Instead of buying a rope every time your child goes through a growth spurt, why not invest in a longer rope to start with and then shorten it using the technique you’ll find in the video below? 

Help spark your kid’s enthusiasm for jumping rope by letting them choose the color of the cable to match their favorite.

First of all, when it comes to safety and jumping rope it's really important that you educate your kids about how to pick their location. Most kids will be jumping rope outside unless they are doing it as part of a guided gym activity, this means they will need to be aware of hazards such as traffic, and pedestrians. 

Be sure to supervise them at all times, and to remind them to never jump rope in the road. Also, remember to teach them about pedestrian etiquette and that they need to stop while people on foot walk by. 

Also to ensure safety when jumping rope your kids will need to make sure that they aren’t too close to their friends or others that are standing around them. Reminding them to turn in a full circle to check this before they start jumping is always a good idea.

The best way to introduce your kid to jumping rope is to make it fun. Happily, there are some great games you can start with that they are sure to enjoy, and that will also build up their skills and confidence for jumping rope at the same time. 

This activity will help develop your child’s jump rope form, which is essential to build before they move on to more advanced games. Get them to lay their rope on the ground, and practice jumping ‘back and forth’ over the rope. Encourage them to jump on the back of the balls of their feet, and only around an inch off the ground, as this will ensure good form and help them get better faster as well as minimize the risk of any injuries. 

Played with a long, circular length of elastic rather than a rope, French skipping is a great group activity that can help your child build up the muscle strength and coordination needed for jump rope. Find out more about how to do this activity in the video below. 

If your child is having trouble coordinating their arms and legs at the right time when skipping, replacing the rope with a hula hoop can be both fun and useful. You can even let your child travel (walk and jump) with the hoop when they have mastered the action, which will ensure they stay happy and motivated as they learn.

Another group game, Helicopter is similar to the game tag but includes jumping at just the right time. To play Helicopter one child will need to stand in the middle of a circle of the other children. This child will grab hold of one end of the jump rope and swing it around in a circle. The task of the other children is to jump at the right time, otherwise, they become ‘it” and have to take the place of the helicopter player. 

Helicopters can really help your child build up their agility and coordination because they are not in control of the rope. However, supervising the kids to ensure their rope stays on the ground and the activity remains safe is a must.

Like French skipping, Double Dutch requires a group of two people to hold the ropes so the others can jump them. Unlike French skipping, Double Dutch uses multiple regular jump ropes suitable for kids which are swung in an alternating rhythm with one another. 

The goal of Double Dutch is to move into the space of the swing ropes without interrupting them which takes considerable skill and fitness. Sometimes groups of jumpers can enter the space together, or even do tricks where they spin around while continuing to jump.