Skip: fundamental movement skill

Skipping is a rhythmical forward movement involving a step-hop on one leg, and then transferring weight to the other foot to repeat the pattern.  Take a step forward, followed by a hop on the same foot, followed by a step-hop on the other foot.  The arms are bent and move in opposition to the legs to produce force.  The child completes four continuous, rhythmical, alternating skips.  Some common errors that children experience with skipping include: an inability to perform the stephop movement on both legs alternately, landing flat-footed or heel first, and having restricted arm movement to rhythmically support the legs.  Some corrections and verbal cues to address these common errors could include: instructing children to step, hop, step, hop and providing a rhythm for children to move to, make sure children take-off and land on the front of their foot, and encourage children to swing their arms in opposition to their legs. 

One child is the traffic controller.  The other children line up along a line with the traffic controller facing them, 10 to 20 metres away.  When the traffic controller says green light, the children skip forward.  When the traffic controller says red light, the children have to stop.  Once the children reach the traffic controller, ask another child to be the traffic controller and the other children can skip back in the other direction.