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Jump Rope - Children Learn Through Play
By Sheilamarie Nellis
Jumping rope is an activity children have been enjoying for a long time. Although the origin of jumping rope as a game is unclear, evidence points to such diverse places as Egypt and Aboriginal Australia, among others. When I was growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, children, especially girls, spent hours jumping rope while singing songs and chants passed down from older girls to younger girls. Usually the chants rhymed and had a bouncy, sing-song rhythm. They were fun and maybe even a bit risque to our young minds. We sang about the appearance of babies -- something we baby boomers, especially if we were first or second children, knew a lot about. We sang about robbers and gin and dancers. We also sang about the alphabet and the months of the year, as well as pure nonsense that made us double over in laughter. What I remember most about my years jumping rope was the camaraderie with a group of girls whose young lives I shared. I remember the swish of the uniform skirts and the swing of pony tails and braids. When twenty girls let out for recess, they would show a different side of themselves as they entered the swing of the rope than they would show during our lessons in school. Certain girls would demand to be queen; others would show compassion to their playmates; still others would be cranky or confrontational. We learned a lot during these playtimes about getting along with others and about challenging ourselves. For both children and adults, jumping rope can be a great way to keep your heart healthy. Jump rope has cardiovascular benefits without doing as much damage to the knees as running, though jumping rope is a higher impact activity than walking. Jumping rope can burn between 10 to 20 calories per minute, depending how vigorously you jump. Visit my Jump Rope Songs Squidoo lens for more about jump rope and a further trip down memory lane.
Sheilamarie taught fourth grade in New Hampshire. Despite what anyone else may tell you, her husband is definitely not from Mars.
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Photo credit: lusi @http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1205206
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