Instructions
‘Angry Cat’ is a Body Schooling Activity that develops a correct body posture for safe rolling. It also develops shoulder strength and flexibility which is important for gymnastic skills such as handstands and cartwheels.
- Start on the hands and knees, with shoulders over hands, hips over knees
- Push the belly button to the ceiling and look at the knees
- Push the shoulder blades apart and to the ceiling
- Keep the arms straight and the hands flat
- Keep the ankles together and the feet stretched on the floor
Safety
Ensure…
-
floor is clean and free from debris
Opportunity to develop
- Co-ordination
- Control
- Balance
- Body awareness
- Core stability
Physical Development Area of Learning
- contributes to ‘Personal’ and ‘Adventurous and physical play’ skills sections
If you see
| Observation | Likely Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Child wobbling | Hands and knees are too close together | Use markers to help with placement |
| No obvious curving to the ceiling | Child is not able to feel that angry position | Practitioner places hand on child’s back and asks them to push it away, and places hand underneath and asks them to move body upwards away from hand |
| Bottom almost touching feet | Hips are too far back, bottom sticking out | Place children in the correct position so that joints are directly above points of contact |
Can you see?
- the child on hands and knees at shoulder-width apart?
- the child’s shoulder blades pushing upwards?
- the child looking at their knees?
- the child’s arms straight and hands flat?
- the child’s shoulders over their wrists and hips over their knees?
-
Mostly No
- Ensure that the weight is even on hands and knees
- Use imaginary string from belly button to arch and curve back
- Practitioner helps child to get into position by physically moving hands and knees to be below shoulders and hips and a shoulder-width apart
- Practitioner helps child achieve ‘Angry Cat’ by placing a hand on back and asking child to push the hand away
-
Yes and No
- Practise ‘Angry Cat’ for 10 seconds maintaining shape for the whole time
- Practise ‘Angry Cat’ on apparatus, benches, box tops, trestle tables, etc.
- Perform ‘Angry Cat’ over apparatus
-
Mostly Yes
- Extend Cat onto one knee and one hand
- ‘Cat Roll’ from an ‘Angry Cat’
- Perform an ‘Angry Cat’ for another child to move under or over
- Perform ‘Angry Cat’ using two pieces of apparatus, hands on one piece and knees on another
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Challenge
- Perform an ‘Angry Cat’ and extend one hand straight up to the ceiling
- Perform an ‘Angry Cat’ and pick up and move a bean bag from one place to another without overbalancing, use clock formation, then in response to a range of cues, use both hands
- Perform an ‘Angry Cat’ and pick up a bean bag and place on shoulders, remove bean bag with other hand, repeat on other side
- Perform an ‘Angry Cat’ in response to a range of cues