UPDATE: Handstands banned at Queensland primary school

Primary school student Savannah Taplin was recently punished by a Sunshine Coast primary school for performing an unauthorised cartwheel, part of a new suite of handstand bans.

Peregian Springs State School informed parents recently that students were banned from performing handstands, cartwheels and other forms of gymnastic activities when not in front of a trained PE teacher and on a soft surface.

The principal said the ban was prompted after some students injured themselves performing some "cheerleading-style" activities.

Some of the parents, however, were outraged at the ban, saying it unnecessarily restricts their children.

Parent Jennifer Taplin said her daughter Savannah should be encouraged to be active.

"She should be (doing handstands). Climb a tree, hop a fence," Ms Taplin said.

"It's just a real shame that that's the way the world is going now."

Savannah, 11, was recently punished by the school after doing an unauthorised cartwheel.

"I had to sit out of play just because I did a cartwheel down the hill."

Parenting expert John Pickering said rules such as this could impact on children's normal social development.

"I think we need to be really careful we don't go down a slippery slope here of locking kids away from all pleasurable activities and being outside, socialising with one another," he said.

Queensland Local Government Minister David Crisafulli agreed.

"We believe in empowering the school and the principal to make those decisions, but I will say as an observation, when are we going to let kids just be kids?" he said.

Parenting experts have also said it is important for children to test boundaries for themselves.