Anybody remember jumprope rhymes?

[Sparkly]

When I was a kid, jumping rope was THE thing to do at recess. Two girls twirled the rope while another jumped; and it could get pretty complicated, with two ropes and/or several people jumping at the same time, fancy steps and jumping out to run around and run back in again, and of course, "hot peppers" (very fast).

We also had sing-song rhymes that went with different patterns and such.
I'll post some later, but first: Do you remember any from your childhood?

[seventythree]

1. just one

X and Y sitting in a tree -- k-i-s-s-i-n-g
First comes love -- then comes marriage -- then comes X with a baby carriage.

Maybe kids today should sing that one -- love/marriage/children -- I think it would be good to go back to that order.

[Sparkly]

2. Yes, I remember that one!

That was a great one for teasing kids who had crushes on each other.

[Sparkly]

3. The "orange and a pickle" one

This is how I remember it:

Not last night but the night before
An orange and a pickle came a-knockin' at my door
I went downstairs to let them in,
Knocked them out with a rolling pin.
I ran out the front door.... (run around to jump in again on the other side) I ran in the front,
With a bump on the head, this is what they said:

Mother, mother turn around
Mother, mother touch the ground

(and the rest I've forgotten!)

[seventythree]

5. never heard the pickle thing

but do remember mother, mother, turn around ...

[yorkiemommie1]

6. ours went :

Not last night but the night before

24 robbers came knocking at the door

We asked them what they wanted and this is what they said:

Dancer, Dancer do the high kick...


_____ This was in Hawai'i. We got things later there, lol.

[Zen Democrat]

11. I knew that one as "24 robbers came a-knockin' at my door"

And instead of Mother, Mother it was:

Spanish dancer turn around
Spanish dancer touch the ground
Spanish dancer do the kangaroo (one foot)
Spanish dancer that's enough for you (run out)

[Sparkly]

4. the "Mothers out hanging clothes" one

Again, this is only what I remember, and it's pretty weird:

My mother and your mother were out hanging clothes.
My mother punched your mother right in the nose.
How many stitches did she need?

(Then the twirling and jumping went as fast as possible while everybody counted to see how many you could do.)

[Zen Democrat]

12. When we counted "potatoes" for who's "IT" we did the

My Mother and your Mother were hanging out clothes
My Mother punched your Mother right in the nose
What color was the blood?

Red: R-E-D, or
Purple: P-U-R-P-L-E, etc.

[livetohike]

7. "A" my name is Alice and I come from Alabama

or something like that on through the alphabet. I think those brain cells died. I loved to jump rope.

Did any of you do "Chinese" jump roping? We tied together rubber bands (we called them gum bands in Pgh)and then the whole contraption was held by two girls standing face to face and the "rope" went around the back of your feet. The jumper would lift the sides with the top of her toes and cross over to the other side while hopping. It's hard to explain in words.

[Sparkly]

8. Oh yeah

I remember something like that rhyme! Sure wish I could remember more.

We did try the Chinese jump rope, but never quite got the hang of it.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

9. One bright day in the middle of the night

Two dead boys got up to fight
Back to back they faced each other
Drew their swords and shot one another
Two deaf policemen heard the noise
Came and killed the two dead boys.
-----
Minne-Minnehaha
Went to see her papa
Papa died, Minnie cried.
Minnie had a baby named him Tiny Tim
Put him in the bathtub to teach him how to swim
He drank all the water and ate two bars of soap
And died the next morning with a bubble in his throad
Minnie called the doctor
Minnie called the nurse
Minnie called the lady with the alligator purse
(at this point, three more girls would jump in)
Measles said the doctor
Measles said the nurse
Measles said the lady with the alligator purse
Mumps said the doctor etc.
-
-
Dead said the doctor
Dead said the nurse
Dead said the lady with the alligator purse
Out went the doctor
Out went the nurse
Out went the lady with the alligator purse (the three would jump out)
-----
(This one started with "cradles")
Texaco Texaco
OVER (start twirling the rope overhead) the hills to Mexico
Spanish dancers do the splits
Spanish dancers wiggle their hips
Spanish dancers turn around
Spanish dancers touch the ground
Spanish dancers get out of town (the jumper would jump out)
----------
Standing outside the rope as it was twirling and jumping into it was called a run-in. Twirling the rope toward the jumper was "front doors," and twirling it away from the jumper was "back doors." It was harder to do a run-in back doors than front doors.

"Cradles" was swinging the rope back and forth just above the ground. Swinging it so that it almost went overhead but not quite was called "high waters." The most complex single rope twirl was called "TVs." It went two cradles-front doors-two cradles-back doors-cradles-front doors, etc.

Jumping with two ropes twirling inward was called "double Dutch." Twirling them outward was called "double Irish." The ropes were twirled left-right-left-right in a steady rhythm. If you twirled them both at the same time, you ended up with "eggbeaters," and that was the sign of an inept twirler.

By the way, when I was a little girl jumping rope in Wisconsin, I never would have imagined that inner city girls on the East Coast would make double Dutch into a competitive sport, complete with acrobatic and dance moves, such as vaulting over the twirlers to start jumping.

When I went to China in 1990, I learned that Chinese children DO play Chinese jumprope. It became popular when I was in fifth and sixth grade. It was sort of like cat's cradle for your feet. The girls at either end anchored the giant rubber band, and to be successful, you had to go through a series of maneuvers, jumping around among the bands.

[livetohike]

10. Chinese jump rope

Thanks for the great description! Cat's cradle for your feet. I can't believe we ever did that. I trip over my shoelaces today, LOL.

[Mist]

13. I remember that what we called Chinese jumprope

was 2 poles. Hit on the ground and then clicked together just above ground.

[mzteris]

14. I didn't learn

how to jumprope "properly" until 6th grade when the other girls took pity on me. Running in was just beyond me. LOL......

Let's see if I can remember this:

Cinder-ella
dressed in yella
went to ??(something) and
kissed her fella
1...2...3...4... (I'm not sure I ever made it much past 4.....)

[eShirl]

15. we had a version of that

Cinderella, dressed in yella
Went downtown to get some musta'd
On the way her girdle busted
How many people were disgusted?
Red, hot, PEPPER!

...and the number of times you could jump fast ("pepper") was the number of people who were disgusted. lol

[LaurenG]

16. I'd forgotten that one

Cinderella
dressed in yella
went to went upstairs
to kiss her fella
made a mistake
and kissed a snake
how many doctors did it take?

1,2,3,4, until you missed a skip

[Branjor]

17. Strawberry shortcake

Strawberry shortcake
cream on top
Tell me the name
of your sweetheart

Two on time
Follow me
To the bottom of the sea

One three five seven
All good children go to heaven
When we get there we'll all shout
(___) (___), you get out!

[astral]

18. They sold Chinese jumpropes when I was a kid

I'd forgotten all about them ---