Skipping is one the oldest outdoor activities for children. Most often little girls will play various skipping games together while the boys look upon the ‘sport’ as sissy. But boys have been known to jump in from time to time!
Skipping rhymes have been recorded in all cultures where skipping is played. Examples of English-language rhymes have been found going back to at least the 17th century. But I think this skipping rope might only be from the 1960’s or 1970’s:
Just a little wear and tear
These have a nice little detail in the handles:
This Mickey Mouse skipping rope was made by Arco Toys:
Given the amount of rope attached to the two handles I have to assume that these would have been made for a child between the ages of 5 and possibly up to 8.
So what skipping rhyme would you use to play with this rope? May I suggest this one based on the Disney character of Cinderella:
- Cinderella dressed in yellow, went downstairs) to kiss her fellow, by mistake kissed a snake, how many doctors will it take? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 etc. (Go to 20 then go down to the next line)
- Cinderella dressed in blue, went upstairs to tie her shoe, made a mistake and tied a knot, how many knots will she make? 1, 2, 3, etc.
- Cinderella dressed in green, went downtown to buy a ring, made a mistake and bought a fake, how many days before it breaks? 1, 2, 3, etc.
- Cinderella dressed in lace, went upstairs to fix her face, oh no oh no, she found a blemish, how many powder puffs till she’s finished? 1, 2, 3, etc.
- Cinderella dressed in silk, went outside to get some milk, made a mistake and fell in the lake, how many more till she gets a break? 1, 2, 3, etc.
