Players- Any!
Ages- Any!
Equipment- Jump Rope, if you do not have a jump rope you can use ANY type of rope or string. If the string is really lightweight you may want to braid together more string to make it a little bit heavy OR you can use beads to weight it down and make it look interesting!
Set Up- Make sure you are in a place where a rope can swing around you- this is a great OUTDOOR activity or if you have an open garage space or a tall basement space.
CHALLENGES!
*If you are new to jump roping take a deep breath- it will be frustrating at first! When you start to get frustrated remember that it is hard BUT you are learning a new skill! If you can’t complete a skill at first TRY AGAIN! You will get there! Please wear shoes so you don’t hit your toes or ankles- OW!*
- Step Over– Hold the rope with two hands, and have the rope behind your ankles, now WITHOUT JUMPING swing the rope over your head and let it hit your toes, now step over it, swing it over your head again! Step over! Keep doing this and make sure you switch feet! Step with your left foot too!
- Forward Jump!– Start with the rope behind your ankles, swing the rope over your head, DO NOT JUMP UNTIL YOU HEAR THE ROPE HIT THE GROUND!!! If you find that you keep jumping before the rope touches the ground try with your eyes closed! Once you have jumped over the rope, pause, give yourself a high five, THEN keep swinging that rope over your head! Try to jump, and continue to 2 jumps in a row, 3 jumps, 4 jumps, 5 jumps…
- Backward jump!– Start with the rope at your TOES, swing the rope over your head and behind you to your ankles, remember to jump when you hear the rope touch the ground because now you really can’t see it! Try to keep jumping with the rope behind you!
- Criss Cross! – Here is a tough trick, start with the rope behind your ankles, start jumping forward, when you are ready to add some flare take your hands and criss cross your arms WIDE so that you give yourself space to jump over the rope! The common mistake is you get stuck in the rope while twirling it and crossing your hands, it should look like this!
*Image found from https://buyjumpropes.net/resources/jump-rope-tricks-and-tips/ Matt Hopkins 2014*
- Criss Cross Feet!- This time instead of crossing the rope try to cross your legs when you land and then jump and uncross your legs and do it again!
- Double Bounce!– Try to jump two times before the rope goes under your feet. This means jump twice in one single rotation!
- Skier!– While you are swinging the rope over your head try to jump from side to side instead of in one place!
- Bell!– While jumping over the rope bring your body forwards and backwards like a bell swings as you jump!
- Double Under!– This trick can be a little dangerous to people around you- you will have to swing the rope a lot faster than you normally would. Try to swing the rope over your head and under your feet TWO times as you jump ONCE! I like to jump a little bit higher when I do this trick to get the rope under me two times.
Side Swing!– Bring the rope to the side of your body and swing it like a normal rotation, let the rope land in front of you, jump over it and bring it to the other side!
*Image found from https://buyjumpropes.net/resources/jump-rope-tricks-and-tips/ Matt Hopkins 2014*
Here are some more options and pictures for those I have not left pictures with!
*Image above was discovered on Pinterest posted by Jeff Bruso original source unknown*
