Hopping involves standing on one foot and lifting off the ground by leaning slightly on the hopping foot side. The arms are moved forwards and backwards for momentum and balance. Start with balancing on one leg and bending the non-hopping leg. The non-hopping leg swings forward in a pendular fashion to produce force. The foot of the non-hopping leg remains behind the hopping leg so that it does not cross in front of the hopping leg. The arms are bent and swing forward to produce force. The child hops four consecutive times on the preferred foot before stopping. Some common errors the children experience with hopping include: a lack of pendulum motion in the arms and/or leg which limits momentum and balance, non-hopping leg remains in front of the hopping leg, and having straight arms through the movement. Some corrections and verbal cues to address these common errors could include: instructing children to swing their arms and non-hopping leg, suspend a scarf from the child's non-hopping foot to assist the child visually with keeping it behind the hopping leg, and to make sure the child bends their arms.
