Teaching Chinese Jump Rope to 1st graders has been so much fun! A lot of them have never even seen a Chinese Rope so they are so excited about it. I love teaching something that is raw to kids. Here is the sequence I take them thru:
*Show rope and how it is held around the ankles of 2 partners. I emphasize that it is important to be a good “holder” by keeping feet still and in the right position.
*First trick: side to side jumping with one foot in and one foot out of the rope chanting 2,4,6,8. Follow this with IN (both feet in rope) OUT (both feet out) ON (both feet on rope)
Let them practice this in groups of 4 for a few minutes. Then I blow my whistle and have them gather for the next trick
*I repeat the first sequence and add TWIST: both feet on outside of rope, bring ankles together then twist around 180. Jump out of twist and land with both feet out. Repeat and land with both feet in. Practice.
*Next I add the DIAMOND: bring one side of rope across and pull into diamond shape with feet. Jump out and land with both feet out & repeat landing with both feet in. Practice.
*Finally the BUNNY: Jump across the rope catching one side and bringing it across then jump out of it. Repeat going the other direction. Practice the entire sequence.
This is as far as I go with first grade. Some of my second graders have been ready to try it at knee length. 3rd and 4th graders come to class with some strong opinions and skills about how this should be done. I ask who has never done chinese jump rope and then pair those kids up with the experts and let them teach each other. They enjoy it a lot as well, but don’t need the teaching part. I used Chinese Ropes with my 5th and 6th graders as part of jump rope stations, letting them choose single rope, double dutch, or Chinese. The Chinese rope was still very popular with the older kids. A big plus with this style of rope is it can be done indoors and in smaller spaces so I point out to the students that it is a good way to exercise in the winter.