You’ll need
Setting up
Two players stand facing each other with the elastic round their ankles, so it is stretched taut. The jumper starts beside the elastic.
The story of the game
French skipping is a game you learn together with its rhyme. Every syllable is a move: in, out, step on, cross. It gets harder as the elastic goes up, from the ankles to the knees and then to the hips.
How to play
- The jumper chants a rhyme and makes one move on each syllable: both feet inside the elastic, both feet outside, one foot on the elastic.
- The classic sequence: in, out, step on both strands, cross, uncross, out.
- A player who finishes the sequence without a mistake moves up to the next height: ankles, calves, knees, hips.
- A player who steps wrongly or gets caught in the elastic swaps places with one of the holders.
Variations (3)
- For little ones, keep the elastic low, at ankle height, and just do “in and out”.
- If there’s no one to hold the elastic, loop it round the legs of two chairs.
- Make up your own rhyme, one step for every syllable.
For parents
At 5 most children can do “in and out”; the crossing moves tend to come at around 6–7. There’s no hurry to raise the elastic.
What to wear on their feet
A light, flexible shoe. Laces can catch on the elastic, so hook-and-loop styles suit it better.
Safety
Don’t stretch the elastic too tight; if it’s let go, it can snap back and hit someone. Never wrap the elastic round the neck. Always play these games with an adult watching, in a way that suits your child’s age and the surface underfoot. Keep games with small pieces (marbles, five stones, mangala) away from children under 3.
