Exercise
Jumping and Landing for Kids: Two-Foot Practice Games
By Dave Joisil (Mr. J) · Certified Health and Physical Education teacher
Updated
Teach small two-foot jumps and controlled landings with personal-space games, a takeoff-and-landing record, and grounded alternatives without distance contests.
For this beginner lesson, jumping means taking off from two feet and landing on two feet. Start with a small jump on a clear, nonslip floor, then reset before another attempt. The goal is a controlled takeoff and landing, not the highest jump or longest distance.
Keep children at separate personal spots with empty space around and beyond them. Remove loose equipment and avoid raised platforms, furniture, or obstacles to clear. Explain a visible and spoken stop cue before starting. Follow individual activity plans and stop for pain, dizziness, or loss of control.
Model bend, lift, land, reset
Stand with feet a comfortable distance apart. Bend the hips, knees, and ankles a little, swing the arms comfortably, and push through both feet for a small lift. Land on both feet, letting the joints bend rather than locking the knees. Return to an easy standing position.
Show this slowly from the front and side. Say “two feet lift, two feet land” while learners notice the feet. A quiet landing can be a useful prompt, but sound alone is not a safety test; watch control, comfort, and the space used. Do not demand a deep squat or rigid stillness.
Game one: Lift and park
Each child chooses a flat home marker. Try one small jump near it, land, and reset. Ask, “Did you have room to finish?” Let children adjust the marker spacing with the adult before the next attempt. There is no penalty for stepping to regain balance.
Use a grounded bend-and-rise as an alternative when appropriate. Call that action by its real name rather than recording it as a jump. Observing a demonstration and choosing the landing cue can accompany physical participation, not become a permanent substitute for an accessible movement opportunity.
Game two: Near shore
Once stationary attempts are controlled, use two nearby flat marks to suggest a small forward jump. Children choose a comfortable gap; no one must reach the farthest mark. Keep every lane facing the same way and walk back outside the landing areas only when the adult signals.
If children stretch toward the destination and stumble, bring the marks closer or return to jumping in place. Do not add hoops, hurdles, or speed at the same time. One change makes it easier to see what helped.
Copy-and-print: Takeoff and landing record
- Task today: jump in place / small forward jump / agreed grounded action: ______.
- Before lifting: clear spot ______ comfortable bend ______.
- Feet at takeoff: two / other pattern observed: ______.
- Feet at landing: two / other pattern observed: ______.
- Finish: controlled reset / extra step / needed rest / learner comment: ______.
- Next setup: closer marks / more room / slower model / keep task: ______.
Use the record for a few observed attempts, not a total score. If a child repeatedly finishes on one foot, show the two-foot version again and remove the forward target. If discomfort continues, stop and follow school procedures rather than using more repetitions to correct it.
Video and next lesson
Jump Jump is an optional movement song, not a substitute for your demonstration or a claim that every action matches this beginner task. Preview it, choose suitable sections, and pause whenever children need time.
For the one-foot distinction, open the hopping lesson and comparison task. Use jumping-jack instruction only when the separate open-close coordination pattern is the lesson goal.
Takeoff and landing principles are informed by PDST fundamental movement skill cue posters. The two games and observation record are original teaching suggestions without claimed classroom trials or developmental milestones.