Movement
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PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
The starting position to jump horizontally? Lean slightly forward, pull your arms back and bend your knees.
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PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Then comes the moment of flight. You push with your legs by swinging your arms forward.
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PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
You extend your body in the air to gain height and travel a greater distance.
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PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
We land gently while maintaining our balance. Be careful, it’s not always easy! A trick to not lose your footing? We take the time to stop for a few seconds before making a second jump or another movement,
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The game
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
To practice the horizontal jump, here is a variant of the game “Jean dit”.
Who doesn’t know the game “Jean dit”? To practice the horizontal jump and do like the rabbit, here is a very simple variant. Place a skipping rope on the floor to form a line. On one side is the rabbit hole. On the other, the forest. When the word “forest” is said, the child must jump forward. “Burrow”? He jumps backwards.
Why develop this skill?
Who says sport, often says jump. Volleyball, athletics, gymnastics, basketball: the disciplines in which the player must soar into the air are numerous. Developing this skill not only allows the child to be more comfortable when practicing these activities, but it also allows him to acquire leg strength and better balance.
The activities presented in this section were created by Champions for Life, whose mission is to help preschool and elementary school children develop their physical literacy. Thank you to the students of the École des Marguerites, in Montreal, who demonstrated the different movements.