Gymnastics Arts & Crafts Ideas

Arts and crafts with a gymnastics theme work well for a kids' party or for a child who enjoys the sport. Whether your child watches or participates in gymnastics, she gets a chance to incorporate the interest into a creative pursuit. The themed craft projects are easy to adapt for various ages.

A scrapbook or memory book works well for kids who participate in gymnastics. The book holds photos and journaling from the child's gymnastics practice. Examples of items to include are photos from competitions, pieces of fabric from gymnastics outfits, programs from performances and journal entries written by the child. Leave a section in the back for signatures from fellow gymnasts. Craft stores sell blank scrapbooks, or you can assemble your own with an empty scrapbook and individual pages. Look for decorative scrapbook paper and stickers that relate to gymnastics. The child assembles the pages and adds the decorations, along with the photos and other keepsakes.

A photo frame is a similar keepsake craft project related to gymnastics. Start with a plain wood or cardboard picture frame, available at craft stores. The kids paint the frames and add embellishments like stickers or sequins. Offer paint pens so the kids can write a message related to gymnastics around the outside of the frame. After the picture frame dries, help each child add a picture of himself doing a gymnastics move.

This simple craft uses craft sticks and pipe cleaners to create a balance beam and gymnast. Each child needs a long craft stick for the beam. To elevate the beam, cut a craft stick into four pieces. Glue two of the pieces to each end to create a base for the beam. Let the kids paint and decorate the craft sticks to personalize their balance beams. The kids manipulate the pipe cleaners to create a simple body shape. Since the pipe cleaners are flexible, they can position the gymnast into any position on the balance beam. Glue the gymnast in place or leave it unattached so the kids can change the position.

The kids draw pictures of gymnasts and equipment in this activity. Encourage the kids to draw themselves doing different gymnastics routines like the balance beam or floor routine. On a large piece of cardboard, the kids draw or paint different areas to represent the different activities. For example, a child might paint a large square mat for the floor routine. For items like the balance beam, have the kids cut out the objects from cardboard so they can pop up off of the base. The kids cut out their gymnast pictures and glue them onto the base to create a gymnastics competition display.