5 Smart Ideas To Teach Kids To Hop On One Leg
Is your kid trying to hop on one leg? Do you want to encourage your child to hop on one leg by teaching him smart, fun activities? If you nodded along gladly, then you need to teach your child some fun games that involve hopping on one leg and help him develop a good sense of balance easily. Here, we list some enjoyable activities that your child can enjoy while learning to hop on one leg. Read on to find out more.
1. Kick a Ball
Kicking a ball is a great entertaining way to start teaching your kid to hop on one leg. Tell your kid to kick a big ball with one leg by balancing his body on the other (supporting) leg, then move towards the kicked ball at some distance by hopping on the supporting leg without touching the kicking leg on the floor, and kick the ball again. Guide your child to do this activity continuously for a few minutes. Kick the ball, hop on supporting leg to reach the kicked ball, and kick the ball again.
2. Hoppo Bumpo
Acquaint your kids with Hoppo Bumpo, which is a popular and fun game for children. Gather a group of kids on a fall-friendly surface. Tell each kid to fold the arms and hop on one leg to bump other kids such that others should lose their balance and fall on the fall-friendly surface. The last kid standing is the winner of the game.
3. Hopscotch
Another popular fun activity to teach your kid to hop on one leg is hopscotch. You need to draw a hopscotch pattern on the ground with a piece of chalk. Use a bottle cap, small stone, or pebble and throw it into the first (i.e. nearest square) on the hopscotch pattern. Hop on one leg on every other square till the end of the pattern except the first square containing the pebble, hop back, pick up the pebble while hopping on one foot, and get out of the hopscotch pattern. Repeat this for the rest of the squares on the pattern. You need to hop on one foot till you are present in the hopscotch pattern. If you touch the ground with folded leg anytime, you are out or your turn stands cancelled. The kid who completes first is the winner.
4. Skipping On One Leg
Provide your child a skipping rope and guide her to hop on one leg, just like she hops on two legs, and jump using the skipping rope. First start with 3 to 5 jumps or hops on one leg using the skipping rope, and then gradually increase the count.
5. Once I Saw a Little Bird Game
One of the simplest fun activities is ‘Once I saw a little bird’. In this activity, your child needs to hop on one leg as per the instructions in the brackets as you sing the following song. Sing:
Once I saw a little bird come hop, hop, hop; (Your child should hop on one leg in one place.)
So, I cried, ‘Little bird, will you stop, stop, stop?’ (Kid should keep hopping till you say the last ‘stop’)
And was going to the window to say, “How do you do? (Tell your kid to wave hands to others)
But he shook his little tail, and far way he flew. (Kid should hop again with swinging hands denoting flying action.)
You can repeat this song, and your child will love hopping on one leg on your tunes.
