 From yesteryear, for the skipping games a large heavy rope was needed and this was usually "borrowed " by some father who worked in the shipyard or some other workplace.They were a valued commodity and hard to come by - washing lines were no substitute. It was tied to a local lampost and the girls would begin their game. Boys could join in provided they took their turn in "turning the rope."
In this context they would sing the songs as it was considered 'OK'.
Here are some traditional skipping and counting songs or better still make up some new songs. Then test it out with your ropes and make the traffic stop!
Not Last Night but the night before
Twenty-four robbers came knocking at my door
They called me out for the world to see
And this is what they said to me--
'Spanish dancer turn around
Spanish dancer touch the ground
Spanish dancer do the kicks
Spanish dancer do the splits!
(The children should do each of the commands while skipping)
(The "splits" is more like making a V)
Spanish dancer, do the split
Spanish dancer, give a kick
Spanish dancer, turn around
Spanish dancer, get out of town
Spanish dancer, do the splits
Spanish dancer, do high kicks
Spanish dancer, clicks a shoe
Spanish dancer, chooses YOU!
I'm a Little Dutch Girl Variations
I'm a little Dutch girl
Dressed in blue
These are the things
I like to do:
Salute to the captain
Curtsey to the queen
Turn my back
On __________ submarine.
I'm a little Dutch girl
Dressed in blue
Here are the things
I like to do:
Salute to the captain
Bow to the queen
Turn by back
On the submarine
I can do the tap dance
I can do the split
I can do the holka polka
Just like this
I am a Girl Guide dressed in blue
These are the actions I must do
Salute to the Captain
Bow to the Queen
And turn my back
To the boy in green
I went downtown
To see Ms. Brown
She gave me a nickel
To buy a pickle
The pickle was sour
So I bought a flower
The flower was dead, she gave me a tack
The tack was sharp, she gave me a harp
The harp was broke, she gave me a cloak
The cloak was tight, she gave me a kite
The kite away flew, and I did too
(Player runs out at too)
Miss Mary Mack, Mack, Mack
All dressed in black, black, black
With silver buttons, buttons, buttons
All down her back, back, back
She asked her mother, mother, mother
For fifteen cents, cents, cents,
To see the elephant, elephant, elephant
Jump the fence, fence, fence
He jumped so high, high, high
He reached the sky, sky, sky
And he never came back, back, back
Till the Fourth of July, lie, lie.
Mississippi lives by the shore
She has children three and four
The oldest one is twenty-four.
She shall marry
Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor
Old Mother Whittlehouse
Had a big fit.
First she did the merry-go-round
And then she did the split.
A double skipping rope game with actions - you had to be a very good skipper to do this one.
Teddy Bear Teddy Bear turn around
Teddy Bear Teddy Bear touch the ground
Teddy Bear Teddy Bear show your shoe
Teddy Bear Teddy Bear that will do
Teddy Bear Teddy Bear go upstairs
Teddy Bear Teddy Bear say your prayers
Teddy Bear Teddy Bear turn off the light
Teddy Bear Teddy Bear say good night
(Each child tries to act out the rhyme while jumping rope)
Policeman, policeman, do your duty
Here comes (name of next jumper)
And she's a cutie
She can jump, she can twist
But I bet she can't do this
One I love, Two I love
Three I love I say
Four I love with all my heart
Five I cast away
Six he loves, Seven she loves
Eight both love
Nine he comes, Ten he tarries
Eleven he courts, Twelve he marries
One, two, three A-larry
My first name is Mary
Don't you think that I look cute?
In my brother's bathing suit?
Peter, Peter pumpkin eater.
Had a wife and couldn't keep her
Put her in a pumpkin shell
And there he kept her very well
Postman, Postman
Do your duty
Send this letter
To my cutie.
Don't you stop
Nor don't delay
Get it to her
Right away
Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief
Doctor, lawyer, Indian Chief.
Her shoes will be
Wood, leather, high heel, low heel, sandals, wooden
Her dress will be made of
Silk, satin, cotton, batten, rags
Her house will be
Big house, little house, pigpen, barn
Her rings shall be made of
Diamonds, rubies, emeralds, glass
How many children will she get?
1, 2, 3 . . . . .
And now you're married you must obey
You must be true in every way
You must be kind, you must be good
And make your husband chop the wood
Robin Hood, Robin Hood dressed so good
Got as many kisses as he could
How many kisses did he get?
1, 2, 3 . . . . .
Sixteen bluebirds sitting on a fence
Flapped their wings and started to dance
Upward, downward
All along the line
Brightly preened and looking fine!
Count 1, 2, 3 . . . . .
Strawberry shortcake, cream on top.
Tell me the name of your sweetheart?
Is it .......
Richard, Joe, Tom, Duncan, Harry . . . . . .
make them up as you go
The wind, the wind, the wind blows high
It blows Mary through the sky
She is fair and she is pretty
She is the girl from the tin can city.
She can play the piano, 1 2 3
Mary, Mary, who is she?
Johnny, Johnny says he loves her
Off they go with a kiss, kiss, kiss
He took her to the courtyard
Asked her, 'Will you marry me?Ó
Yes, No, Maybe so, Yes, No, Maybe so
Two little pails of water
Two little pails of water
Girls in wooden shoes
Girls with wooden legs
You can go through my garden fence, la, la
The king drove through my garden fence, la, la
One, two, three . . . . .
Up the ladder, down the ladder
A, B, C,
Up the ladder, down the ladder
H - O - T!
Wash the dishes dry the dishes
Have a cup of tea
Don't forget the sugar
A-one, a-two, a-three . . .
Windy, windy weather
All in together
January, February . . ..
Windy, windy weather
They all run out together
January, February . . . . .
With salad I am sick,
With celery I am cured.
How many stalks of celery
One, two, three . . . . .
Zoop la la,
Hey la la,
Zoop la la,
Hey la la,
Zoop, zoop, zoop
Cinderella, dressed in yellow
Went upstairs to kiss a fellow
Made a mistake
Kissed a snake
How many docotrs
Did it take?
(Count until someone makes a mistake)
A my name is Alice
And my husband's name is Albert
And we come from Akron
With a car load of apples
B my name is Barbara
And my husband's name is Bobby
And we come from Boston
With a car load of bananas
(Continue through the alphabet until someone makes a mistake)
One two buckle my shoe
Three four close the door
Five six pick up sticks
Seven eight shut the gate
Nine ten start again
(Continue until someone makes a mistake)
Halloweena Heckatee
Couldn't brew a cup of tea
The only potion she could brew
Was wishy washy mousetail stew
Hurry Scurry had a worry
No one liked his chicken curry
Stuck his finger in the pot
Chicken curry way too hot
Kookaburra sits in the old oak tree
Merry merry king of the woods is he
Laugh Kookaburra
Laugh Kookaburra
Gay your life must be
Kookaburra sits in the old oak tree / gum tree
Eating all the gumdrops he can see
Stop Kookaburra
Stop Kookaburra
Leave a few for me
How many gumdrops will he leave?
(Count until someone makes a mistake)
All the boys in my school aren't very nice
Except for (name), he's all right
Took me to the pictures, sat me on his knee
Then he turned and asked me
'Will you marry me?'
Yes, no, yes, no...
(Whichever one the child trips on will be the answer)
_______( a girl's name and ______a boy's name sitting in a tree
K-I-S-S-I-N-G
First comes love
Then comes marriage
Then comes ________(girl's name) with a baby carriage
How many children will they have?
(continue to count until someone makes a mistake)
Jelly on a plate
Jelly on a plate
Wibble wobble wibble wobble
Jelly on a plate
I went upstairs to make my bed
I made a mistake and bumped my head
I went downstairs to milk my cow
I made a mistake and milked the sow
I went into the kitchen to bake a pie
I mad a mistake and baked a fly
How many flies does it take to make a pie
{count until someone misses}
A sailor went to sea sea sea
To see what he could see see see
But all that he could see see see
Was the bottom of the deep blue sea sea sea
A,B,C and vegetable goop
What will I find in my alphabet soup?
(Recite the alphabet until you miss....then make up something that starts with the letter you missed on)
Skipping or Ball Game
One, two, three O`Leary
I saw me Aunty Mary
Sitting on the Lavortory
Eating chocolate biscuits
A wall game using two balls
Please Mrs. Bunny
Is your Bunny coming out
With his hand in his pocket
And his shirt hanging out
Tennis ball game song
A penny a packet of Rinso
Over a packet of Rinso
Uppy a packet of Rinso
Downy a packet of Rinso
Dashy a packet of Rinso
Archy a packet of Rinso
Two little sausages
Frying in the pan
One went Pop
And the other went Bang
A "choosing" game using clenched fists that were knocked on top of another persons clenched fists.
Ickle , ockle , black bockle
Fishes in the sea
If you want a pretty maid
Please chose me
Now sit down in a circle with three or four friends and start making some better songs of your own, making new lines together until everyone is satisfied with the new-born song!
Most of the songs here are from the recollections of South Shields author James Kirkup in his book "The Only Child " (Pergamon Press ).
Becky's Campfire Songbook www.dragon.sleepdeprived.ca/songbook/songbook_index.htm
This site is intended as a repository for song lyrics and to act as a memory 'trigger' for when you can't quite remember the words to your favourite songs. The menu includes Introduction and Warm-up Songs, Rounds and Multi-Part Songs, Action Songs, Yells, Chants and Repeating Songs, Slow Songs, Guiding-Themed Songs, Christian and Spiritual Songs, Misc. Traditional Campfire Songs, Graces, Vespers and Closings, Skipping Songs and Games.
Australian Children's Music Foundation (ACMF)
www.acmf.com.au/
It is the mission of the ACMF to awaken the imagination of children, up to 12 years, through the magic of music. It is the ACMF's belief that overexposure to visual entertainment such as television and computer games is stifling the development of children's imagination. The ACMF encourage children to be participators not spectators. The website contains online games, and downloadable sheet music (PDF format).
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