Written by Dr. Tess Grigg and Stephanie Lord-Darby 

As you watch a young child working out how to jump, a complex process is involved. When we instruct young children at GymbaROO-KindyROO to ‘bend your knees and jump!’, they often attempt it with no lift off from the ground or produce an adorable, wobbly movement instead. Where, in fact, a successful launch, which lifts two feet simultaneously off the ground, is an essential skill that develops locomotion, body control and supports cognitive development. So why is there such a fuss about jumping? And why are GymbaROO-KindyROO teachers so keen to get children confidently jumping?

The importance of locomotion is not just to dance to Kyle Minogue’s brilliant 80s HIT, however, it is about the ability to consciously control body movement. Jumping allows us to fuss around the foundations of building such control. Jumping has been shown to be a strong indicator of successful movement competence(1). Developing controlled movement of our bodies ultimately allows for efficient interactions with our surrounding environments. If a child is immaturely jumping, exercises that build muscle strength and tone, hip strength, and body awareness will allow a child to develop their ability to jump. So, if your little one wants to jump off everything, they have found the joy, with benefits, for jumping. 

The positive flow-on effect that jumping has on cognitive development, including self-regulation, concentration, and critical thinking, is highly beneficial for children. Planned and responsive exercises at GymbaROO-KindyROO work towards all components of a successful response to ‘bend your knees and jump,’ and the flow-on improvements follow. When children can control their body movements automatically, they can also sit still in a classroom and focus on learning. 

There is a ‘stage’ when a child learns to jump, and they tend to insist that everyone else jump with them. Sometimes Grandma may need a warning about this newfound skill. It is important to embrace the jumping enthusiasm; Australian research (2) shows that jumping skills in children aged 11 and 12 declined between 1985 and 2015. As a society, we are aware that our lifestyles are becoming more sedentary. Perhaps it is time for the family to ‘get involved’ in the jumping fun. Herrman et al. (3) found that physical activity, particularly weight-bearing exercise, contributes to bone health in children and helps prevent bone loss and osteoporosis issues as people age. Really, the benefits sound almost endless, so go on, ‘bend your knees (together) and jump!’ 

Dr Tessa Grigg (PhD, Dip Tch Primary and ECE) is an experienced teacher and the Research and Education Manager at GymbaROO-KindyROO. 

Stephanie Lord-Darby (MRes, B.Ed.) is an experienced teacher and passionate Education Researcher – Program Specialist at GymbaROO-KindyROO

 

References

1. Williams M, Saunders J, Maschette W, Wilson C. Outcome and Process in Motor Performance: A Comparison of Jumping by Typically Developing Children and Those with Low Motor Proficiency. Measurement in Physical Education & Exercise Science. 2013;17(2):135-49. 
2. Fraser BJ, Blizzard L, Tomkinson GR, Lycett K, Wake M, Burgner D, et al. The great leap backward: changes in the jumping performance of Australian children aged 11−12-years between 1985 and 2015. Journal of Sports Sciences. 2019;37(7):748-54.
3. Herrmann D, Buck C, Sioen I, Kouride Y, Marild S, Molnár D, et al. Impact of physical activity, sedentary behaviour and muscle strength on bone stiffness in 2-10-year-old children-cross-sectional results from the IDEFICS study. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition & Physical Activity. 2015;12:1-12.