Parkour: Getting Up and Down a Low Wall Safely
Using vaulting boxes and plyo boxes as low walls, students learn to step up with hands and foot, to climb up from a hang and to come down with a quiet, cushioned landing. They build functional strength, landing technique and risk awareness.
How to play
- Set up 5 stations of increasing height (16-inch box, 24-inch box and vaulting box with 3 to 5 sections), with mats in front and behind, and 5 students at each.
- Technique 1 (5 min): step-up with both hands on top, one foot on the edge and the opposite knee coming up.
- Technique 2 (5 min): controlled drop: sit on the edge, slide off and land on the balls of the feet, bending ankles, knees and hips without noise.
- Technique 3 (6 min): on the low vaulting box, climb up from straight arms by pushing until the hips and then a foot are on top, with a spotter on each side.
- Rotation (6 min): each student picks the station where they can do all three techniques and repeats it five times.
- Partners score each landing 1 to 3 by sound: the quieter, the better the cushioning.
Rules
- No jumping from the top: every drop starts sitting or hanging.
- Two spotters at the vaulting box support at the hip and arm.
- One person per station; everyone else waits off the mats.
- Everyone chooses their own height with no peer pressure.
Variations
Easier
Work only on step-ups and seated drops from 16-inch boxes.
Standard
Practice three techniques from 16-inch boxes up to a five-section vaulting box.
Harder
Link climb-ups and drops on a three-height course without stopping, adding a turn on top of the box.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: practice controlled transfers from a wheelchair to a box and arm push-ups on the edge.
- Fear of heights: the student may stay at the lowest station and move up only when ready.
- Lower fitness: add an intermediate step and reduce repetitions.
Learning goals
- Climb onto a low obstacle using safe hand and foot placement.
- Land softly by bending ankles, knees and hips.
- Assess personal risk before choosing a height.
Equipment for a class of 25
- vaulting boxes: 2
- plyo boxes: 3
- mats: 10
Teacher tip
Listening to the landing is the best check: a loud thud means stiff legs. Make sure the vaulting box sections are locked together and that no one hangs from a loose box edge.
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