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Historical Background: The origin of the jump rope is not known, but it is recorded that early explorers saw aborigines playing and jumping with flexible bamboo and vines. The history of jump rope activities has been traced as far back as 1600 A.D. from paintings that depict children jumping rope on European cobblestone streets. It is a well-known fact that jumping rope was originally a boys' game only. In ancient times, girls did not jump rope at all; in fact, it was prohibited! Only boys were allowed to play this "sport," as was the case with many other activities.

During the time when boys were the predominant rope jumpers, they did not use the rhymes that girls would later invent. They used this pursuit to increase their skills on trick jumps, crossovers, and double jumping. Eventually, this sport lent itself primarily to girls, and, later, they were released from the restricted version of mild jumping rope without showing the ankles. Imagine their gentle jumping compared to today's competitive sport!

When American girls began to dominate jump rope activities, they incorporated the rhymes they already knew. This did not happen until after the migration of families from farms to urban areas. Girls had more free time in the city and more friends to play with, plus the smooth city streets and sidewalks were ideally suited for jumping rope.

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