Activities & Days Out / 17 September, 2020 / Nanny Anita

Learn How to French Skip

When I was in either year 4 or 5 of primary school French skipping was pretty much the chosen game of all the girls. There are many different types of French skipping, plus  it also known by many different names. All of them are played on a long elastic that goes around 2 peoples ankles(or chairs).

The version I know seems to be very different from the form that other people know, but personally I think this one has more variety in it.

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You can get French skipping elastics from amazon.co.uk

1. Start facing the elastic.

2. Jump onto the closest elastic.

3. Jump off.

4. Jump over to the other side, but as you jump you have to take the elastic with your feet. You should make a triangle.

5. Now jump back onto the elastic you jumped over.

6. Now jump up and get rid of the elastic you took over (that was against the front of your ankles), but land on the piece you were just standing on.

7. Jump of and round, so that you are facing the elastic.

8. Again jump over and take the elastic with you (again you should form a triangle).

9. Now jump out. You should finish with your back to the elastic.

From there you repeat the whole routine again, but facing backwards!

At my school we had a set to complete – forward, backwards, hopping, hopscotch and galloping. If you managed to get through the routine doing it in each of these styles, you then moved the elastic up to knee height and tried to do it all again. However if you made a mistake your go was over and someone else got a go.

Have a go! I’m sure you and your little ones will get hooked! YC and EC were, they kept sneaking off to the playroom to have another turn, and would then come running to tell me how well they had done. Plus with Christmas just around the corner (aghhh), one of these would make a great stocking filler.

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