With active kids, acrobatics can be just the thing to keep them occupied in a calmer, more focused way. We tried Jack’s Acrobatics, a book which contains 24 acrobatic exercises to try, with step by step instructions for the whole family. These activities can be done together with parents, or with siblings, allowing for great bonding and quality time.
The book is split into somersaults, pyramids, and free flow with practise games and acrobatics for each section along with a full routine at the end if your child wants to put on a show.
My boys really loved the simple practice games and they gave us some great ideas for active play indoors which we wouldn’t have thought of. I can see these ideas coming in really handy on cold or rainy winter days when we are stuck inside and the kids have energy to burn off.
The ideas are pretty simple but appealed to all of my kids, from 4-7. They all loved spending quality time with these games.
Here are a few of the games and ideas that they enjoyed:
The Vacuum Cleaner
One person pretends to be a vacuum cleaner, lying on their back. The other takes their ankles and swooshes them around, pretending to clean the floor.
The Present
One person wraps themselves up very tightly into a ball, pretending to be a present – crossing their arms and legs to make a bow. The other will try to unwrap.
The Sleeping Cow
The book gives back ground info for each game or acrobatic move, along with cartoonish illustrations and tells each one as a narrative with Jack and his family members
This format makes the book quite unique and different to anything else I’ve come across. It’s a lovely idea and a handy book to have on the book shelf to dip into for active play ideas – especially for parent and child to play together.
Jack’s Acrobatics is available via Amazon UK / US
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Affiliate links included. We were sent a copy of the book for review
Anna Marikar, mum of four and seasoned blogger, has spent over a decade sharing her parenting journey and passion for kid-friendly crafts and free printables.
Her easy-to-follow craft ideas and practical parenting advice have transformed In The Playroom into a cherished resource for parents.