What is a good jump rope for kids?

One of the best aspects of jump rope is how inclusive it is for all ages. Children can excel at jumping rope, and this all starts with using the right rope. 

From my extensive work as a professional jump rope coach, I can say without a doubt the best rope for a beginner regardless of their age is a beaded rope. The extra weight provided by the beads makes it significantly easier for the new jumper to feel the rope as it travels around them, speeding up the learning process.

With younger jumpers, the added weight becomes even more vital. Whereas an adult may start out with a 9ft long rope, a child may start out with a 6ft or 7ft rope. That means the overall weight is reduced by 25-33%. The heavier the rope can be to start with, the less of an impact the shortened length will have on its final weight. Children, especially very young children, need to develop their proprioception and coordination skills from scratch so the added feedback in the rope is crucial to aiding them. Without it, they may become discouraged and give up through frustration.

In fact, one of the original reasons I innovated our own beaded ropes to include their unique thickened cord (which is threaded inside the beads) was to add 15-20% more weight to the rope to compensate for the shortened length.