jump rope

jump rope

 or skip rope

Children's game in which players hold a rope (jump rope) at each end and twirl it in a circle, while one or more players jump over it each time it reaches its lowest point. Dating from the 19th century, it is traditionally a girl's sidewalk or playground game that usually involves the chanting of a counting rhyme (e.g., “One, two, touch my shoe”). There are many types of jumps, including single, double, and backward; in “double Dutch,” two ropes are twirled simultaneously in opposite directions. Single-rope jumping, or rope skipping, is popular with boxers to develop the lungs and legs and improve coordination and footwork.