Log Roll and Egg Roll Stations
Four mat stations to learn to roll safely: log roll, egg roll, rocking chair and an assisted forward roll. Students practice turning around different body axes and gain confidence being upside down.
How to play
- Set up 4 stations with 2-3 mats each and make 4 groups of 6; each group starts at a station and rotates every 4 minutes on the whistle.
- Station 1, log roll: lying down with arms stretched overhead, roll from one end of the mat to the other without rolling off.
- Station 2, egg roll: sitting and hugging the knees, roll sideways onto the back and back up without letting go.
- Station 3, rocking chair: tucked in a ball, rock back and forth until you can stand up without hands.
- Station 4, forward roll: using the giant ball as support or a mat wedge, chin to chest, hands down and roll forward with the teacher spotting.
- To finish (4 min), each student shows the group the roll they do best.
Rules
- One person rolls on a mat at a time; the next one waits sitting at the edge.
- In the forward roll, the chin stays tucked to the chest and the head never takes weight.
- Anyone who does not want to do the forward roll repeats the rocking chair; nobody is forced.
- Roll slowly and stop at the end of the mat.
Variations
Easier
Replace the forward roll with a sideways egg roll, and a partner gently pushes during the log roll.
Standard
Four stations: log roll, egg roll, rocking chair and assisted forward roll.
Harder
Log roll holding a beanbag between the feet, and a forward roll that ends standing with no hands.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: rolls from sitting or lying with adult help, or side-to-side rocking on the mat.
- Autism or fear: explain each station with pictures, let the student watch first and move on only when they ask.
- Fitness level: confident rollers act as rocking-chair helpers; hesitant students spend more time on the egg roll.
Learning goals
- Roll around the long and side-to-side body axes with control.
- Keep a tucked position during the roll.
- Recognize fear and overcome it step by step.
Equipment for a class of 25
- mats: 10
- giant ball: 1
Teacher tip
Always stand at the forward roll station and spot by touching the back of the neck and hips. Check that mats do not slide apart.
PatioLab has "Log Roll and Egg Roll Stations" and 1299 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
More activities like this
More main activities for Elementary
3v3 Mini-Volleyball with Set Passes
Small-sided 3v3 mini-volleyball on small courts, with a bonus for building the play with a set.
4v3 Soccer Counterattack Game
Four attackers try to score on a goal guarded by three defenders, who counterattack toward two small cone goals if they win the ball.
Accuracy Circuit with Cloth Targets
Accuracy stations with cloth targets on the floor and on the wall, where students toss bean bags and score points by ring.
Adapted Beach Handball
An adapted beach handball game with a soft ball: no dribbling, three steps with the ball, and double points for spectacular goals such as jump or spin shots.
Adapted Gaelic Football
A school version of Irish Gaelic football that blends hands and feet: players may run with the ball, hand-pass it with a fist, and kick for goal.
Adapted Speedball
Speedball is an American invasion game that blends soccer and team handball: a ball on the ground is played with the feet, and a ball lifted by the foot into the hands…