The one about the skipping rope…

I (Adrian) got this recently in a goody bag. For a moment I was wondering what was it for. It resembled a skipping rope’s handles but without the rope. Googling a little about it and I realized that it was what’s known as a Cordless Skipping Rope. In my mind, I was fascinated with the possibilities!

For the longest times, students with poor psychomotor skills often shy away from activities like skipping and balancing because they are worried of failure in front of their peers. To me, this was a beautiful modification of a tool to help make the activity of skipping more inclusive for people. And they still get all the benefits of skipping!

I guess it’s just like how facilitators will keep trying to make activities inclusive for participants. If you can’t swim, how can I let you participate in kayaking still in a safe manner? If the group cannot juggle the ball, can I make use of scarves instead so that they have longer “air time” before you have to catch it again? If my students have problems walking far with heavy loads, can I give them a tool to help them handle the load?

It all comes down to the experience a facilitator is trying to drive, and then its modified tools like this cordless skipping rope that can help make the experience possible for the participant.

I tried skipping a bit with it. It’s a bit like a rattle, you get a little tick-tick-tick with each skip. The initial few swings feel weird until both sides get in sync. And then you no longer need to consciously focus on the rope but you can get your reps in now. Interesting innovation that can bring skipping to more people.