# Can your 5 year old do jumping jacks?



## rose angel (Sep 1, 2003)

Just curious, DS is almost 6, and is part of a gymnastics class he loves. Part of the class is doing jumping jacks, which he is totally uncoordinated at. I thought at first he would eventually get it, but it has been about 6 months and he still hasn't gotten it. I am wondering if it is a physical delay of some sort. I have noticed that his coordination hasn't been great ever since toddlerhood. He is very active and smart though. He does great on the balance activities. The coordinating different parts of the body at the same time is a real challenge though.
Any input?
Thanks


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## the_lissa (Oct 30, 2004)

my 3 year old can do jumping jacks, but her gymnastics teacher said that it was rare and that many kids can't do them for a long time.

I wouldn't worry.

Is he uncoordinated in other things?


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## ~Megan~ (Nov 7, 2002)

dd can't do them. Her arms are all over the place.


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## pjabslenz (Mar 25, 2004)

It could be very normal for your child but I'd like to share my experience with my ds. When my ds was 6 he participated in a routine screening for 1st grade (private school). It was suggested that he undergo a more formal evaluation to which we discovered he had mild sensory issues and motor delays. He was always very uncoordinated and never cared much for gross motor activities (which explained a lot after we did the screening). He never could do jumping jacks or pump on a swing but through OT 1-2x a week he now enjoys doing jumping jacks and swinging at the playground. Both of which he never cared to participate in before.

I'm not suggesting your child has motor delays but if you're questioning it, I say, "Go with your instincts, mama." I had expressed my concerns with our ped back when ds was 4.5 - 5 but the ped never justified my concerns. If it wasn't for the school evaluation, I probably would still be questioning things. The bottom line was that the ped wasn't aware of things that the OT was. You can always request a referral to an OT for an evaluation...imo, it can't hurt.

HTH. Good luck. pm me if you'd like to know more.


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## kofduke (Dec 24, 2002)

No, and I think watching DS and all the other 4-5 yo's in his karate class try is really cute (none of them can do it)

but I agree with teh PP that if you have other concerns do contact someone for an eval!


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## 4Marmalade (May 4, 2004)

My 4.5 year old ds can do jumping jacks. When he first started them in Sept. (he started junior kindergarten) he was uncoordinated but after about 6 months he picked it up. I have no basis for comparison and probably wouldn't have even thought about it if I didn't notice the change when he did his "exercises" at home. I guess he inherited his coordination from dh, it certainly wasn't me


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## Aimes (Jun 22, 2007)

my 5 yr old can do them but my 6yr old is very uncoordinated and cant do them very well


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## spirit4ever (Nov 4, 2004)

My 5 year old can only do a few, then he starts to go all over the place..

he cannot however walk on a balance beam!!


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## bdavis337 (Jan 7, 2005)

My 6 yo boy can't do a jumping jack to save his life. But he can ride a bike w/out training wheels, and he can swim 25 yards freestyle with correct breathing technique. All kids progress differently, and even our pedi said that being uncoordinated in some areas means absolutely nothing, as long as it's not an all-inclusive situation that's beyond age appropriate.


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## velochic (May 13, 2002)

My dd (5) has been in gymnastics since she was 2. She's fairly agile, but will never be a competitive gymnast or anything. Yes, for a couple of years she has been doing the jumping jacks when she is jumping down that bouncy long strip on the floor. I've never seen her try to do one on a hard surface, so I don't know about that.


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## mittendrin (Nov 5, 2003)

My 4 yo (5 in Sept) can't really do them. He's a klutz and pretty uncoordinated







His friends (all girls, same age) have been doing them for a year.
I wouldn't worry...


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## teachma (Dec 20, 2002)

My son learned at around 5.5 years old, but only after 6 months of Tae Kwan Do classes that included them in the workouts. My three year old can do them most of the time, but she is more athletically inclined andd infintely more coordinated than ds.


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