Movement skills/concepts

Hopping through different pathways, levels, and qualities (e.g. fast, soft), and relationships (with equipment and partner).

Set-up

• Ropes, hoops, discs, cones.
• Children spread out in defined grass or hard surface area with equipment to hop over.

Activity      

Children explore ways to hop.

Can you hop …?

• on the spot, forwards/backward/sideways
• and turn in the air
• and turn in the air making a quarter turn/half turn/full turn
• as quietly/noisily/quickly/slowly as you can
• as softly/hard as you can three times on your right/left foot
• alternating hard and soft landings
• over the rope, into the hoop, onto the disc, around the cones
• as high as you can, with little low hops, at a medium height
• as far as you can for distance
• without using your arms, using only one arm, using your opposite hopping foot
• alternating feet every eight/four/two beats
• with partners at the same time/moving forward holding hands/facing each other

Variations

Hopping tug of war: In pairs, children hold one of the partner’s hands and hold their non-hopping leg with their other hand, they then try to pull each other off-balance (no rough play).

Follow the leader: In small groups, one person leads the group, one behind the other, on a hopping journey over, on, and through obstacles.