Bop and Jump

WHAT WILL YOUR CHILD LEARN PLAYING THIS GAME?

Managing Attention

to shift attention rapidly between people, activities and toys
to pay attention when routines change
to be increasingly aware of what a play partner is looking at, doing, feeling, and trying to accomplish
to demonstrate awareness of and interest in playful social interaction

Initiating and Making Choices

to choose between two or more options

Communication

to use playful chanting

Managing Emotions

to stay emotionally regulated (calm) when unexpected things happen

Cooperation

to follow routines within games and activities
to communicate the desire to end an activity
to take turns
to move together with others and/or in response to the movement of others
to join into playful activities with playfulness
to accept different roles within play activities
to allow others to share control of materials
to allow others to make changes and add ideas in pretend play
to offer ideas or changes to a game when playing
to willingly change a game when play partner desires to do so

Play

to use toys in a variety of different ways
to intentionally not use toys as intended
to follow routines within games and activities
to use add new ideas into play
to play with others in highly structured routines

Photo of a girl jumping on a trampoline by Cottonbro from Pexels.com

Trampoline Games

Children typically love trampolines so much, and they find that jumping is calming! I think nearly every child with any form of autism could benefit from time on a trampoline if they can jump safely on it. But how to turn the activity of jumping into a social game?

Children are so motivated to play games on trampolines that I have really worked to find and create games that involve jumping on a trampoline. Maybe you will create more and will let me know about your games because that would be splendid!

The games below are aimed at the Intermediate or Advanced Level Player because there is some language involved but I have modified this game, by assisting the child to jump and throw the ball so that Beginning Level Players, unable yet to master the language needed can still enjoy jumping and bopping. I have also programed a Talking Button to Chant!

Intermediate Level Player: Two players that can follow directions and chant

Adult : Hold the child's hands as they jump on a trampoline helping the child jump. Listen together to the chanter.

Bopper/Chanter: I'M GONNA GET YOU, I'M GONNA GET YOU! then, BOP! while throwing a very soft ball at the child.

Adult: When the child is bopped by the ball, pick up the child from the trampoline and toss them gently into a bean bag chair or onto a bed or couch.

The game is mastered when the child can independently throw themselves off the trampoline into a soft landing place when bopped.

With support, the Intermediate Level player can learn to play the role of Bopper/Chanter and throw the ball. Chanting may be hard but many children chant something and that is good enough!

Jumper: The person jumping on the trampoline.

Bopper: The person who chants, I'm Gonna Get You! and throws the ball at the Jumper.

An Advanced Level Player can learn to chant different chants that are created for this game. The game can be played with several children rotating into the Jumper and the Bopper/Chanter role.

If you have several children playing this game, set some chairs out in a row and call the children waiting, Waiters.

My Rule is... Trampoline Version: This is a version of Bop and Jump where the Jumper says: MY RULE IS, WHEN I SAY THE NAME OF A FOOD, YOU CAN BOP ME! Then the Jumper begins to list non-food items. When the Jumper names a food, the Bopper can throw the soft ball at the Jumper and they both trade places.

My Rule is... can also be played while sitting on bean bag chairs with one person making the rule and all the other people changing places at the correct moment. E.g. MY RULE IS, WHEN I SCRATCH MY HEAD, EVERYONE CHANGE BEAN BAG CHAIRS! The rule maker scratches their leg, then their arm, then their belly and finally, their head. At that point, everyone changes bean bag chairs. Regular chairs work as well of course, but bean bag chairs are so hard to get out of that the game is more fun.

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