A skipping rope (or jump rope) is equipment used in sport and play that involves rhythmically jumping over a rope swung underfoot and overhead. The activity is practiced recreationally and competitively, with disciplines such as freestyle routines (featuring creative, combination techniques) and speed events (maximum jumps within timed intervals).
Skipping rope

A Ghanaian boy playing with a skipping rope
Type
toy
Availability
16th century–present

Boy jumping a long rope in Virginia
A child playing with a skipping rope in Japan
Accounts from the 16th century describe vine-jumping among Indigenous peoples, and by the 17th century, rope skipping had spread in Europe.[citation needed] Once treated as a gendered pastime, it became widely popular; in the 19th century it flourished in urban settings and children's street culture. Today the sport is overseen internationally by organizations such as the International Jump Rope Union (IJRU). Skipping rope is often used for cardiovascular fitness and coordination.