13May

Building Community While at Home #12 – Jumping Rope in the E.C.

“Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn."

— O. Fred Donaldson

As spring blooms around us we are reminded of when we skipped, galloped, and ran as fast as we could to our meadow in the park. When we got there, we opened our backpacks, took out our jump ropes, and got to jumping.

Jumping rope is a much beloved activity for young children, and one that has been passed down over centuries. Valued as much for its simplicity as it is for its difficulty, jumping rope appears in its many forms in the histories of cultures all over the world. But why do we do it in our kindergartens?

Jumping strengthens the muscles in the legs, matures the sense of self-movement, and requires great stamina…

Text & paintings by Maddie Assarsson,  Rudolf Steiner Kindergarten