Explore through play
Skipping rhymes
Children can try learning some simple skipping rhymes from the past.
Can they make up actions to go with them?
They could jump or hop up and down, while they say the rhymes or jump over a rope swinging from side-to-side.
Teddy bear teddy bear
Teddy bear teddy bear turn around
Teddy bear teddy bear touch the ground
Teddy bear teddy bear turn off the light
Teddy bear teddy bear say goodnight
Down to the baker shop
Down to the Baker shop, hop, hop, hop
Buy, my mother said
Buy a loaf of bread
Down to the Baker shop, hop, hop, hop
Skipping games
Try these old skipping games. They are usually played with a long skipping rope, with one child wiggling, swaying or turning the rope from each end.
Colours
One of the rope turners thinks of a colour.
The rope turners wiggle, sway or turn the rope.
Each time the skipper jumps, they say a different colour.
When they guess the colour the rope turner is thinking of, it’s the next person’s turn.
Try playing the game with different themes, such as days of the week.
I like coffee…
Children line up to take turns at skipping. The rope turners sway the rope from side-to-side or turn it fully.
Everyone says the rhyme:
I like coffee I like tea
I want [child’s name] to jump with me (next child in the line jumps in)
I don’t like coffee I don’t like tea
I don’t want [child’s name] to jump with me (child jumps out)
Then it’s the next child’s go.
Teddy bear teddy bear
Children can try skipping to the Teddy bear rhyme. This is quite tricky.
The group say the rhyme and the skipper does the actions – while they are skipping!
Teddy bear teddy bear turn around (turn while skipping)
Teddy bear teddy bear touch the ground (touch the ground while the rope keeps turning)
Teddy bear teddy bear turn off the light (mime turning of a light)
Teddy bear teddy bear say goodnight (hold hands together on shoulder and tilt head onto them as if going to sleep)
Links
- Click on the ‘Playing in the past’ tab to find old pictures of children playing with toys and games.
- This short film shows children skipping to the rhyme ‘Down to the Baker shop’ in Edinburgh in 1951
- This short film shows children skipping and roller-skating
- This film shows children skipping to different rhymes in the 1950s
- This animation talks about the history of skipping
- This film shows world champion Double Dutch skippers in the USA in the 1970s. The ‘Double Dutch’ is a kind of skipping with two ropes. It takes a lot of practice to be really good at it. These skippers were known as the Fantastic Four.