Somersault facts for kids

A somersault is an amazing acrobatic move where a person flips their feet over their head while they are in the air! Think of it like a cool roll in the air. You can do a somersault going forwards, backwards, or even sideways.

It's a lot like a flip. If you do a somersault going backwards, it's often called a backflip. There's also a special kind of backward somersault called a Gainer. This is when you flip backward but are still moving forward at the same time.

Where Does the Word Come From?

The word "somersault" comes from an old French word, sombresault. People don't use that old French word anymore, but it's where our word for this awesome move came from!

Images for kids

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  A pitch tuck somersault performed by acro dance partners

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  Front somersault in the pike position

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  Back somersault on one foot

See also

In Spanish: Salto mortal para niños