jumping skills
Assessing and Tracking a Child's Jumping Skills
Jumping skills are assessed by structured observation across the developmental sequence — two-footed jumps, broad jumps, hurdle and single-leg hops — graded on quality, distance and symmetry. Standardised motor tools (PDMS-2, BOT-2, TGMD) plus repeated functional measures let clinicians chart each child against their own baseline. Serial re-measurement, not a single check, reveals true progress.
Jumping is a milestone of power, coordination and confidence — and it is wonderfully measurable when you know what to watch.
In short
Jumping skills are assessed by structured observation across the developmental sequence — from two-footed hops in place to forward broad jumps, hurdle jumps and single-leg hops — graded on quality, distance, symmetry and bilateral coordination. Track progress with standardised motor tools (PDMS-2, BOT-2 subtests, or the Test of Gross Motor Development) plus repeated functional measures, charting each child against their own baseline rather than a single pass/fail point.The assessment, in practice
Observe the gross-motor sequence within ICF mobility (d4) and quantify it:- Prerequisites — squat-to-stand power, ankle dorsiflexion, single-leg stance stability and trunk control.
- Two-footed jump in place — simultaneous take-off and landing, arm swing, knee flexion on landing.
- Broad/standing long jump — measured distance in centimetres; a reliable, repeatable metric for tracking gains.
- Forward, vertical and hurdle jumps — clearance height, rhythm and continuous hopping count.
- Single-leg hop — symmetry index between limbs, a sensitive marker of coordination and laterality.
Score movement quality (process) alongside outcome (distance, count). Re-measure at consistent intervals and plot trends; serial data reveals plateaus, asymmetries or emerging coordination concerns that a one-off look misses.
When to refer
Flag persistent absence of two-footed jumping well beyond peers, marked asymmetry, toe-walking with jump avoidance, or regression — and rule out look-alikes such as low tone, joint laxity or motor planning (praxis) difficulty before attributing a delay to practice alone.The Pinnacle way
A clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre, under the care of a qualified clinician — our AbilityScore® is a clinician-administered structured assessment that converts careful observation into a serial, child-specific progress map. Backed by 2.5 billion+ data points across 25 million+ therapy sessions, it pairs with hands-on occupational therapy and graded gross-motor goals. Explore jumping skills and what the AbilityScore is and how it's calculated.Trusted sources
WHO ICF mobility domain (d4) framework; CDC developmental milestone guidance; AAP/HealthyChildren gross-motor development resources.Next step — Build a serial baseline now. Partner with a Pinnacle clinician to assess and track jumping skills with structured, repeatable measures.
This is general information, not a diagnosis — a clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre under qualified clinician care.
What to watch
Watch for persistent absence of two-footed jumping beyond peers, marked left-right asymmetry on single-leg hops, jump avoidance with toe-walking, or regression in previously acquired skills — and screen for low tone, joint laxity or motor planning difficulty.
Try this at home
Re-measure the same task the same way each time — a chalked standing long-jump line gives a simple, repeatable distance metric parents and therapists can both track.
Trusted sources
Developed by SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network · Last reviewed 2026-06-10 · reviewed every 540 days
This is general information, not a diagnosis. A clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre, under qualified clinician care.
Frequently asked
Which standardised tools assess jumping skills?
Common clinician-administered tools include the PDMS-2 (locomotion subtest), BOT-2 (running speed and agility), and the Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD), supplemented by repeatable functional measures such as standing long-jump distance and continuous hop counts.
Should I score quality or distance?
Both. Outcome metrics like distance and hop count are easy to repeat and chart, while process scoring — take-off symmetry, arm swing, knee flexion on landing — captures movement quality that pure distance can miss.
How often should jumping skills be re-measured?
Use consistent intervals so serial data is comparable. Plotting trends over time reveals plateaus, asymmetries or emerging coordination concerns far better than any single assessment.