Jumping
Jumping is one of my favorite gross motor skills. There are so many different versions of this one skill that kids can practice and incorporate into play which makes it really versatile and fun. Jumping also challenges both our muscle strength and our cardiovascular endurance making it a great way to exercise. Before we dive deeper into the different forms of jumping let’s review some of the terms I just mentioned so we can better understand the benefits of jumping.
Gross Motor Skills: Skills that use large muscles in the torso, arms, and legs. These skills are often whole body movements that require balance and coordination. Examples include sitting, crawling, walking, running, playing with a ball, and jumping.
Muscle Strength: The amount of force a muscle can create.
Cardiovascular Endurance: The body’s ability to supply oxygen to the muscles during sustained physical activity.