Delayed Mirror: Cartwheels with Delayed Video

A tablet on a tripod running a delayed video app shows what it recorded 12 seconds earlier: the student does a cartwheel, walks over to the screen and watches themselves without anyone touching the device. Three progression stations let everyone work at their level with instant feedback.

How to play

1. Warm up wrists, shoulders and hand support: bear crawls, donkey kicks and supported balances (5 min).
2. Set up three stations with mats and a tablet on a tripod with a 12-second delay: cartwheel on the mat, cartwheel along a straight line and one-handed cartwheel (3 min).
3. Groups of four: one performs, walks to the screen and watches; another observes with one specific cue, like hands and feet in the same line or straight legs (14 min).
4. Each student picks the cue they struggle with most and does three more tries focusing only on it (5 min).
5. Wrap-up: what did each person see on screen that they didn't notice while doing the cartwheel (3 min).

Rules

• Always on mats, with no gaps between them.
• Wait for your turn off the mat.
• Don't try skills that haven't been taught in class, like flips.
• The tablet stays on the tripod and no one touches it during the station.

Variations

Adaptations

• Low arm strength or higher body weight: places hands on a bench and jumps the legs over to the side, low.
• Wrist injury: works on balances without hand support, like the arabesque, with the same delayed video.
• Hearing impairment: technique cues are on a card next to each tablet.

Learning goals

• Improve cartwheel technique with visual feedback.
• Observe a classmate using one specific technique cue.
• Practice gymnastics skills safely and independently.

Equipment for a class of 25

• tablets or phones: 3
• tripods: 3
• mats: 12

Teacher tip

Free delayed video apps let you pick the delay; 10 to 15 seconds is just right to perform and reach the screen. Put the tripod off to the side, at hip height, pointed along the cartwheel line.

More activities like this

More main activities for High School