The Game of the Month is Jump Rope! This month we're sharing fun jump rope games that can be played indoors or outside. This week's game is a great skills builder to improve jump roping. Also called Zero, 1, 2, 3, the Game of the Week is Jump Rope School!
Group Size: Any Size
Age Group: Grade 1+
Length of Activity: Less than 10 minutes
Developmental Goal: To develop basic jump roping skills, understanding jump rope school rules.
Equipment: One long jump rope
Before You Start:
- Review the concept of personal safe space when turning a jump rope.
- Explain the concept of taking turns in a jumping order and in the different roles.
- Demonstrate the skills needed and use players to help you.
- Ask players to explain the concepts and the game back to you.
How to Play:
- Divide everyone into groups of four to ten, depending on the number of available ropes and skill level.
- Younger players may need smaller groups, older jumpers are challenged by larger groups.
- Each group gets one rope.
- The leader assigns two turners in each group and the rest form a line.
- The two turners begin by turning the rope.
- One-by-one the players enter and exit the rope.
- In the first round, the jumpers try to run under the rope without jumping or touching the rope.
- After each jumper's attempt or completion, s/he returns to the back of the line.
- Once the jumpers have complete running through, s/he enters, jumps once and exits on their turn on the jumper's second turn.
- After the jumpers have jumped once and exited, they go through and jump twice, then three times, etc on each turn.
- If a jumper misses on their turn, s/he goes back in line and continues to try the same number of jumps, until s/he successfully jumps and exits.
- Be sure to rotate those who are turning the rope.
Variations:
- For more skillful and advanced jumpers, change from just jumping and exiting to doing tricks while jumping.
- Examples of tricks are turning around while jumping, touching the ground while jumping, criss-crossing the feet or jumping on one foot.
- Also called School. Those who run through the rope have figurative completed kindergarten, jumped once have completed first grade, etc.
Find more new and exciting games in our games library!
Love implementing Game of the Week? Playworks offers professional development programs that will teach your staff to use recess and playtime to improve health and support learning. Curious to learn more? Submit the Training Assessment form and a local Playworks representative will respond directly.
