Jumping
Evidence-Based Therapy Approaches That Build Jumping in Early Childhood
Jumping is built through task-specific, repetition-rich physiotherapy and play-based motor programmes that grade the skill from two-foot lift-off to height and distance, alongside strength, postural-control and bilateral-coordination training delivered with motor-learning principles. A clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre under qualified clinician care.
Jumping is a milestone of power, balance and bilateral coordination — and it is built through play, repetition and graded challenge.
In short
Jumping in early childhood is built through physiotherapy and play-based motor programmes that grade the skill from two-foot lift-off to height, distance and landing control. The evidence base favours task-specific, repetition-rich practice (the child actually jumping in varied contexts), strength and postural-control training for the trunk, hips and calves, and motor-learning principles — external focus, errorless graded challenge and high-frequency reps. Most typically developing children jump with two feet off the ground around 24 months; therapy supports those building toward it.The science
- Task-specific practice — motor-learning evidence shows skills improve fastest when practised directly: jumping off low steps, over lines, onto targets. Variability of practice (different heights, surfaces, directions) builds transferable control.
- Strength and power training — jumping demands eccentric calf, quadriceps and gluteal force plus anticipatory postural control. Graded squat-to-stand, hopping and bouncing activities build the force-generation and landing absorption needed.
- Bilateral coordination and balance — symmetrical two-foot take-off and landing rely on dynamic balance and core stability, trained through single-leg stance, trampoline and obstacle work.
- Motor-learning delivery — high repetition, external attentional cues ("jump to the star"), and challenge-point matching keep the task achievable yet effortful.
- Functional, play-led context — embedding practice in games sustains engagement and the volume of reps that drives change.
When to refer
Refer for a developmental motor review if a child shows no attempt to jump by ~30 months, persistent asymmetry, toe-walking, frequent falls, or global gross-motor delay — to screen for coordination, tone or neuromuscular contributors.The Pinnacle way
A clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre under qualified clinician care. We profile gross-motor readiness through a clinician-administered structured assessment and build a graded plan via our physiotherapy team. See more on jumping and how the AbilityScore works.Trusted sources
AAP / HealthyChildren.org gross-motor milestone guidance; CDC developmental milestone checklists; EACD early childhood motor-development consensus.Next step — Refer a child for a gross-motor assessment with a Pinnacle physiotherapist to build a graded jumping programme. Book a physiotherapy assessment.
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 no attempt to jump by around 30 months, asymmetrical take-off or landing, persistent toe-walking, frequent falls, or broader gross-motor delay — each warrants a developmental motor review.
Try this at home
Give a child plenty of low-risk jumping practice in play — hopping over a rope on the floor, bouncing on a soft surface, or jumping off a low step onto a cushion — with high repetition and a fun target to aim for.
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
At what age do children typically jump with both feet off the ground?
Most typically developing children achieve a two-foot jump clear of the ground around 24 months, with hopping on one foot emerging later, around 3–4 years. Wide variation is normal; persistent absence by ~30 months warrants a motor review.
Which therapy discipline leads work on jumping?
Paediatric physiotherapy leads gross-motor skill-building such as jumping, often alongside occupational therapy where postural control, sensory regulation or play participation also need support.
What makes jumping practice effective?
High-volume, task-specific repetition across varied heights and surfaces, combined with strength and postural-control work and motor-learning delivery — external cues and graded challenge that keep the task achievable yet effortful.