Jump Pad Memory Grid

Movement memory game on a chalk grid numbered 1 to 9, where students reproduce sequences by jumping with two feet or hopping on one foot. Students practice controlled jumping and landing, spatial awareness and memory.

How to play

1. Draw 6 chalk grids of 3-by-3 squares, about 20 inches each, numbered 1 to 9 like a keypad. Make groups of 4 per grid, lined up behind a start square.
2. Explore (3 min): each student jumps with two feet from square to square, touching every number, first in order and then backward.
3. Dictation (4 min): the teacher calls a 3-number sequence, such as '1, 5, 9.' Taking turns, each student jumps it while the group checks out loud.
4. Chain (5 min): the first student jumps one number; the second repeats it and adds one more, and so on until someone makes a mistake. Record the group's longest chain and start a new one.
5. Double code (4 min): even numbers are hops on one foot, odd numbers are two-foot jumps. Repeat the chain and try to beat the group record.

Rules

• Land inside the square with bent knees, without stepping on lines.
• Only one jumper at a time; the next one waits outside the grid.
• The group can help recall the sequence, but nobody jumps for someone else.
• Switch hopping feet each turn.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: point out the sequence with a pointer or roll through it on a larger grid with 3-foot squares.
• Visual impairment: outline squares with raised tape and have a partner call sequences slowly.
• Fitness level: students who tire leap from one foot to the other instead of hopping.

Learning goals

• Jump with two feet and hop on one foot with controlled landings.
• Remember and reproduce movement sequences.
• Adjust jump length to reach the target square.

Equipment for a class of 25

• chalk: 6

Teacher tip

Draw the grids before class to save time. Most mistakes come from rushing, so praise a stuck landing more than speed.

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