Stepping Through My Hoop Like a Jump Rope

Each child holds a hoop in front, steps over the bottom edge and then swings it behind and over their head, like a jump rope. Children practice coordinating arms and legs and work step by step toward jumping.

How to play

1. Hold the hoop with both hands in front of your body, bottom edge touching the floor (1 min).
2. Step one foot over the edge, then the other, and lift the hoop up your back and over your head to the front again (3 min).
3. Windmill: repeat very slowly, saying "foot, foot, up" (2 min).
4. Anyone who's ready swaps the steps for a little two-foot jump when the hoop reaches the bottom (3 min).
5. Jump rope walk: travel around the playground stepping through the hoop as you go, and show a friend (2 min).
6. Lay the hoop down and sit inside to rest (1 min).

Rules

• I find a spot with space in front and behind.
• My hoop moves slowly, no whacking.
• I step or jump through, whichever works for me.
• If I get tangled, I stop and start again.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: passes the hoop over the head and shoulders from the wheelchair, "dressing" in it.
• Less skilled children: a buddy helps by holding the other side of the hoop.
• Visual impairment: works next to the teacher, touching the teacher's hoop to follow the movement.

Learning goals

• Coordinate arm and leg movements.
• Pass the body through a moving hoop.
• Build up step by step toward jumping rope.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Hoops: 25

Teacher tip

Use medium hoops, not so big they drag and not so small they won't clear the shoulders. Break it into three words ("foot, foot, up") and say them aloud together: the spoken rhythm organizes the movement.

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