How it works
Cross the arms and keep skipping with them crossed.
skip-hop tipThe slower you skip, the more you'll do. Start with a double bounce.
Teach the continuous crossover with the All-Access Skip Pass
Everything a teacher needs to teach this skill to a whole class, from skip-hop coach Lee Collinson-James:
- The skip-hop video of this skill, with an arms close-up and ½× and ¼× slow motion
- Step-by-step teaching: cross, stay crossed, turn from the wrists
- Spot the fault, with the fix
- A pupil self-check and a link to the Silver Award
£149 a year for the whole school, or 6 months free with the whole-school rope set.
Continuous crossover: Purple Award and Silver Award
Purple Award: Routine
A related skill for the Purple Award: one to include in lessons.
To pass, a pupil:
- Links any 6 tricks into a routine, 8 skips each, without stopping
- Turns a long rope steadily for others
- Keeps the pot boiling in Figure of Eight in a group of 6 to 8, completing 2 full figures of 8 (4 jumps)
Silver Award
One of the ten Silver Award skills.
The skills on this award:
- Rodeo
- Cyclone
- Coil
- Crossover
- Side swing cross
- Continuous cross
- Cross cross
- Double unders
- Can can
- Frog can can
- Then the link: any 7 of the 10 skills linked in one routine, without a miss or error.
Also a related skill for the Red Award.
In the scheme of work
Where this skill is taught in the skip-hop scheme of work.
- UKS2Lesson 1: Side swings and crossoversTricks, Teams and Double Dutch · Years 5 and 6
What you need
KS1 2.1m, KS2 2.5m or KS3 2.8m. skip-hop ropes are designed specifically for the skills shown on this site.
SEND and inclusion
Make it work for everyone
Ideas for pupils with SEND, and for anyone who finds continuous crossover hard. Change one thing at a time.
What usually makes it hard: Keeping the arms crossed and the rhythm going.
- TaskTwo crosses, then rest. Start with a double bounce, as the skip-hop tip says.
- EquipmentCheck the rope is long enough: a short rope leaves no room to cross.
- CommunicationA slow beat.
Seated or no-jump version. Keep the arms crossed and turn the rope to the side in rhythm.
An adapted pass is still a pass on the Skipping Awards. Use your own judgement and each pupil’s care plan. More in SEND and inclusion at skip-hop. Pupil struggling to get started? Try Lee’s tips for pupils who are struggling to skip.