Somersault facts for kids

An animation of a flip in the air

A somersault is an acrobatic move where a person moves the feet over the head whilst in mid-air. The somersault can be done forwards, backwards, or sideways and is similar to a flip (or, if performed backwards, a backflip). A backwards somersault while still moving forward is called a Gainer

The word comes from the old French word sombresault, which is no longer used.

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