From military-style drills to risky rope climbs, these once-common school gym routines defined a generation—but would they still make the cut in modern classrooms?

A herd of toddlers runs across the springy gymnastics mat, each to a small square of carpet. Their parents follow close behind. Once seated, coach Marci Schuster takes them through some warm-up ...

In the three years that Jason and Jill Simpson have been overseeing gymnastics at the Casey Community Center, the Goose Creek children they’ve sent to competitions have won numerous awards. The ...