How to choose skipping ropes for school
A good rope won’t teach a child to skip, but the wrong one can stop them learning. What to look for, what to avoid, and how to keep a class set working for years.
Most skipping ropes sold to schools look the same in a catalogue. In a lesson they are not the same at all. A light, kinked or wrong-length rope makes even a natural skipper look like they can’t do it, and children who keep failing soon stop trying. Here’s how to tell a good rope from a bad one before you buy thirty of them.
Why some ropes stop children learning
In reviews of cheap skipping ropes, the same complaints come up again and again: the rope is too short, it won’t straighten out, it’s too light to swing and the handles break. These are the five faults that cost a class most.
- 1It keeps the shape of the packet
Thin, light cord remembers how it was coiled. Instead of a smooth arc it loops and kinks, and catches the feet.
- 2It’s too light to feel
A rope with no weight floats and flops. The child can’t feel where it is, so they can’t time the jump.
- 3It’s the wrong length
One size for everyone means it drags and tangles for little ones and hits the head of a tall Year 6.
- 4The handles don’t last
Cheap handles crack, slip off or let the cord pull through, so ropes are broken mid-lesson.
- 5It tangles in the bag
Thirty thin ropes in a bag come out as one knot, and ten minutes of the lesson go on untangling.
Not every low-cost rope is bad: what matters is the cord, the weight, the handles and the length. But the cheapest bulk packs often fail on all four.
Six checks before you buy
You can test a rope in a minute, in the shop, at a training day or as soon as a delivery arrives.
- 1Hang it
Hold it up by one handle. A good rope soon hangs fairly straight. A poor one keeps its coils.
- 2Turn it slowly
Swing it over your head at walking pace. You should feel it travel round in an even arc, not flop. For the arc you’re after, watch Hopkins, our animated coach, on the double bounce page.
- 3Stand on it
Stand on the middle: the handles should reach just below the armpits, for the age it’s meant for.
- 4Spin the cord
Twirl the rope from one handle. It should turn freely inside the handle without the cord twisting up.
- 5Squeeze the handles
They should be firm and grippy, with the cord fixed in, not loose or brittle.
- 6Try the bag
Bundle ten together and pull one out. A rope that comes out on its own saves you minutes every lesson.
Which type of rope?
| Rope | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Solid speed ropeA smooth plastic (PVC) cord with two handles. The standard school rope. | PE lessons, playtimes, the Skipping Awards, the Virtual Skipping League, tricks. | Thin, light cord that keeps its packet coils. Look for a thicker cord that hangs straight. |
| Beaded ropeHollow plastic beads threaded on a cord. Heavier and slower, with a click on every turn. | Young beginners, home and the playground, Double Dutch. | Slower for speed and tricks; some young children find it harder to turn. |
| Cotton or fabric ropeA soft, traditional rope. | Very young children, and gentle long rope games. | Light and soft, so it floats and is hard to turn fast. It frays, and gets heavy and dirty when wet. |
| Wire or cable speed ropeA thin coated steel cable, often with ball bearings in the handles. | Adult fitness and competition speed. | Not for a class: it stings when it catches, needs an exact length and kinks if trodden on. |
| Adjustable ropeOne rope that you shorten to fit. | One child or adult at home. | For a class, adjusting 30 ropes takes the lesson. Fixed lengths by key stage are quicker. |
| Long rope and Double Dutch ropesA 7.5 m long rope, or a pair of 4.5 m ropes. | Group games, rhymes and Double Dutch. | Too heavy hurts when it catches; too light won’t hold its shape. It should turn easily but not sting. |
For a primary school, the workhorse is a solid speed rope with a smooth, fairly thick cord, cut to length for each key stage, with a few long ropes and pairs of Double Dutch ropes for group games.
The right length
Size school ropes by key stage rather than by child, so they come out of the bag ready to use.
| Rope | For | Height, roughly |
|---|---|---|
| 2.1 m | Reception to Year 2 | 1.00 m to 1.30 m |
| 2.5 m | Years 3 to 6 | 1.20 m to 1.55 m |
| 2.8 m | Tall Year 6 pupils, staff, Young Leaders, secondary | 1.50 m to 1.83 m |
| 4.5 m pair | Double Dutch and small-group games | Two turners |
| 7.5 m | Long rope games for four or more skippers | Two turners |
The quick check: stand on the middle of the rope, and the handles should reach just below the armpits. A little too long? Tie a loose knot a little way below each handle. Keep it off the handle itself, or it stops the rope turning freely. The rope size guide has more.
Storage and care
Putting ropes away without a tangle
- Untie any knotsRopes go back at full length, ready for the next class.
- Let them hangEach child holds one handle and lets the other drop to the floor, so the rope hangs straight.
- Collect them by the handlesWalk round and take the handles in your hand. You end up with one straight bundle.
- Tie the bundleA loose knot in the middle holds it together in the bag.
Keeping a class set working
- Keep ropes in a kit bag or hung on hooks, never loose in a box.
- Skip on a hall floor or a smooth playground. Rough concrete wears the cord.
- In Key Stage 2, pupils tie their ropes round their waists between activities, so none are left on the floor to trip over.
- Straighten new or kinked ropes by hanging them up by the middle, handles down, in a warm room for a day.
- Count ropes out and back in at playtime, and check them each half term. Replace any that still kink, fray or have a loose handle.
What a rope really costs
Spread over the pupils who share them and the years they last, the difference between a cheap rope and a good one comes to pennies per pupil per year: about 12p with the example numbers below. Try your own.
Rope A starts at a skip-hop KS2 rope bought in a pack of 10 by a registered school (£38 a pack). Rope B starts at 80p, the price per rope of a pack of 10 cotton ropes from a school supplier. The years are examples: change them to your own.
Cost per pupil per year
Difference per pupil per year
12p For a class set of 30 ropes over 3 years: Rope A £114, Rope B £72.The real cost of a poor rope isn’t on the invoice. It’s the minutes lost untangling and swapping broken ropes, and the children who decide they “can’t skip” because their rope wouldn’t let them.
Why we make our own
skip-hop taught skipping in UK schools for a quarter of a century, and designed its own rope for that work nearly 15 years ago. It’s cut to length for each key stage, with a tough 5 mm cord that holds a smooth arc, and low-friction stops inside grippy, shatterproof handles so it turns fast from the wrist. It is designed, made and assembled in the UK.
Questions people ask
Why do skipping ropes kink and tangle?
Thin, light plastic cord remembers the coil it was packed in, so it kinks and loops instead of turning in a smooth arc. Ropes thrown loose into a bag then wrap round each other. A thicker, heavier cord holds its shape better, and storing ropes hanging or bundled straight stops most tangles.
How do you straighten a kinked skipping rope?
Hang it up by the middle, with both handles pointing down, in a warm room for a day, then run it through your hands from the middle out. Do the same with a new rope that comes coiled from the packet. If a rope still kinks after that, it is worn out: replace it rather than letting a child struggle with it.
Are beaded skipping ropes better for beginners?
They can be. The beads add weight a child can feel and a click on every turn, which helps many young children time the jump. Beaded ropes are slower, though, so for speed, tricks and the Virtual Skipping League a smooth speed rope of the right length is better. Some beginners find a beaded rope harder to turn.
How do I check a skipping rope is the right length?
Stand on the middle of the rope with both feet and pull the handles up: they should reach just below the armpits. For a school, size by key stage: 2.1 m for Reception to Year 2 and 2.5 m for Years 3 to 6. See the rope size guide for every age and height.
Should school skipping ropes be adjustable?
For one child at home, an adjustable rope is ideal. For a class, ropes cut to a fixed length for each key stage are better: they come out of the bag ready to use, with no lesson lost adjusting 30 ropes. If a rope is a little long, tie a loose knot a little way below each handle, not right up against it.
How many skipping ropes does a school need?
For PE, one rope for every pupil in the class, so a class of 30 needs 30 ropes in their key stage size, plus a long rope or a pair of Double Dutch ropes for group games. For playtimes, 20 ropes, a long rope and a pair of Double Dutch ropes is a good start.
How long do school skipping ropes last?
It depends on the rope, how often it is used and how it is stored. Ropes kept straight in a bag and used on smooth surfaces last far longer than ropes left coiled, trodden on or dragged over rough concrete. Used properly, skip-hop ropes last for years.
Sources
- Findel cotton skipping ropes, pack of 10, Hope Education (price of a cheap school rope)
- Best skipping ropes tested, testix UK
- How to straighten a PVC jump rope cord, Elite Jumps
- How to choose a skipping rope, Decathlon
- Beaded v speed rope for kids, Elevate Rope
- Jumping rope for kids, Jump Rope Dudes