Physical Friday: Jumping

Indoors or out, jumping is a fun activity for toddlers. Many times a day I hear my toddlers voice, "Mommy, want to see how I can jump?" She's so enthusiastic about it every time that I can't help but join in with her energy and do a little jumping myself!

Jumping is a gross motor skill, meaning it requires the coordination of large muscle groups. It emerges, generally, between 2 and 2 1/2 years of age. Sammi's interest in jumping really took off after she watch the Sesame Street Podcast on the word "Jump." (Find it on iTunes ) I'm still trying to figure out why my toddler loves jumping so much. Here are some guesses: the wind in her hair, the free-falling feeling coming back down, shear joy in the ability to jump and the fact that she can jump anywhere! I may never know for sure but I do know that she loves it!

I've also come across some unexpected benefits from jumping. I recently read about a study in a parenting magazine which found linked jumping with preventing osteoporosis. The study looked at a group of 5-8 year old girls, half of which jumped 100 times a day and the other half who didn't. The half that jumped showed an increase in bone density. Higher bone density protects the bones from the effects of osteoporosis, a decrease in mineral bone density that leads to increased risk for fracture.

Jumping Activities
Songs:

• If You're Happy and You Know It: Do a verse with "If you're happy and you know it jump up and down"
• This Is My Jumping Song from Janeen Brady's Watch Me Sing Volume 2

Action Plays:

• 5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed
• Jump Rope Rhymes

Games

• Count the number of jumps
• Jump from one place to another place
• Hopscotch