US20040166994A1

US20040166994A1 - My tumble teacher kit

Info

Publication number: US20040166994A1
Application number: US10/374,339
Authority: US
Inventors: Leslie Benefield
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-02-26
Filing date: 2003-02-26
Publication date: 2004-08-26

Abstract

A tumbling kit containing necessary tools to instruct children in the art of tumbling at home. The kit contains a folding tumbling mat, an instructional handbook, adhesive cutouts of child-sized hands, feet and shapes, and a carrying case. The handbook allows the learner to get a full understanding of the skill by illustrating correct hand and foot placement for each tumbling skill along with complete written directions and teaching tips. By placing the adhesive cutouts onto the top surface of the tumbling mat in the different tumbling skill sequences as illustrated in the handbook, learners can get a visual picture of how to perform each skill. Because these cutouts are temporarily stuck to the mat's top surface, they can be pulled off and placed in several different skill sequences. The tumbling mat folds in half and slides into the carrying case. The cutouts and the handbook are stored in the back pocket of the carrying case. This is a portable, lightweight tumbling kit that is quick and simple for children and adults to carry, set-up, use and store.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable

SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION—FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a portable tumbling mat.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is generally very difficult to teach young children to perform basic tumbling skills such as forward rolls, handstands, cartwheels and the like. Originally, the instruction of basic tumbling skills was restricted to time spent in a tumbling class with an instructor. There were no mats or instructional devices on the market which would enable home instruction and home practice of skills taught in class.

Therefore, inventors created several types of instructional mats to teach basic tumbling skills in gymnastics. Many of these mats can be used at home. One example is a cartwheel mat. This is a vinyl tumbling mat with hands and feet permanently painted or silk-screened onto its surface to illustrate the correct sequence of a cartwheel. Cartwheel mats are useful, however, they are restricted to teaching one skill. The hands and feet aren't moveable. Therefore, they can not illustrate any other tumbling skill sequence than that of a cartwheel.

Another example is rubber hand and feet cutouts that can be placed in any tumbling sequence onto the surface of a tumbling mat. The problem with the cutouts is that they have no way of sticking to the mat. When children try to follow them by standing on the feet and placing their hands on the hands, the rubber cutouts tend to move out of the desired formation.

Present mats do not usually come with an instruction handbook which gives both verbal directions and a visual hand and foot placement guide illustrating several basic tumbling skills that simplifies the tumbling skill for parents and enables parents to understand a tumbling skill and teach it to their children at home.

Finally, many of the mats on the market today are much too heavy and awkward which makes for difficult portability and storage.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION—OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

The objects and advantages of my invention are:

(a) to provide a method of teaching basic tumbling skills to preschool and schoolage children at home.

(b) to provide a portable, lightweight tumbling kit that is quick and simple for children and adults to carry, set-up and store.

(c) to provide an all-inclusive tumbling kit contaning a tumbling mat, a handbook, a carrying case and moveable hands, feet and shapes that stick to the top surface of the tumbling mat.

(d) to provide adhesive hands, feet and shapes which can be stuck onto the mat and placed in several different tumbling skill formations allowing the instruction of many tumbling skills.

(e) to provide a handbook containing a verbal description and directions as well as a visual picture of the hand and foot placement of each tumbling skill.

(f) to provide parents the knowledge and opportunity to guide and teach their children basic tumbling skills at home.

(g) to enable the at-home practice and reinforcement of tumbling skills taught in a gymnastics class.

(h) to provide a carrying case which makes for easy transport

Another advantage is to provide a way for parents and children to spend quality time together while participating in a fun and productive activity.

SUMMARY

This invention is directed to a portable, all-inclusive tumbling kit which provides parents and children with a method of teaching basic tumbling skills to preschool and schoolage children at home. It also allows children to practice at home the skills they learn in a gymnastics class. The hands, feet and shapes adhere to the mat's top surface which prevents them from slipping and sliding. The hands, feet and shapes can be pulled off and placed in several different tumbling formations to give the child a visual picture of each skill. The correct placement of the hands, feet and shapes is illustrated in the handbook for each skill. The handbook also provides written directions and teaching tips for each skill. This kit can be easily put away and stored by folding the mat in half and sliding it into the carrying case. The handbook, hands, feet and shapes are placed in the side pocket of the carrying case.

DRAWINGS—FIGURES

The above as well as other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following descriptions of the drawings. [0021]
FIG. 1A is a perspective view looking down on the tumbling mat. [0022]
FIG. 1B is a perspective view from the side of the mat illustrating the way in which the mat folds in half [0023]
FIG. 1C is a perspective view from the side of the mat after the mat has been folded in half [0024]
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the mat looking down illustrating the adhesive hand and foot placement of a tumbling skill. [0025]
FIG. 3A is a view of four adhesive hands which can be stuck onto the mat. [0026]
FIG. 3B is a view of four adhesive feet which can be stuck onto the mat. [0027]
FIG. 3C is a view of two adhesive circles which can be stuck onto the mat. [0028]
FIG. 3D is a view of two adhesive rectangles which can be stuck onto the mat. [0029]
FIG. 4A is a view of the the instructional handbook. [0030]
FIG. 4B is a view of a page of the handbook showing the information that will be given for each skill. [0031]
FIG. 5A is a perspective view of the front side of the carrying case which will carry the contents of the kit. [0032]
FIG. 5B is a perspective view of the back side of the carrying case pointing out the pocket which will hold the handbook, the hands, the feet and the shapes. [0033]

DRAWINGS—REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0034] 1 adhesive top of the tumbling mat
[0035] 2 soft foam rubber padding
[0036] 3 soft foam rubber padding
[0037] 4 fold at the center of the mat
[0038] 5 main compartment of the carrying case
[0039] 6 carrying case handles
[0040] 7 pocket on the back of the carrying case

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1A shows a tumbling mat comprising of a [0041] top surface 1 which enables the adhesive hands, feet and shapes to adhere to its surface. The base of the tumbling mat 2 and 3 is constructed from a soft foam rubber materal or the like. The foam rubber base 2 and 3 is divided in half so it can be folded at the center of the mat 4 as becomes apparent in FIGS. 1B and 1C.
FIG. 2 is an example of the correct hand, foot and body placement for a specific skill. The skill shown in the example is a forward roll. Children must stand on the first set of feet FIG. 3B on the left then place their hands on the hands FIG. 3A. They will then look at their tummy and place their shoulders on the rectangle FIG. 3D. After rolling, their feet will land on the second set of feet FIG. 3B and stand up to complete the skill. These directions and teaching tips are in the handbook FIG. 4A. [0042]
FIGS. 3A through 3D are the hands, feet and shapes that will be stuck onto the top surface of the [0043] mat 1 to give the learner a visual to follow while attempting a specific skill. They can be constructed of an adhesive material such as velcro or the like. FIGS. 3A through 3D can be stuck onto the top surface of the mat 1 and arranged in several different tumbling skill sequences. The hands FIG. 3A and feet FIG. 3B are child-size.
FIG. 4A is a picture of the front of the “My Tumble Teacher Handbook”. FIG. 4B is shows the format of the information that will be given for each tumbling skill. The name of the skill will be at the top of the page. A hand and foot diagram will show learners exactly how to place the adhesive hands, feet and shapes FIGS. 3A through 3D onto the top surface of the [0044] mat 1. Detailed step-by-step written directions and teaching tips are also given for each skill. This information will give the learner a complete picture of how to perform the skill.
FIG. 5A shows the carrying case which will hold the entire contents of this tumbling kit and allow for easy portability. This carrying case can be constructed of either cotton or a vinyl material. The tumbling mat FIG. 1A will fold in half and slide into the main compartment of the carrying [0045] case 5. The handbook FIG. 4A and the hands, feet and shapes FIGS. 3A through 3D can be placed into the back pocket of the carrying case 7. This pocket can either close by a snap, zipper or velcro. The handles 6 make it easy to carry the case.
Although the description above contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. [0046]

Claims

I claim:

1. A tumbling kit for teaching children basic tumbling skills at home, comprising:

(a) a folding tumbling mat of suitable size to accommodate use by a preschool or schoolage child.

(b) a plurality of child-size hand, feet and shape cutouts.

(c) means for temporarily adhesing said cutouts of child-size hands, feet and shapes to the top surface of said folding tumbling mat so as to be able to place and remove said cutouts into a variety of tumbling sequences.

(d) an instructional handbook

(e) a carrying case of sufficient size to hold said folding tumbling mat, said hand, feet and shape cutouts and said instructional handbook.

2. A method of teaching a variety of tumbling skills to children at home comprising the steps:

(a) removing said folding tumbling mat, said cutouts and said handbook from said carrying case.

(b) referring to said handbook for written instructions and a visual picture of correct sequential placement of said hand, feet and shape cutouts for the desired tumbling skill to be learned.

(c) sticking said hand, feet and shape cutouts onto said top surface of said folding tumbling mat placing said cutouts in correct sequential placement of the desired tumbling skill to be learned.

(d) attempting the desired tumbling skill by following said cutouts arranged on the said top surface of the said folding tumbling mat.

(e) rearranging said cutouts in several different tumbling skill sequences described and pictured in said handbook.

whereby said cutouts can be easily removed from said top surface and placed into a number of different tumbling skill sequences as illustrated and described in said handbook.

3. An instructional method of teaching tumbling skills to children that is convenient, comprising:

(a) providing parents and children to spend time together while learning tumbling skills.

(b) providing parents with said handbook giving them the knowledge of teaching tumbling skills to their children.

(c) providing schoolage children the opportunity to teach tumbling skills to themselves by referring to said handbook.

(d) providing moveable said cutouts that can be arranged to accommodate children of all sizes.

(e) providing a portable kit that can be easily stored in said carrying case and transported by adults and children.