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Athletics · Basic · b4

Skipping and rhythm

At home 5 min 1 player Yard or lane

Ready when: Hop, step, jump and land (b2) done.

Start a session

What you are learning

Rhythm and springy ankles. Skipping is small, light jumps on the front of the feet while the wrists turn the rope. Good runners and jumpers have quick, light feet.

Set up

A skipping rope.

Weather: dry ground

The base setup for athletics

Show it first for the one teaching

  1. Hold the handles at hip height with the rope behind your heels.
  2. Turn the rope over your head with small circles of the wrists, not the whole arms.
  3. As it reaches your feet, jump on both feet, just high enough to clear it.
  4. Keep the jumps small and the landings light.

Your part while they practise

Count aloud for 15 seconds.

Step by step

  1. Stand ready, the rope behind the heels.
  2. On "Go", jump the rope as many times as you can in 15 seconds.
  3. Count every jump aloud.
  4. Rest, then a second try. That is one round.

How much: 2 tries of 15 seconds, 5 rounds 5 min a session 3 days a week On your own: count your own

Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.

The game: Rope race

Two children each count jumps in 15 seconds and compare their best of two.

Who plays: 2 children, or the child against their own best.

How to play, turn by turn
Turns
  1. One player skips for 15 seconds while the other counts
  2. Swap
  3. Each player has 2 tries; the best one counts
Fair play
A younger child skips for 20 seconds.
Points
1 point for each jump over the rope in 15 seconds.
Fouls
That jump does not count
  • A double bounce between turns of the rope
  • Stepping over the rope instead of jumping it
  • The rope catches the feet: start it again, and the clock keeps running
Winning
The higher best score.
Stars
  1. 12 jumps for 1 star
  2. 20 jumps for 2 stars
  3. 28 jumps for 3 stars

Easier or harder

Easier

A slow rope, a hop to one side.

Harder

One foot at a time or double jumps.

What you will see, and what to say

  • the child jumps too high Small jumps, light feetOnly just high enough to clear the rope.
  • the rope stops often Turn from the wristsSmall wrist circles; the elbows stay near the body.

Self-check

20

20 hops in 15 seconds with no stop.

Fitness for this

Warm up first: how to warm up, at workonfitness.com. For strength and stretching, its exercise library shows each exercise step by step, with an easier version.

This card trains rhythm, ankle strength.

awiseathlete.com/sports/athletics/athletics-b4