Jump Ropes and Hula Hoops!

Who knew that jump ropes and hula hoops could be so much fun! I am a bit emarrased to say that prior to our last class, it had been years since I had any real interaction with either jump ropes or hula hoops.  This is terrible because my eight year old daughter loves to play with both, and often practices on our back patio. I love watching her play with these toys and I am an attentive and supportive audience when she wants to show me a new trick or skill that she has mastered.  Sadly though, I have never given much thought to picking them up and playing with them myself.  I guess I just figured that they were solely a kids toy.  Thanks to our last class, my thoughts on these toys have significantly changed.  I had a blast playing around with these toys and it was so fun to take a moment to look around our crowded little dance studio and see that my fellow classmates were enjoying themselves as well.  It was like we were school children again, and we were free, and a bit crazy (and competative), and feeling giddy.  As a future middle school teacher, it not only showed me that there are wonderful ways of integreating fitness into your classrooms, but it reminded me that even older students love to have fun and be silly too.