Ideas for Jumping Rope in Physical Education

Whether it's cross-country running, soccer, football or another sporting activity, physical education classes are designed to keep children fit. But to keep children interested and motivated, instructors must introduce less common physical fitness activities, such as jumping rope. Rope jumping exercises the entire body and is an effective cardiovascular activity. By varying the techniques, instructors can turn rope-jumping into a fun and calorie-burning part of physical education.

  1. Single Rope With Three People

    • In a three-student single-rope configuration, two students hold a single rope and twirl it clockwise as the third student times her jump. This is the simplest way to jump rope because a student can easily begin the jump as the rope moves away from her. Another variation is for the rope-turners to swing the rope counter-clockwise, which makes it more challenging for the jumper to begin because the rope is continually moving toward her instead of away from her. Students can vary the speed with which they turn the rope to make it harder on the jumper, and to increase the cardiovascular benefits.

    Double Dutch

    • Double dutch is a classic playground game in which two people hold two ropes -- a handle in each hand -- and turn them in opposite directions for one, two or sometimes three jumpers. This type of rope-jumping should only be introduced after students have mastered single-rope jumping, because it takes some practice for both the rope turners and the jumpers to learn the rhythm of double dutch. Instructors should get students used to turning each rope in opposite directions, then train the jumper to focus on one rope at a time when jumping. Double dutch provides a cardiovascular workout for both the students turning the rope and for the jumpers, while building stamina and improving agility.

    Single Rope Solo

    • Single rope solo jumping involves just one student and one rope. The student performs basic jumping routines and speeds up as he gains proficiency and confidence. The most important aspect of single rope solo jumping is making sure the rope is in constant forward rotation, and that the student doesn't jump too high. The key is to jump just enough for the rope to clear, and to land on the toes instead of on the flat side of the foot.

    Basic Single Rope Solo Tricks

    • As students improve their skills, basic jump single rope solo tricks can be added that increase fitness by raising the heart rate. For example, doubles are an effective way to burn more calories because they require students to rotate the rope twice before their feet touch the ground. Students must snap their wrists faster to generate the speed necessary for the rope to turn over twice in one jump. Other basic trick jumps include the straddle or jumping-jack, the skier, in which students jump from side to side with their feet together -- and the backward jump, in which students reverse the rotation of the rope.