Jumping rope is just one of those activities that are both fun and exceptionally healthy for your body. It not only burns as many calories as 150-200 per 15-minute workout, it also gives great strength training for upper and lower body. Jumping rope also works out your back, shoulders, chest, and abdomen. As well, it is a great cardiovascular workout for a heart healthy lifestyle, encouraged by the American heart association.
This, however, is an impact sport so caution should be taken to the way a child is jumping and landing on the ground. Be sure your children are wearing proper shoes that will absorb the bounce from their feet and that they are practicing jump rope on solid level ground such as concrete.
Preschool
To jump rope properly it will take children a little bit of time to grasp, although this is a simple process. Just to get their little legs in line with the rope that swings around and getting the timing of the rope down will take patience and encouragement.
Teach your children to stand with their feet slightly apart. With the rope handles and the end of the rope sitting freely on the heel of their feet. Using their wrists, not their arms, they should swing the rope to the front of their feet. This might be a very difficult task for young children to comprehend, using their wrists as opposed to their arms. Show them how this can be done. Once the rope gets right in front of them that is when they should jump.
An encouraging way to help your child concentrate on the steps is to have them sing simple jump rope rhymes. Such as:
Cinderella dressed in yella
Went downtown to meet a fella
Made a mistake and met a snake
How many doctors did it take?
1,2,3…
They should count until they miss jumping over the rope.
You can find other rope jumping rhymes in the resources section at the end of this article.
Main points to address:
Show them how to jump how to use their wrists as opposed to their arms.
Start with small jumps.
Have them sing a rhyme while they jump.
Grades K-3rd
Once your children understand the concept of the basic jump rope you can begin to introduce other jumps. Such as skip jumps, which is basically skipping with a jump rope.
Encourage your child to be patient while practicing other forms of skipping rope and tricks. This is a great time for children to gather with their friends to play jump rope games with others. This takes at least three children and a little longer rope then the normal small jump rope. One child should hold one end of the rope, another child at the other end and then one child will jump. If your child has more than three friends to jump rope with they will have a lot of fun using rhymes, such as:
I had a little puppy.
His name was Tiny Tim.
I put him in the bathtub, to see if he could swim.
He drank all the water; he ate a bar of soap.
In came the doctor, (one friend jumps in).
In came the nurse, (one friend jumps in).
In came the lady with the alligator purse (one friend jumps in).
Out went the doctor (one friend jumps out).
Out went the nurse (one friend jumps out).
Out went the lady with the alligator purse (one friend jumps out).
You can always choose other rhymes that you might like better, you’ll find those from following the link for * Jumping Rope Rhymes in the resources section following this article.
Main points to address:
Begin to introduce more complicated tricks and steps.
Get a group of their friends together to play fun jump ropes games using the rhymes.
Grades 4th-6th
Children in this grade level will begin to enjoy jumping double Dutch. Double Dutch also uses two people holding each side of the rope, but the trick is they use two ropes instead of one. Those who are swinging the rope would swing the rope in their left hand to the left and the rope in his right hand to the right. The on looking children then jump the double ropes. You and your child can review a variety of double Dutch rhymes that go with the playing double Dutch that make the game even more fun to play. (See *Jumping Rope Rhymes below in the resource section.)
Main points to address:
Teach double Dutch to your child.
Review other jump rope techniques for regular jump rope.
Resources
Resources that can help you in your venture include:
*Jumping Rope Rhymes - http://www.gameskidsplay.net/jump_rope_ryhmes/
Jump Rope Institute - http://www.jumpropeinstitute.com/
USA Jump Rope - http://www.usajrf.org/
Jump Rope - http://www.jumprope.com/
International Rope Skipping Federation - http://www.fisac-irsf.org/subpages/rope-skipping