Hula hooping is a great activity for children of all ages. The hula hoop can be traced back to ancient Greece, where athletes twisted grape vines into hoops to use for conditioning their midsections. Children in kindergarten and first grades may already be familiar with hula hoops, as the hoops are often marketed as a fun children's toy. However, the hula hoop is a great physical conditioning activity for children as well.
Proper Hoop Size
The key to having fun with hula hoops is to find a hoop that is sized properly to fit your child. A properly sized hula hoop is chest-high when placed vertically on the ground. If your child's hoop is too small, or too large, she may have trouble keeping it in motion. Most of the neon pink hula hoops are one-size fits all. And while they may be the right size for most kindergarteners, shorter or taller children may have trouble with this sized hoop. A larger hoop is actually easier to keep in motion.
A custom fit hula hoop can be quickly and easily made with a bit of poly tubing, a connector and some electrical tape.
Getting Started
Because of the name hula hoop, most kids think that the easiest way to keep a hoop in motion is to sway their hips in a circular motion, like a hula dancer. In actuality, trying to follow the motion of the hoop is the fastest way to make sure that the hoop's motion stops. Instead, have your child stand with one foot in front of the other and hold the hoop so that it rests against his back, just slightly above the waist. Then have him push the hoop around his waist. To keep the hoop in motion, he should then shift his weight from the front foot to the back foot.
Mechanics
By shifting his weight, your child is actually creating a rocking motion with his hips, rather than a circular, hula motion. This helps keep the hula hoop up and in motion much more easily. Have your child try turning the hoop in both directions. Your child will instinctively know which direction feels right. Right-handed and left-handed people tend to feel comfortable hooping in different directions.
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