Um...playground rhymes... When I was little...

Choosing 'It' games

Ip dip
Sky blue
All out
But you
or
Ip dip
[or 'dog s**t]
You are
Not 'It'
or a huge long one about
Mickey Mouse
In his house
Pulling on his troosers
...But I can't remember any more. Got quite lewd, though. I think he had blue pants too.

A clapping rhyme:

Myyyyyy boyfriend gave me an apple
My boyfriend gave me a pear
My boyfriend gave me a [pretend to kiss other person's cheeks x3]
And I threw him down the stairs

I threw him over London
I threw him over France [fran(t)ss]
I threw him over the USA
And he lost his underpants [note: 'underpants' is just to scan, we usually used 'pants']

IIIIII gave him back his apple
I gave him back his pear
I gave him back his [pretend to kiss other person's cheeks x3]
And he threw me down the stairs

He threw me over London
He threw me over France
He threw me over the USA
And I lost my underpants

There was another verse, but I honestly can't remember where it goes from here.

Skipping games

APPLE CRUMBLE APPLE TART
(the idea was to go through all options for each line, and stop where the 'skipper' tripped. You could go through several times)

Apple crumble apple tart
What's the initial of your true sweetheart?A,B,C,D... [then again for surname - we were precise!]

Will you get married? Yes, no, yes...

[only if yes] Where'll you marry? Church, stable, pigsty, toilet, church...

How many children will you have? 1,2,3...

What kind of children will you have? Girls, boys, both, twins, girls...

[some people let you choose further if you tripped on 'twins' - 'girls, boys, both...' again)


BALLERINA
Ballerina ballerina
Turn around
Ballerina ballerina
Touch the ground
Ballerina ballerina
Double quick
Ballerina ballerina
Do the splits!

The trick was to do it all skipping. Then there was the more dangerous "Helicopter helicopter turn around, helicopter helicopter touch the ground" - not really a skipping game, but someone held the ends of the rope and span like a helicopter. Everyone had to duck and jump, while staying in place. That one was banned :(

Then there was French skipping (with a french-skipping-rope)

Scotland, England, Ireland, Wales (or England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales)
Inside Outside Donkies' TAILS!

Then there was the obscure Kings and Queens arrivin'

KINGS AND QUEENS ARRIVIN'

[We split into two large teams, and each team joined hands, so there were two long strings of people facing each other. We skipped in towards the other team together, then out together.]

Kings and Queens arrivin'
Arrivin'
Arrivin'
Kings and Queens arrivin'
Ipsy Dipsy
Dee-eye-oh
[stop skipping. The first team went into a huddle, and picked a person from the second team. The second team pretended not to be trying to hear. Then the first team skipped in and out, singing:]
The first name is [insert two-syllable insult, such as Smelly]
Smelly
Smelly
The first name is Smelly
Ipsy Dipsy
Dee-eye-oh

[second team - something like:]
Who one Earth is Smelly? (possibly "Who're you callin' Smelly?")
Smelly
Smelly
Who one Earth is Smelly?
Ipsy Dipsy
Dee-eye-oh

[first team]
The second name is [first name of person picked, eg Johnny]
Johnny
Johnny
The second name is Johnny
Ipsy Dipsy
Dee-eye-oh

[then there would be a huge exchange. The first team would want Smelly Johnny, and the second team wouldn't want to hand him over, and offer someone else. I think that bit ceased to be fun and got dropped. The insults could be quite harsh, and the game sometimes was played with teams half-sulking!]

-Viracocha