Skipping Challenges at school

There is so much I love about preschool and elementary school in Japan. No matter what happens in the future, I will always be glad the kids early education was in Japan.  There maybe a lot of things that are hard for us expats to understand, but there is a lot for us to appreciate.

High on my list of things I like about preschool in Japan is the importance and emphasis they put on physical activity. In both preschool and elementary school there are seasonal physical activities throughout the year. Marathon season has just wound up in both preschool and elementary school for my kids. And now it is coming to the peak of the skipping season.

Skipping season starts from the New Year in my kids school. They receive a list of skipping challenges to complete by the end of school year, which is mid to late March. In preschool they get little notebooks to record their progress and get stickers every time they complete a new challenge. Who knew there were so many different types of skipping!? I don't even know how to say them in english or if English words even exist for them.

The second last skipping challenge for my nencho (final year) preschooler was a group effort. They all line up and the teachers turn the rope for the kids to skip one by one without pause. They have to each go one after the other without missing a turn of the rope for it to count. At my daughters last open day for parents there was great excitement and emotion as the kids attempted to beat their 127 skips in a row. And they did. 147 skips without pause. Another skipping challenge completed.

Does your kids school / the school you teach in have these skipping challenges? And other annual physical challenges such as marathon?