Looking for something fun to do indoors? Do you remember Chinese Jump Ropes? My sisters and I loved playing with them when we were kids.
One day it occurred to me to look for them and I found a few on Amazon, but people were totally complaining about them in the reviews, so I decided to just make one. How hard could it be, right? Turns out, it’s super easy and very inexpensive.
How to Make a Chinese Jump Rope
I got two pieces of 3/8″ braided elastic at Wal-Mart. (They were only 97 cents each.)
I cut about two feet off of one of them and sewed the two long elastic pieces together to make the Chinese Jump Rope. I used a zigzag stitch hoping that would give it a little extra strength.
No sewing machine? Other options include:
Tying it (probably would have to do multiple knots)
Stapling it (might work, if you try it, and it does, let me know)
Safety pins might also be a viable no-sew option.
How to use a Chinese Jump Rope
I don’t know what you remember, but what we used to do is do this pattern: In, out, side, to side, in, out, on. And you had to do it perfectly. My kids have been having a ball with it. My kindergartener wants to play it a lot and my daughter and I said no and he came up with this solution.
Did you guys do another pattern or use the Chinese Jump Rope in another way?
I don’t know anything about this. I will have to see it in action!
Next time the girls get together, we’ll have to get it out. It’s a good time. If you are 9. Or 6. If you are north of 30, it’s a “hey, you are NOT 9″ or 22. I still think I am 22 most of the time.
this jump rope was a huge part of my childhood life in Norway as well! There are tons of variations you can do to the one you mentioned.
Bad part is I do not remember any of them,. Now I have to google it to see if some Norwegian pages still have the different variations. Young children are still jump roping
Regards Anne Gro
Hi Anne! Thanks so much for your comment. Sorry for the delayed response. I have such good memories of the Chinese jump rope. When our kids new school first opened they didn’t have a playground. This kind of thing is excellent in that situation. Interesting to that the Chinese jump rope was popular in Norway, too. I wonder if this came from a movie or TV show. There had to be some kind of inspiration that got everyone going on it.
Well, Happy New Year to you! Have a great day –
Heather