PLAYGROUND
RHYMES
The content and design of
all the pages on this web domain are ©winnie caw 2002
(follow
the arrows below for more of winnie caw's whimsy, or click on a link)
TWO BALL (or juggling) RHYMES
I asked my mother for fifty
cents
to see the elephant jump the fence;
he jumped so HIGH he reached the SKY
and never came down 'till the 4th of July.
*
Over the garden wall I let
my baby sister fall.
My mother came out, she gave me a clout;
I asked her what all the fuss was about.
She gave me another to match the other.
Over the garden wall.
*
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.
*
Gypsy, Gypsy Rosalyn, washed
her hair with turpentine;
Turpentine to make it shine.
Gypsy, Gypsy Rosalyn.
*
<let's call it> 'DUO CLAPPING'
This is a game which I never
got to grips with; being a covert left-hander. Stand facing each other about a
foot apart and say the rhyme whilst doing the actions
Clap = Clap your hands
Right = Clap partner's right hand
Left = Clap partner's left hand
Knees = Slap your knees
Together = Clap your partner's hands
Have you<Clap>
ever<Right>, ever<Clap>, ever,<Left>
in your<Clap> long<Knees> legged<Clap> life<Together>
met a <Clap>long<Right> legged<Clap> sailor<Left>
with a<Clap> long<Knees> legged<Clap>
wife?<Together>
No, I <Clap>never<Right>, never<Clap>,
never, <Left>
in my<Clap> long<Knees> legged<Clap> life<Together>
met a <Clap>long<Right> legged<Clap> sailor<Left>
with a<Clap> long<Knees> legged<Clap> wife<Together>
(now do it faster)
Have you ever, ever, ever, in your short legged life....
....knock
kneed life...
....pigeon toed life...
....bow legged life...
*
SKIPPING RHYMES
All in together girls,
Never mind the weather girls;
when I call your birthday, please jump in:
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October,
November, December.
*
Touch the ground
Turn right round
Go upstairs
Say your prayers
Switch off the light
And say goodnight!
*
Sausage in a pan,
Sausage in a pan,
Turn 'em 'over, turn 'em 'over,
Sausage in a pan.
*
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 out the lights
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, say good-night!
*
Wash the dishes
Dry the dishes
Turn the dishes over
*
Susie and Billy sitting in a
tree
K-I-S-S-I-N-G
First comes love
Then comes marriage
Then comes the baby in a baby carriage
*
Miss Lucy had a baby
She named it Tiny Tim
She put it in the bathtub
To see if it could swim
It drank up all the water
It ate up all the soap
It tried to eat the bathtub
But it wouldn't go down its throat
Miss Lucy called the doctor
Miss Lucy called the nurse
Miss Lucy called the lady
With the alligator purse
Measles said the doctor
Mumps said the nurse
Nothing said the lady
With the alligator purse
Miss Lucy kicked the doctor
Miss Lucy punched the nurse
Miss Lucy paid the lady
With the alligator purse
*
...the rude version:
Lucy had a baby
She called it Sonny Jim
She took it to the swimming baths
To see if it could swim
It swam to the bottom
It swam to the top
It swam round and round
So she pulled it by its
Cocktail shandy
Four pence a glass
If you don't like it
Shove it up your
Ask no questions tell no lies
Ever seen a copper doing up his
Flies are a nuisance
Bugs are worse
That's the end of my silly verse
...and the politically correct version:
I had a little puppy
His name was Tiny Tim
I put him in the bathtub, to see if he could swim
He drank all the water, he ate a bar of soap
The next thing you know he had a bubble in his throat.
In came the doctor,
In came the nurse,
In came the lady with the alligator purse
Out went the doctor
Out went the nurse
Out went the lady with the alligator purse
*
Down in the valley where the
green grass grows,
There sat <jumper> pretty as a rose.
Up came <a boy in the class, particularly one the jumper likes> and
kissed
her on the cheek,
How many kisses did she get this week?
Count until she messes up.
*
Down by the river, down by
the sea,
Johnny broke a bottle and blamed it on me.
I told ma, ma told pa,
Johnny got a spanking so ha ha ha.
How many spankings did
Johnny get?
1, 2, 3....
*
I went down town, to see
Miss Brown
she gave me a nickel, to buy a pickle
The pickle was sour so she gave me a flower
The flower was black so she gave me a smack
The smack was hard so she gave me a card
And on the card it said:
Little
Spanish dancer turn around (turn while jumping)
Little Spanish dancer, touch the ground (touch ground)
Little Spanish dancer tie your shoe (jump on one leg, pretend to tie shoe)
Little Spanish dancer, sixty four skidoo (jump/exit rope area)
*
H - E - L - P One jump for each letter. The ropes spin faster and faster until the jumper misses on a letter. Then, s/he must do whatever is required at that letter.
H = Highwaters (rope doesn't touch the ground)
E = Eyes closed or Easy over (rope goes over slower than usual)
L = Leapfrog (jump like a frog/crouch down, then jump high)
P = Peppers (rope twirls quickly)
*
Bluebells cockleshells easy ivy over
*
Miss Suzie had a steamboat
The steamboat had a bell
Miss Suzie went to heaven
The steamboat went to...
Hello operator, please give me number 9
If you disconnect me
I'll kick your fat...
Behind the 'fridgerator
There was a piece of glass
Miss Suzie sat upon it
And cut her little...
Ask me no more questions
I'll tell you no more lies
The boys are in the bathroom
Zipping up their...
Flies are in the forest
Bees are in the park
Boys and girls like kissing in the...
Dark is like a movie
a movie's like a show
a show is like a TV screen and that is all
I know I know my ma
I know I know my pa
I know I know my sister with the 80 acre alligator bra.
...alternatively, from 'ask me no more questions':
Ask me no more questions
tell me no more lies
Miss Susie told me everything the day before she...
Died her hair purple,
died her hair pink,
died her hair in polka-dots
and washed it down the...
Sink me in the ocean,
Sink me in the sea,
Sink me in/down the toilet,
But please don't pee on me!
*
Not last night, but the night before
24 Robbers came knocking at my door
As I ran out (Run out of the jump rope)
They ran in (Run back in the jump rope and start jumping again)
I asked them what they wanted and this is what they said:
Spanish dancer turn around (turn ˝ turn each time you jump)
Spanish dancer touch the ground (touch ground once when you are jumping)
Spanish dancer give a high kick (kick in the air once)
Spanish dancer get out before you miss (get out of the jump rope If you stay in, someone yells "Hot Potatoes" and then the ones holding the rope start turning the rope real fast and someone counts to see how many "hot potatoes" you do)
*
ACTION RHYMES
When Susie was a baby, a
baby Susie was she went a cry, cry, cry, cry (rubs eyes)
When Susie was a toddler, a toddler Susie was she went a scribble, scribble,
scribble, scribble (scribbling action)
When Susie was a child, a child Susie was she went a 'whyyyyyy? whyyyyyy?
whyyyyy? whyyyy?' (pouting)
When Susie was a teenager, a teenager Susie was she went a 'ooh, ahh, I lost my
bra, I left my knickers in me boyfriend's car' (waving hands)
When Susie was a married, a married Susie was she went a 'aahh, unnnnggggghh,
aaaahhhhh, unnnnnngggggh'
When Susie was a mother, a mother Susie was she went a bake, bake, bake, bake (rolling
pin action)
When Susie was a grandma, a grandma Susie was she went a knit, knit, knit, knit (knitting
action)
When Susie was a skeleton a skeleton Susie was she went a (silence)
*
SOLIDARITY RHYMES
Build a bonfire, build a
bonfire
Put the teachers on the top
Put the schoolbooks in the middle
And burn the blooming lot
*
Mine eyes have seen the
glory
Of the burning of the school
We have tortured every teacher
We have broken every rule
We have marched down to the principal
To tell him he's a fool
The school is burning down
*
My friend Billy had a ten
foot willy
He showed it to the girl next door.
She thought it was a snake
So she hit it with a rake,
And now it's only two foot four.
*
We three kings of orient are
One on a motorbike
One in a car
One on a scooter
Tooting his hooter
Following yonder star
Oh, star of wonder
Star of light
Sit on a box of dynamite
Light the fuse and off we go
Around the world
To Mexico
*
We three kings of Leicester Square
Selling ladies underwear
How fantastic
No elastic
Only a penny a pair
*****
A couple of games we would play in the road:
Queenie Eye
One person would stand with their back to everyone in the middle of the road
and throw a tennis type ball over their shoulder. One of the group would
pick the ball up and everyone would put their hands behind their backs. One of
the
group would be hiding the ball in their hands behind their back. The group would
chant, 'Queenie eye, Queenie eye, who's got the ball? Is she fat or is she tall?
Does she wear a safety pin beneath her petticoat?' The aim of the game was for
the person to guess who had the ball. They would all, or individuals,
show their right or left hand, or both, or turn around. The tennis ball
would be hidden in the hand. Sometimes we would cheat and hide it up our skirts.
Second game
Someone would stand in the road and they were 'It'. The group would chant
'Please Jack, may we cross the golden water, to see your ugly daughter, just
like you?' They would reply, 'Not unless you're wearing [a colour]. If you had
that colour on you could safely run across the road. If not you had to run across the road and the person who was 'It' would try to
catch you. If you were caught you would be the person to be 'It'.
With thanks to Anne Clarke
(more to follow? - please send me yours)
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