Jump Rope Activities

A MENTAL HEALTH WEEK PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOR GR. 2/3

Catching Toe Fish

Purpose of Activity:

To demonstrate jumping over a self-turned rope, using a two-foot takeoff and a two-foot landing.

Prerequisites:

Students should have prior practice performing the skill of jumping - performing a two-foot takeoff to a two-foot landing.

Suggested Grade Level:

K-2

Materials Needed:

one jump rope for every child

Description of Idea

Students stand beside a jump rope in a personal space. The teacher tells students: “We are going fishing today, and we might even catch some fish. The fish you might catch are very special fish, called 'Toe Fish.' We need a fishing pole to catch these 'Toe Fish.'” Students pick up the jump rope, make a pond (circle) and sit in it.

The teacher will be fishing first and needs the help of his/her students. The teacher demonstrates how to hold the handles (the fishing pole) of his/her jump rope - beginning with the rope behind his/her body. Counting to three, the teacher brings the rope over his/her head and tries to touch his/her toes with the rope. When the rope touches his/her fish (toes), the students will shout out, "You have a bite!"

Now it's the students turn to catch a fish. First, ask them to hold their fishing pole. Counting to three, students bring their ropes over their head and try to touch their toes with the rope (don’t jump) until the students shout out, "I have a bite." This action is repeated until most students are shouting out, “I have a bite” when the rope touches their toes.

The next step is to add the jump. The teacher demonstrates the "toe fish swimming" (jumping) over the rope. (S)he states, “We want the "toe fish" to swim over the rope so we have to jump. Inform students that for this lesson when they perform a jump over a rope, they take off on two feet and land on two feet.

Give students practice time to jump over the rope. If they are having trouble, return to catching the "toe fish" again.

Assessment Ideas:

Using a class list, note which students able to jump over the rope.

Teaching Suggestions:

1. Have one half of the class show the other half their best "toe fish catching." Switch roles. 2. Have one half of the class show the other half their best "toe fish swimming" (jumping) over the rope. Switch roles.

Submitted by Kathy Szabo who teaches at Coolidge Elementary School in Cedar Rapids, IA. Thanks for contributing to PE Central! Posted on PEC: 11/2/2008.

Viewed 84915 times since 10/16/2008.

Team Jump Rope

Prerequisites:

Basic jump rope skills and adding/subtracting skills

Suggested Grade Level:

3-5

Materials Needed:

Jump ropes, recording sheet, calculator (to save time), and pencils

Description of Idea

Students work together as a team to predict how many jumps they can complete as a team in a specified number of minutes. At the end, they add up their individual jumps for a team total and see how close they came to their prediction.

Divide class into groups of 3-5 students. Give students a specific number of minutes they will be jumping (times can vary based on skill level, time available, etc.). Prior to starting, each group should predict and record how many jumps they think they can do in the allotted. Each group will need a recording sheet (student names in one column and a place to record jumps to the side of their names), two jump ropes, two pencils, and a calculator (optional).

Send each group to a designated area of the gym to wait for the signal to begin. One of the two ropes in each group must be in use at all times. When one team member begins jumping on their first turn, they jump until they miss or become tired. This jumper then records the number of jumps they completed during their first turn. The next team member takes over and begins jumping. Each time one team member stops jumping, the next team member in line takes over. Each individual records their score after each turn. The number of turns each team member gets will vary from one group to another based on how long each individual jumps before missing. When the signal to stop is given, the students tally their individual totals, add them together for a team total, and compare them to their prediction.

Assessment Ideas:

Students can graph their personal best each time this activity is done. This will allow the student, teacher, and parents to see the growth of the student over a period of time. If portfolios are used, the graphs make great entries to track progress over time.

Teaching Suggestions:

This would be a great activity to use for Jump Rope for Heart.

Emphasize the importance of honesty when recording number of jumps and comparing actual number of jumps to the predicted number of jumps.

Submitted by Amy Tomlinson who teaches at Buchanan Elementary in Livonia, MI. Thanks for contributing to PE Central! Posted on PEC: 4/15/2004.

Viewed 119276 times since 1/6/2004.

Jump Rope Battleship

Purpose of Activity:

To practice previously learned jumping and jump rope skills in an organized game.

Prerequisites:

Jump rope skills (1 foot hop, 2 foot jump, double hop, forward jump roping, possibly backward jump roping and throwing skills).

Suggested Grade Level:

3-5

Materials Needed:

Cones, gator balls, bowling pins, jump ropes.

Description of Idea

Note: Please make sure you set up your playing area so the jump ropes are not hitting any of the other children.

Split the gym into halves with cones (usually on the center line). Then designate the last 10 feet of the gym on each side as the "jumping rope area" or "land."

Each student will have their own jump rope. Break students up evenly on each side an instruct them to make their jump rope into a circle and place a bowling pin inside. They are to protect their jump rope or "battleship" from the "missiles" (balls). Using the throwing cues previously taught, students will throw the balls (underhand) at the other team's battleships while also protecting theirs.

If the pin inside their jump rope gets knocked over, they must go to the "land" (safe area designated on each side) to practice their previously learned jump roping skills (e.g., 5 hops over your rope, 5 forward or backward jumps turning your rope, etc). Then they are to safely bring their rope back to the ocean and build their ship with a pin in it so the game can continue.

Teaching Suggestions:

If you have a lot of kids, you could have a "missile" thrower and a "guard." Once their ship is sunk, the guard must do the jump roping/jumping skills and then when they are done, the partners switch roles.

Adaptations for Students with Disabilities

Use a different type of ball, allow students who can't jump over a self turned rope to do a different kind of jumping skill.

Submitted by Alissa Clark in Canandaigua, NY. Thanks for contributing to PE Central! Posted on PEC: 1/4/2017.

Viewed 87887 times since 11/7/2016.