Four on Friday: Jumping Rope
I loved jumping rope as a kid. I was never coordinated enough to master double dutch, but loved the rhythm of jumping. In fact, I remember this Anna Banana book from my childhood! My siblings and I would try different rhymes as we took turns turning the rope and jumping in. Another title on this list – David Jumps In highlights a different type of jump rope, often called Chinese Jump Rope. It’s a completely different type of jump rope, but one that’s really fun to try (and create your own rope too!).
If the kids are getting bored this summer, grab a couple of these great books and inspire your kiddos to get out and try jumping rope!
Four on Friday: Jumping Rope
- Anna Banana: 101 Jump-Rope Rhymes by Joanna Cole, illustrated by Alan Tiegreen
“How many times can you jump rope? Can you hop, skip, and double-dutch? With these rhymes and rhythms, jump rope is even more fun. There are red-hot pepper rhymes for jumping very fast, counting rhymes to keep the beat, and rhymes for jumping in and out. There are even fortune-telling rhymes that answer questions and help you predict the future!
Jumping rope is not only great exercise, it’s also great entertainment. With Anna Banana, you’ll never run out of chants to use while swinging the ropes. Learn over one hundred traditional rhymes that will make rope jumping challenging and, best of all, fun!”
- David Jumps In by Alan Woo, illustrated by Katty Maurey
“This lyrical tale, written in simple free verse, tells how a game with roots in ancient China — called elastic skip in this story — helps a boy find his footing on his first day at a new school.
It is David’s first day at his brand-new school. He doesn’t know anyone. At recess, he stands alone and watches the other children enjoying their activities on the playground, from practicing soccer moves and climbing monkey bars to playing hopscotch and daydreaming in the grass. Bundled deep inside David’s pocket is a string of rubber bands, knotted and ready for a game of elastic skip. But will anyone want to try that game? he wonders. Will anyone want to play with him?”
- Jayla Jumps In by Joy Jones
“When eleven-year-old Jayla finds out that her mother used to be a Double Dutch champion, she’s stunned. Her mom, who’s on doctor’s orders to lower her blood pressure, could move like that?!? Jayla decides to follow in her mom’s footsteps, thinking that maybe double Dutch can make her stand out in her big, quirky family. As she puts together a team at school and prepares to compete, Jayla finds that Double Dutch is about a lot more than jumping rope–and it just might change her life in ways she never imagined. Full of hilarious family dynamics and plenty of jump rope action, Jayla Jumps In follows one girl’s quest to get her mom healthy and find her place in her community.” - Love Double Dutch! by Doreen Spicer-Dannelly
“Brooklyn middle-schooler MaKayla can only think about one thing–taking her double Dutch team all the way to the National Jump-off at Madison Square Garden. That is, until her mother breaks the news. Kayla has to spend the summer at her aunt’s house in North Carolina while her parents work out their problems . . . or decide to call it quits.
Kayla does not feel at home in the South, and she certainly doesn’t get along with her snooty cousin Sally. It looks like her Jump-off dreams are over.
Hold the phone! Turns out, double Dutch is huge in the South. She and Sally just need to find two more kids for a team. And a routine. And the confidence to stand up to the double Dutch divas who used to be Sally’s BFFs. Time to show those Southern belles some Brooklyn attitude!”
