One Sound: Synchronized Group Jumps

Groups of five jump to the beat and try to land at exactly the same moment, so only one thud is heard on the floor. It works jumping and landing technique, synchronization and teamwork.

How to play

1. Make groups of 5 in a line or circle, an arm's length apart. Spend 1 minute reviewing landings: balls of the feet first, bent knees and no loud slap.
2. With the music on, everyone does a two-foot jump on count 1 of every eight and marches on the other counts. The goal is for the landing to sound like one.
3. The teacher walks around listening and tells each group whether it hears one thud or several. Practice for 2 minutes.
4. Change the type of jump every minute: quarter-turn jump, straddle jump and tuck jump, keeping the group in sync.
5. In 1 minute, each group creates a sequence of 4 different jumps across 32 counts and rehearses it.
6. Final minute: each group shows its sequence while the others listen with eyes closed for a single thud.

Rules

• The group looks at each other and agrees on a signal, like a head nod, to jump together.
• Each jump ends with a stable landing before moving on.
• Safety: in turning jumps, everyone turns the same way to avoid collisions.
• Celebrate every synced landing instead of pointing out who missed.

Variations

Adaptations

• Students with limited mobility join in with a loud thigh slap timed to the group's landings.
• For students with hearing loss, the group uses the visual head nod as its main signal.
• Less-fit students do lower jumps or a calf raise push.

Learning goals

• Land safely and quietly after different jumps.
• Sync movement with the group and the music.
• Work together to design and rehearse a shared sequence.

Equipment for a class of 25

• music (speaker): 1

Teacher tip

A gym with a wood floor makes it easier to hear the thud. Stress that a good landing is a quiet landing; it's the foundation of injury prevention in jumping.

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