Jump Rope Around the World

 

Today's Snack: It's not long enough to jump-rope with, but enjoy a long dried-fruit "rope" today.

 

--------------------

 

Supplies:

 

A jump rope!

 

 

Jump-roping is not only a lot of fun, it's great for developing your muscle endurance and eye-hand coordination. The sport helps with your flexibility, balance and rhythm, too.

 

It's more variable than jogging and running, although they are great for you, too. For example: you can cross your arms in front of you and alternate with regular jumps, to work your trunk muscles.

 

Jumping rope keeps your heart rate up and gets the hormones that make you feel good flowing. Minute for minute, it's one of the best exercises around.

 

One of the best things about jumping rope is that it's a portable sport - you can go wherever you want, and with a fairly high ceiling, you can jump-rope inside. You can jump-rope alone, or with one or more friends, which makes it flexible any time and throughout the year.

 

You do need supportive shoes that will cushion the pressure on your knees and ankles when you come down from a jump, and those can be fairly expensive. But most kids already have court shoes for basketball or tennis with extra cushioning in the front half of the sole. Since you tend to land on the ball of your foot - the front part, underneath - you wouldn't want to jump-rope barefoot. You really do need that support from a good shoe.

 

If you're going to buy a jump rope, make sure the length is adjustable. If it's too long or too short, you'll have to jump "funny" and that won't be comfortable. As you grow, it's nice to match the length of the rope to your height.

 

Also make sure that the weight of the rope isn't too heavy so that it drags, or too light so that it gets twisted too easily.

 

Look for foam cushioning on the hand grips so that you can jump longer without any discomfort in your hands, and so that the rope won't slip as easily.

 

Jump roping is literally a universal game. Kids the world over like to jump rope to rhythmic beats and rhymes. Here are some jump rope rhymes from different countries, including our own:

 

All-American chants and rhymes:

 

http://www.beachnet.com/~jeanettem/chants.html

 

 

From Greece:

 

Skipping is fun

Everywhere,

But skipping rope

Is double-fun

In the open air.

 

 

From Kenya:

 

Jelly on the plate, jelly on the plate

Wiggle, woggle, wiggle, woggle

Jelly on the plate.

Sausage in the pan, sausage in the pan

Turn it around, turn it around

Sausage in the pan.

 

 

From Mexico:

 

(for three children: two hold the rope and skip it halfway while the third jumps; every time they say the word "leré," the jumper has to crouch down. If you make it to the end of the song, you win!)

 

El cocherito leré
Me dijo anoche leré
Que si quería leré
Montar en coche leré

Y yo le dije leré
Con gran salero leré
No quiero coche leré
Que me mareo leré.

El nombre de María
Que cinco letras tiene
La M, la A, la R
La I, la A: MARÍA!

 

From Guatemala:

 

(A counting game)

 

Brinca la tablita
que yo la brinqué
Bríncala tú ahora
que yo me cansé
Dos y dos son cuatro,
cuatro y dos son seis.
Seis y dos son ocho,
y ocho dieciséis,
y ocho veinticuatro,
y ocho treinta y dos.
Y diez que le sumo
son cuarenta y dos.

 

 

From the Dominican Republic:

 

Uva,

Pera,

Manzana y arroz

A los cuantos anos me casare yo?

Uno, dos, tres …

 

(keep counting until the person misses or quits.

 

(Translation: Grape, pear, apple and rice, how many years until I get married? One, two, three…")

 

 

-- Contributed by Cynthia Jernstrom, longtime educator