• HOME
• Articles
• Links
• Contact Us
• About Us

My daughter is a jump rope fanatic. She'll come home from school and share the latest jump rope rhyme that she's learned on the playground. Some of them are versions of the ones I remember as a kid, and others are brand new. At second grade, the ones that center around kissing and boyfriends are the most popular (gulp!). Jumping rope doesn't have to be for the kids alone. All you need is a long jump rope and at least three people (one on each end and one jumper) or individual ropes work too. It's easy to get involved and teach your kids the jump rope rhymes and versions you remember. If nothing else, it takes a tireless arm to swing one end of the rope, so three or more people can participate. The kids will love it if you volunteer to be a rope swinger. Having a grownup on one end of the rope will give the kids even more turns to jump in and out.

Here's the one my daughter is currently favoring...

Pepper is hot, sugar is sweet, Tell me the size of your brother's feet. 1, 2, 3, (etc. until a miss, and the number indicates the foot size)

and...

I like coffee, I like tea, Who's your boyfriend, can it be... A, B, C, (until a miss, and that's the first letter of the boyfriend's name)

I remember this from my elementary school days in Tennessee...

Miss Mary Mack, dressed in black, Silver buttons up and down her back, She combed her hair, broke the comb, She's gonna get a spanking when her mommy comes home. 1, 2, 3, (etc. until a miss)

and this one...

Bo bo skee watten totten Nay, nay nay nay, boom boom boom Itty bitty watten totten Bo bo skee watten totten Bo bo skee watten totten BOOM! (Jumper goes out and new jumper comes in)

Everyone knows this one...

Cinderella, dressed in yellow, Went upstairs to kiss a fellow. Made a mistake, kissed a snake. How many doctors did it take? 1, 2, 3, (etc. until a miss)

Here's the sweet version of this classic...

CeCe my playmate, come out and play with me, And bring your dollies three, Climb up my apple tree, Slide down my rainbow, Into my cellar door, And we'll be jolly friends, Forever more, 1, 2, 3, 4! (Jumper goes out and new jumper comes in)

And the more deliciously fun version...

CeCe my enemy, come out and fight with me, And bring your soldiers three, Climb up my poison tree. Slide down my pitchfork, Into my dungeon door. And we'll be enemies, Forever more, 1, 2, 3, 4!

15 Minute Moment
Together, record a clever and funny new message on the family answering machine. Get creative, but make sure the message can be understood. Practice a few times before recording.