Today, we’re sharing some of our favorite jump rope challenges and games for kids!
Jump roping is not only a great activity for cardiovascular health, it is amazing for coordination too! Last year’s post about how to teach your child to jump rope was such a hit that we thought it might be fun to follow it up with a few more games that can be played alone or with friends!
Jump Rope Games for Kids
1 || Have a child hold onto one end of a jump rope and spin it around them, low to the ground, like a helicopter propellor. The other children must jump over the rope as it comes to them. If the rope hits their feet or they trip over it as the jump, they are out. Last one standing gets to be the helicopter!
2 || Jumping rope is always fun when put to a rhyme. Try this one and follow the directions:
“Peel a banana upside down; see if you can touch the ground. If you spell your name correct, you will get another chance.”
3 || Have two kids stretch the jump rope out on the floor, one child holding either end. Tell them to shake the rope without letting go, keeping it down on the floor. The jump rope becomes a “snake” in this fun game! The rest of the kids have to run toward the rope and jump over it without touching the snake!
4 || There are tons of fun ways to practice a progression of jump rope skills for kids who have already mastered basic jump roping. These ideas are based on the Jump Rope Ladder lesson from PE Central.
Click here to print out the printable jump rope games cards!
These jump rope games can be completed regular jump rope-style, or, for kids who aren’t quite there yet, you can also place the rope on the floor to have the child jump over it for many of the activities to work on basic jumping skills.
Bunny Hops – Hop on one foot
Flashback – Swing the rope in the other direction, jumping backward
Run it – Run or jog forward as you jump
Firecrackers- Jump as fast as you can
Jump Rope Jack – Jump with feet together then feet apart
Twister- Twist body to one side and then the other when jumping
Skier- Spread the rope on the floor and jump side to side over it
Up and Back – Spread the rope on the floor and jump forward and backward over it
Crisscross – Criss cross legs on every other jump
Crossovers- Cross arms on every other jump
Donut Jumps – Make the rope into a circle on the ground, jump into the circle then out
5 || If you have a preschooler who is trying to keep up with a jump-rope-crazed older sibling, give the younger child a hula hoop and encourage him to bring it up over his head and jump. The hula hoop is much easier for little hands to control!
For Virtual Sessions:
Print the PDF and cut out the cards. Ask parents to have a jump rope (or even a regular rope) on hand. Pull one card at a time out of a container and have kids complete the activity on each one.
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