Ask Ollie
Jump Rope Skill Ladder
Here's one to try together!
Climb six tricks from easy to epic, one rung at a time, and tick each one off!
Reviewed by our team.
Safety first
- tripping on the rope or landing badly
- rope may hit people or objects nearby, so keep the area clear of furniture and siblings
- rope can sting if it hits skin during double unders
- overexertion, so rest between rungs
What you need
- Paper, 1 sheet
- Jump rope, 1
- Pencil, 1
- Phone, 1 timer
How to do it
Grown-up prep: Find a clear indoor or outdoor space with room to swing a rope all around. Check the rope length: the handles should reach the child's armpits when they stand on the middle.
- Draw a ladder with six rungs on your paper.
- Write the six tricks on the rungs, easiest at the bottom.
- Check your space is clear of people and furniture.
- Rung one: do ten basic jumps in a row.
- Rung two: do ten jumps on one foot, then switch feet.
- Rung three: jump like a skier. Ask: Which one do you think will feel trickier, side to side or forward and back?
- Rung four: jump like a bell.
- Rung five: cross your arms for one jump.
- Rung six: try a double under! Ask: What do you think you need to change to make the rope go around twice?
- Show your friends your ladder, or climb it again! Can you beat your best? Ask: Which rung was your favorite, and which one will you practice next?
Play it again
- Speed round: how many basic jumps can you do in 30 seconds?
- Mix it up: a friend calls out two rungs and you do them back to back.
- Make your own: invent a new trick and add it as a seventh rung.
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