A hula hoop is a great toy that can be used to promote strength and coordination. Here are some fun ways to incorporate hula hoop play into your day.
Traditional hula hooping encourages weight shifting and developing a rhythm to keep the hoop going round and round. Here are some ways you can put a “spin” on it.
- Hula hooping with hoop around waist. Can you hula hoop while walking?
- Hula hooping with multiple hoops. How many hoops can you use at once?
- Circle hoop around 1 leg and jump over it when it passes other leg
Incorporating hula hoops into obstacle courses to promote strength, body awareness, and coordination with speed as a factor.
- Crawling/ Stepping/ Running through hula hoop when vertical. Trying moving through without touching the sides.
- Stepping/ marching/ running in hula hoops line up in a row by going forwards, backwards and sideways. You can switch things up by putting both feet in a hoop or only putting in one foot per hoop.
- Jumping/hopping in hula hoops lined up in a row. Skipping hoops makes this exercise more challenging. How many hoops can you jump over?
- Hula hoop hopscotch: Set up hula hoops like a hopscotch board and jump alternating with feet apart and together or make it more challenging by jumping with feet apart and then hopping on one leg
- Skipping with a hula hoop: Swing the hula hoop around your body and skip over it at the bottom
- Jump Rope with a hula hoop: Swing the hula hoop around your body and jump with 2 feet over it. How many jumps can you do in a row?
You can also use Hula Hoops to promote upper extremity coordination and throwing and catching skills.
- Throw hula hoop up in the air and catch it on 1 arm. Can you catch it on the other arm too?
- Roll a hula hoop to see how far it goes. Can you run to catch it before it falls?
- Hula hoop boomerang: Roll hula hoop so it spins and comes back to you. How many times can you clap your hands before catching it?
- Throw a ball through the hula hoop when it is vertical. You can throw overhand with a tennis ball or use a chest pass with a basketball
- Ring toss with hula hoops: Throw a hula hoop over an object
- Spin a hula hoop around on 1 arm. Can you keep it spinning if you change arms?
- Hula hoop tic tac toe: Set up 9 hula hoops in a square and throw bean bags into the hoops. First one to 3 in a row wins!
Hope this gives you some fun ideas for playing with hula hoops! Let us know what other games and activities you like to do with them!
