
• · Eyes closed at contact

Cues

1. Stand sideways like a door
2. Watch it kiss the bat
3. Swing level, finish tall

Progression

1. Hit a balloon with an open hand
2. Hit a hanging ball
3. Strike a ball off a tee with a fat bat
4. Sidearm strike with a paddle
5. Strike a tossed ball
6. Rally with a partner

Regression

1. Bigger, slower object
2. Shorter implement
3. Two hands on a noodle

Common errors

• · Facing the ball square
• · Chopping down
• · Stepping away
• · Eyes closed at contact

Cues

1. Hands like a window
2. Meet it high
3. Push, don't slap

Progression

1. Keep a balloon up with open hands
2. Balloon to a partner
3. Foam ball off a toss to yourself
4. Volley over a line or low net
5. Two-hit rally

Regression

1. Balloon only
2. Allow a catch between hits
3. Seated volley

Common errors

• · Slapping down
• · Standing under it too late
• · Fists instead of a window

Cues

1. Push, don't slap
2. Waist-high bounce
3. Eyes up when you can

Progression

1. Bounce and catch
2. Bounce-bounce-catch
3. Continuous dribble standing
4. Dribble walking
5. Dribble around a cone
6. Dribble with the other hand

Regression

1. Larger, bouncier ball
2. Allow two hands
3. Sit and bounce

Common errors

• · Slapping
• · Ball too far in front
• · Staring at the ball
• · Stiff wrist

Cues

1. Soft taps, not kicks
2. Keep it on a short leash
3. Both feet get a turn

Progression

1. Tap a stationary ball with the inside of the foot
2. Walk and tap in a straight line
3. Dribble around a cone
4. Dribble with the other foot
5. Dribble, stop the ball, dribble

Regression

1. Bigger, slower ball
2. A taped channel
3. No defenders, ever, at the start

Common errors

• · Kicking it away
• · Only one foot
• · Head down the whole time

Cues

1. Give with it, like a pillow
2. Get in its path first
3. Quiet foot, not a kick

Progression

1. Stop a slow roll with two hands
2. Trap a roll with the inside of the foot
3. Collect a bounce against the body
4. Trap, then send back
5. Trap a ball from a partner while moving

Regression

1. Slower roll
2. Bigger ball
3. Allow hands first, then feet

Common errors

• · Kicking it away by accident
• · Standing still and hoping
• · Stiff ankle