Playground Games

[LoftyLottie]

I was just thinking of skipping and other playground games with rhymes and was wondring if children use the same rhymes nowadays (nearly 60 years on)

I just found this on the net and it got me thinking.

Not last night but the night before
24 robbers came knocking at my door,
as I ran out, (run out of rope), they ran in, (jump back in)
[they] knocked me on the head with a rolling pin
Iasked them what they wanted
and this is what they said

Chinese dancers do the splits, (jumper doing the commands after each)
Chinese dancers do the kicks,
Chinese dances turn around,
Chinese dancers touch the ground,
Chinese dancers get out of town, (run out of rope, end of turn)

[LoftyLottie]

It seems to vary.

Another one is 'Spanish Dancer'

It just took me back.

Stupid words really!!

[LoftyLottie]

What about

"The big Ship sails on the ally alley oop"?

[ethandron]

we used to do a skipping song something about your birthday and when the chant reached the month you were born you had to jump out. of course this only worked when you had two people turning the rope and a big gang skipping.
totally coincidentally, i've just called at argos on my way back from picking my books up at whsmith and bought a skipping rope!!! thought it might be a good cardio exercise as well as strengthening leg muscles. himself suggested nude skipping might make it more interesting....

[Jan1957]

I remember a rhyme like that Lottie but with very different words.

Not last night but the night before
three tom cats came knocking on my door
One had a fiddle and one had a drum
And one had a pancake stuck on his bum!

Told you it was different, lol.

[LoftyLottie]

LOL Eth. I can't skip because it jolts my back and arthritic joints!!

Pixi. We used the Alley Oo Rhyme to a game where one person forms a tunnel with their hand against a wall and then a big chain of kids go under the tunnel!!

[LoftyLottie]

http://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=2480&c=116

How about

"The Farmer's in his Den" :o)

[Dee Sa]

calling in & calling out
I call --name---in
name is in & wont get out
so we'll have to push her out
Do you remember "french skipping" with two ropes ?
then there was "gob stones" or five stones ! happy days and kids easily amused and making their own fun & past times.

[LoftyLottie]

Hi Dee,

Yes remember them well.

And did you swap beads in the playground. We kept them in tins! A very girly thing to do.

[chelle7272]

lol LL i was rtrying to remember the words to this just the other day - can't for the life of me remeber why now! So thanks becuase it really bugging me :-)

[Bobbisox]

one fine day in the middle of the night
Two dead men got up to fight

and I don't remember the rest....:-(

[rowanwitch]

'and the games with the strings of rubber bands stretched between two non players
in -on -out- together- in -on- out

And the 'levitation' game.... that was a bit risky if you got dropped

[LoftyLottie]

Blimey, I don't remember levitations games!! Rowan.

I don't remember the elastic band thing either.

French knitting with cotton reels and cats cradles were popular and there was a craze of some sort where we did things with long strings of coloured plastic and wove them together.

And of course, hopscotch!!

[Mamyalynne]

♫ 1,2,3, a lara,
I saw Aunty Sara
sitting on a bumbelera
eating chocolate biscuits ♫

Don't ask!!

[Bobbisox]

Have a cigarette sir
No Sir
Why Sir
because I have friend Sir...(eh?)
what do they call your friend Sir

then...
I call in(to the rope) my very best friend and her name --------
then we would spell the name while holding hands and skipping

[LoftyLottie]

For Bobbi

http://www.everypoet....e_middle_of_the_night

[mrs_overall]

Lottie, we did Alley Alley Oh in two lines against a wall.

What was the game where 2 of you had elastic around your ankles and the other kids did a sort of semi cats cradle with their feet?

[LoftyLottie]

Mamya,

Our version

One, two, three Eleri
Our ball's down the eerie
Pick it up and give it to Mary!!

(I had a friend called Eleri! - I have never come across it again)