Windmills? Maybe!

Double Dutch, the art of twirling two ropes "together," and jumping over each as they come down to hit the ground. (Wonder if this has anything to do with Windmills?)

Now that you've gotten two weeks of practice (and fitness) under your belt, the skill level increases, but the outcome is still fun and full of aerobic benefit. (For you and your little ones!)

The key to getting started twirling in a rhythmic pattern is to say aloud, "right, left, right, left, etc.," in sync with the person on the other end. One rope will be in the air while the other is down, and vice versa. The jumper must concentrate on the rope hitting the pavement, and must time the precise moment to jump over each without stopping the rhythmic pattern. Sound easy? Not so! This tidbit of fun takes immense concentration and skill, using large and small motor movements in combination! Coordination is the ultimate outcome! The more you practice jumping this way, the more coordinated you will become! Remember that "old" addage? Practice makes perfect? This is definitely one activity that proves these words beyond a reasonable doubt!

Now for the fun stuff! Below are a few ideas and brainstorms (literally!) that can be used to get those legs moving! Let's practice "Double Dutch"!

Let the twirlers begin twirling, and practice running in. (this is not easy with Double Dutch).

As you are hopping and skipping over the ropes, begin to recite the alphabet! Then, go on to recite a word that starts with each letter of the alphabet! Then, have each twirler call a word, and recite a word that rhymes with the word they just called. As this is happening, the twirlers begin to turn the ropes faster and faster, and call out words quicker and quicker. Eventually, the cycle of jumping and rhyming will be broken (this is a given). Either your mind will go blank, or while you are thinking, your feet won't work! Either way though, it's tremendous fun to see how fast you can go! Push yourself! You might just surprise yourself! Good Luck! (children between the ages of 10 and 17 are some of the best at this.)

Another game that I've played once is to have two people jumping at the same time. The hard part is when one person must listen to the commands of one twirler, and the other must listen to the commands of the other twirler. It's not too bad when the person giving the commands is on the side that you are jumping, but let the twirler on the

Go To Page: 1 2

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic