What Happened To Skipping?

[Khandro]

When I was a boy all the girls - very seldom the lads - were always skipping with ropes, they were very good at it and had lots of songs; I remember one that went
My mother said
I never should
play with the gypsies
in the wood
If I did ........

I don't want to sound a boring old .... , but we used to make bows and arrows and catapults and all kind of things, now they all seem to do is look at mobile phones and have headphones in their ears.

[mikey4444]

I stopped only a few years ago !

[Bazile]

It's been roped in

[Khandro]

Were you a boxer mikey?

[zebo]

One of my abiding memories of my late mother and aunt is of them chalking out a hop scotch grid at the aide of the house and teaching my daughters how to play it. They must have bother been will into their 60s even 70s. A lot of the traditional games were played in the road, we used to string a rope across from a tree and have skipping games, sadly with all the cars that's not possible.

[Georgiesmum]

Yes, you are right there. We did skipping all the time or played on skates, went for long walks until it was time to eat,.My brother and his friends built a huge bonfire for bonfire night, did penny for the guy,made bows and arrows and dens to name but a few things they did then. We were always outside unless we had heavy rain then we would make our own amusement with table tennis, darts, monopolym draughts, happy families, snap, snakes and ladders. Im so pleased I grew up in those times.

[emmie]

that is so called progress. i played with teddies and dolls sometimes, but preferred boys games as they were more fun. girls games like hop scotch, skipping, jacks, all remembered with fondness. but my brothers and i also played man from uncle, secret agents, pirates, you name it. Not to mention playing on the bombed out ruins of two old near by churches, without my mothers knowledge of course. It was fun rolling down the hill on a hand made cart, pram wheels and orange box made for a wonderful lark. those were the days my friend.......

[Georgiesmum]

We also played leapfrog even when we got to senior school.

[emmie]

so did we, lol

[douglas9401]

It's mostly Skyping now. :)

[Georgiesmum]

When did you last see a small girl pushing a dolls pram along the pavement?
Life is so different now.

[Toorak]

Hopscotch was called peever in Scotland. We played it with a shoe polish tin filled with earth to give it some weight.

[Arksided]

Isn't it an health and safety issue now-a-days.

[Patsy33]

I was one of those skippers! Children were more active and imaginary then. Sigh....

[emmie]

we were never indoors unless it was bucketing down, then my little girlfriends had brothers, one who had the most spectacular train set, which took up the entire attic.

[mallyh]

i'd love to skip but two new hips and boobs that will smack me in the face prevent me lol x

[Georgiesmum]

We also played jacks, five stones and cats cradle at school. Do you remember those too?

[emmie]

what i see are lots of mums too busy on their mobiles to bother with their little children, our local park has some fun facilities, but its often empty.

[emmie]

i remember all those, good times.

[maggiebee]

Played peever, chicky melly, skipping, doublers etc. Also played elastics and kribbie with my daughter when she was a child. Never see any of theme these days.

[Mamyalynne]

Skipping is still popular and of course has a World Championship.


Many of the pastimes have been curtailed due to increased traffic, we played lots of street games that would be suicidal now.

I still play traditional games with my young ones - Dominoes,Draughts,Card games and board games.

The youngest's favourite is playing shop.

They do get bored with their electronics and say 'Gran, can we play something proper?