Xmas present for 7yo keen on gym - some sort of bar?

[BoaConstrictor]

DD loves gymnastics & is quite good at it (not properly good, just strong & good enough to pick it up quickly). I seem to remember reading a thread some time ago when someone was asking for present ideas for their DD and I'm sure some sort of door bar thing was mentioned but I'm not sure exactly what it was do a google search isn't bringing up anything useful. Not can I find the old thread. Any suggestions?

[AmeliaPeabody]

Would that be the pull-up bar for door frames? I think that's what they're called, just that.

[ReallyTired]

Dd has a pull up bar like this.

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Chin-Pull-Up-bar-Door-Chin-Up-Bar-Up-Bar-Chin-Gym-Pull-Workout-Fitness-Exercise-/281706459605?hash=item41970371d5

All she uses it for is pull ups and leg lifts. It is too dangerous to attempt a chin back circle on it. It has damaged our decoration.

Dd also had a fold up gym mat that came from IKEA.

www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/childrens-ikea-products/children-3-7/toys-play/plufsig-folding-gym-mat-green-art-10262831/

[Helenluvsrob]

My 6yr old gymnast friend had a floor beam and a mat for her birthday. She loves it and can practice by herself with little risk of injury. I'd say a pull up type bar would need too much supervising IMHO

[Clankboing]

What about a TP climbing frame with monkey bars? Xx

[a7mints]

What about a TP climbing frame with monkey bars? Xx

Yes but a bit of a difference in price and space requirements between a chin up bar (£10) and a TP climbing frame with monkey bars £300 ish

[ReallyTired]

A chin up bar is not dangerous if used sensibly under supervision.

If you have lots of space then a trampoline is great for a budding gymnast. Alternatively a mini trampet might help.

We bought a Bosu ball for Ds as he is severely dyspraxic. Dd has played about on the Bosu ball and its helped her balance. There are fake Bosu balls that are a fraction of the price of the real thing.

[reallyanotherone]

A trampoline is not great for a budding gymnast :)

It's not bouncy enough for good technique. I waste many many hours in they gym making kids relearn things they've taught themselves at home.

Leotards and bar shorts are always a good bet. Check out ebay for Milano and cristian moreau.

Equipment wise a chin up bar is fine. Or look at gymnastics planet for the toe pointers or the elastics for conditioning.

[BoaConstrictor]

We already have a trampoline. We had to have a section of the otherwise steep garden levelled just for that and, whilst it has been completely worth it, there isn't another suitable space for monkey bars much to DD's disappointment.
I was concerned about how the chin up bar would be used, what it would look like etc.
A floor beam is an idea...

[Natsku]

DD's friend who is 8 has a chin up bar and a trapeze with rings that is hung from a doorway - the trapeze is especially fun, my 5 year old loves it too.

[Natsku]

Also I've been looking into getting a set of wall bars at home for DD, they're quite expensive though, couple of hundred at least.

[Natsku]

We also have this in our house but no idea where it came from as it was here when we moved in but DD makes good use of it

[ReallyTired]

I got a folding floor beam for dd and frankly it was a waste of money. It's not stable enough for dd. Our Best Buy has been the folding gym mat. Both my children have used the gym mat. Dyspraxic Ds uses the gym mat for stretches.

[AmeliaPeabody]

Agree with that, Reallytired. Folding gym mat, a good one (the one I bought was over the £100 mark but I'm sure there are cheaper alternatives) was our best and most used buy. We didn't bother with the folding beams after hearing similar, apparently a taped line (yes, of actual tape) is more useful!

Pedestal stands might be useful also, depending on what sort of gym, you can get them nicely decorated with initials for gifts, too.

[2014newme]

The bar bent the door frames in my friends house so we took ours down!