Jumping is a favorite pastime for many preschoolers, and it’s easy to see why.
Not only is jumping a great way to burn off some energy, but it’s also a fantastic way to develop gross motor skills, coordination, balance, and strength.
We’ll explore amazing jumping activities for preschoolers that will keep them entertained and engaged while promoting their physical development.
However, doing the same old jump can quickly become tedious, which is why it’s essential to mix things up to keep the fun going.
Obstacle Course Jumping:
Create an obstacle course in your backyard or living room using pillows, hula hoops, and cones. Have your preschooler jump over and through the obstacles while incorporating other movements like crawling and rolling. This activity will not only improve their jumping skills but also enhance their agility and coordination.
Related: 20 Indoor Obstacle Course Ideas for Kids
Musical Jumping:
Turn on some music and have your preschooler jump around to the beat. When the music stops, shout out a body part, and they have to freeze with that body part touching the ground. This game is not only fun but also helps your child develop listening skills and body awareness.
Bubble Jumping:
Blow some bubbles and have your preschooler jump around to catch them. You can also make it a competition and see who can catch the most bubbles. This activity is great for hand-eye coordination and makes jumping even more exciting.
Related: 20 Fun Friday Activities for Preschool
Alphabet Jumping:
Write letters of the alphabet on the ground with chalk or tape. Call out a letter, and have your preschooler jump to that letter. You can make it more challenging by asking them to spell out simple words by jumping to the corresponding letters. This activity promotes letter recognition and reinforces early literacy skills.
Jumping Jacks:
Teach your preschooler how to do jumping jacks. Start with small sets and gradually increase the number of reps. You can also add a fun twist by doing jumping jacks to a song or making it a competition to see who can do the most jumping jacks in a minute. Jumping jacks are a great cardiovascular exercise and improve overall fitness.
Animal Jumping:
Encourage your preschooler to pretend to be different animals while jumping. For example, they can jump like a frog, kangaroo, or bunny. This activity is not only fun but also improves creativity and imagination.
Related: 100 Effective Attendance Questions for Middle School
Hula Hoop Jumping:
Lay out several hula hoops on the ground and have your preschooler jump from hoop to hoop. You can also make it more challenging by having them jump on one foot or hop from hoop to hoop. This activity is great for balance and coordination.
Jump Rope:
Teach your preschooler how to jump rope. Start with a larger rope and let them practice jumping over it. You can also add a fun twist by incorporating songs or chants while jumping. Jump rope improves cardiovascular health and coordination.
Trampoline Jumping:
If you have a trampoline, let your preschooler jump on it. You can add a safety net for added protection. You can also make it more fun by playing games like tag or hot potato while jumping. Trampoline jumping improves balance and coordination while providing a fun and exhilarating experience.
Counting Jumps:
Have your preschooler count their jumps while jumping. You can also make it more challenging by asking them to count in a different language or skip counting. This activity reinforces early math skills and helps with number recognition.
Jumping Tic-Tac-Toe:
Draw a tic-tac-toe board on the ground with chalk or tape and have your preschooler jump to the different squares to play the game. You can also use colored bean bags or cones as markers. This activity promotes strategy and problem-solving skills.
Jumping Balance Beam:
Create a balance beam using a long piece of wood or tape on the ground and have your preschooler jump along the beam while keeping their balance. You can also add obstacles like cones to make it more challenging. This activity improves balance and coordination.
Jumping Over a Line:
Draw a line on the ground with chalk or tape and have your preschooler jump over it. You can make it more challenging by having them jump over the line with one foot or do a certain number of jumps. This activity improves leg strength and coordination.
Simon Says Jumping:
Play a game of Simon Says with jumping as the main activity. You can give different commands like “Simon says jump high,” “Simon says jump to the left,” or “Simon says jump and spin.” This activity improves listening skills and coordination.
Jumping Parachute:
Use a large parachute and have your preschooler jump up and down while holding onto the edge of the parachute. You can also add different movements like lifting the parachute up and down or running underneath it. This activity improves coordination and teamwork.
Jumping Shapes:
Draw different shapes on the ground with chalk or tape and have your preschooler jump to the different shapes. You can make it more challenging by calling out the shapes in a different language or having them jump to specific colored shapes. This activity improves shape recognition and jumping skills.
Jumping Relay Race:
Divide the children into teams and have them compete in a jumping relay race. Set up a start and finish line and have each team member jump to the finish line and back, tagging the next team member to go. This activity promotes teamwork and improves cardiovascular health.
Jumping Hopscotch:
Draw a hopscotch board on the ground with chalk or tape and have your preschooler jump through the different squares. You can also make it more challenging by adding more squares or incorporating different jumping movements like hopping on one foot or skipping squares. This activity improves balance and coordination.
Jumping Ball Toss:
Have your preschooler jump up and catch a ball you toss to them. You can make it more challenging by having them catch the ball with one hand or catching the ball while jumping on one foot. This activity improves hand-eye coordination and jumping skills.
Jumping Yoga:
Incorporate jumping into a yoga practice for preschoolers. Teach them different yoga poses like the frog, bird, and kangaroo, which incorporate jumping movements. This activity promotes mindfulness and improves flexibility and balance.
