Hi, I'm only 18..about to be 19 and I remember using all sort of jump rope rhymes when I was a little kid. That really wasn't that long ago. You would be surprised how many of the same rhymes have survived the years and changed and evolved only ever so slightly over the ages.
For example..."Fudge Fudge tell the Judge" probably spawned the hand clap rhyme I remember that went...
"Scooby Doo (clap clap)
Where are you? (clap clap)
If a boy had a toy
and a girl had a curl
you could wrap it up in tissue paper
send it up the elevator
First grade says stop (pause)
Second grade says stop (pause)
Third grade says you better not stop cause
S-T-O-P spells Stop! (at this point all clappers freeze and see who unfreezes first)"
I think thats another difference...we had jump rope rhymes...but more often ...we had hand clapping rhymes.
We had one that was something about someone who "put ants in my pants/ made me dance/ kicked me off the bus/ made me cuss/ all the way to Toys R Us"
There was also
"I went to a Chinese restaurant
to buy a loaf of bread bread bread
He wrapped it up in foil
and this is what he said said said
My name is
Nee eye Nee eye
Nick a nye nick a nye
pom pom poodle
willy wally whiskers (repeat twice)
chefboyardee FREEZE! (clappers freeze and see who unfreezes first)"