The Jumping Jingle
Learn an original chant ("Jump in front, jump behind, jump to one side, then the other kind") and jump in each direction to the beat. Children practice jumping directions and coordinating movement with words.
How to play
- The teacher recites the chant while clapping, and we repeat it sitting down (2 min).
- Standing up, each line is a jump: forward, back, to one side, and to the other (3 min).
- Chant and jump together, very slowly at first (3 min).
- Say it faster, then in a whisper (soft jumps), then loud (big jumps) (3 min).
- Finish with "...and now I sit down to rest" and sit down (1 min).
Rules
- I jump when I say the word.
- Feet together on every jump.
- I keep space around me to jump.
- If I get lost, I wait and start again.
Variations
Easier
At age 3, only "in front" and "behind," with the teacher beside them.
Standard
At age 4, the whole chant with all four directions.
Harder
At age 5, they make up a new line ("I hop on one foot...") and add it.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: do the chant moving arms or upper body in each direction.
- Hearing impairment: mark the directions with big arrows on the floor and gestures.
- Autism: draw the sequence on four cards and point to them while jumping.
Learning goals
- Jump in several directions.
- Coordinate jumping with the rhythm of words.
- Enjoy a group chant.
Teacher tip
The full chant: "Jump in front, jump behind, jump to one side, then the other kind; jump up high like a spring, then I sit down to rest." Keep it short and repeat it many times.
PatioLab has "The Jumping Jingle" and 8714 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
More activities like this
More main activities for Elementary
"Al Pasar la Barca" Parachute Rowing
Sitting around the parachute, children row by pulling the fabric toward them and letting it go toward the middle to the rhythm of the traditional Spanish song "Al pasar…
"Corro de la Patata" Parachute Circle
Children circle with the parachute while singing the traditional Spanish song "Al corro de la patata" (Potato Circle), and on "achupé, achupé" everyone sits down…
"El Patio de Mi Casa" Parachute Song
Children sing the traditional Spanish ring song "El patio de mi casa" while circling with the parachute and lowering it to the ground on "agáchate" (squat down).
"Que Llueva" Parachute Rain
Using the traditional Spanish children's song "Que llueva, que llueva" (Let It Rain), children make rain, clouds and sun with the parachute, and some hide underneath as…
«A la Zapatilla por Detrás»: The Slipper Behind Your Back
Sitting in a circle with eyes covered, one child walks around the outside with a slipper singing the traditional Spanish rhyme «A la zapatilla por detrás» («the…
«A Tapar la Calle»: The Chain That Blocks the Street
Half the class forms a hand-in-hand chain that walks forward singing the traditional Spanish song «A tapar la calle» («Block the street so nobody passes»), while the…