Subject: Children's rhymes and playground songs - English From: coriander Date: 30 Apr 00 - 05:27 AM Whilst visiting a friend who has moved over to the States, she expressed an interest in teaching her son (due June!) traditional English childrens songs, nursery rhymes etc. I pointed her in the direction of Mudcat kids section for those we know, but also said I would look out some when I got back. I decided it would be fun to put together a booklet, and maybe a tape, of rhymes, playground & party games etc, with a little bit of background on origins, and also to do a bit more in depth research for my own interest. A conversation with my sister-in-law about nursery rhyme origins somewhat whetted my appetite!! I have access to some information, but wondered if any Mudcatters can help. Any regional songs or games, origins, interesting stories, or any other help would be gratefully received. |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 30 Apr 00 - 02:33 PM You know about the Opies, I'm sure, but here's a link just in case you don't.
You should get some interesting stuff through the Mudcat. Could be a lifetime's work... |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: selby Date: 30 Apr 00 - 02:50 PM I like the idea of the thread from the historical aspect ie Ring a Ring a Rosies about the Black Death Humpty Dumpty, about Cardinal Wolsey. I am now accessing the brain cell to think of my childhood rhymes there is one at the back about TV programmes but for the life of me I can't remember it. Keith |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: GUEST,Cookie Date: 30 Apr 00 - 03:19 PM Here are some great sites for children's songs. Sorry I haven't learned to link like McGrath of Harlow. I have lots more sites if you need them. Post a request on my message board if you want them. http://www.InsideTheWeb.com/mbs.cgi/mb1026896 Enjoy, Cookie http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/music.htm#index http://www.antenna.nl/wwwcisv/songs/layout/allsongsmain.html http://digitaltimes.com/lyrics/kids/ Line Breaks <br> added and links made clickable. Thanks for the great links, Cookie. |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: Alice Date: 30 Apr 00 - 03:23 PM We had a thread about this subject previously. I will refresh it for you. alice |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: Alice Date: 30 Apr 00 - 03:35 PM On second thought, I won't refresh it, but I'll give you a link to it. Children's Street Songs Here's another - What is a kid's song?
There have been many threads related to this topic. Put the word "chidren" in the forum filter, set the age to 3 years, and hit refresh. Alice |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: lloyd64 Date: 30 Apr 00 - 03:42 PM As kid on the Chicago streets our favorite games were Buck, Buck and Engine, Engine Number Nine. Engine, Engine Number Nine…… Everyone sits in a circle with hands folded into a fist. The leader (Engine) would say a rime as he tapped each fist…. Engine, Engine number nine, Coming down the Chicago line Please tell me the correct time, the correct time is what? Some one would call out a number, the leader would count out the number by tapping the fists. If the leader landed on one of your fists, you had to take it out of the game by putting it behind your back. The leader would then start over again. Engine, Engine number nine, Coming down the Chicago line Please tell me the correct time, the correct time is what? This would continue until only one fist was left this became the new Engine. Thanks for bringing this to mind. lloyd |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: lloyd64 Date: 30 Apr 00 - 03:45 PM Correction........ The person who would call out the number is the person the leader stopped at during the rime. Sorry about that. It has been a lone time. lloyd |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: lloyd64 Date: 30 Apr 00 - 03:52 PM One last thing, on the Chicago streets it's Rime not Rhyme. :). lloyd |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: coriander Date: 30 Apr 00 - 05:46 PM Wow! Thanks everyone! There's some good stuff to start with here. I now have some useful bookmarks on my browser. I had a look at the old thread on playground songs - I remember loads of those - made me smile! I think this could be fun! Whilst discussing this with family, one thing which came up for debate was whether Ring a ring a rosies was really about the plague, or whether it just fits nicely. Does anyone know how far back it can be traced? I'm curious! thanks for the help cori |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: GUEST,jeanos@cybercable.fr Date: 30 Apr 00 - 07:00 PM Just a note (perhaps a little off the point) to say that I have found traditional children's songs brilliant for teaching English to non-English speaking kids. They instinctively pick up on the themes and rhythms. JeanO'S |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: Mark Cohen Date: 30 Apr 00 - 10:58 PM Lloyd, I haven't thought of Buck Buck in years! We played it in Philadelphia. As did Bill Cosby, of course -- did you ever hear his Fat Albert routine? Aloha, Mark |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: lloyd64 Date: 30 Apr 00 - 11:21 PM Mark... Fat Albert routine, While I never heard of the routine I can picture it :). My mother always new I was playing Buck, Buck, because I would have rust on my shirt from leaning on the rusty light pole. It was great fun. What do kids play today? Remember "Fast Pitch" with a little red, hard rubber ball. We drew a box on the brick wall to be the strike zone. Lloyd |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: Mark Cohen Date: 01 May 00 - 04:48 AM Oh, now you've got me started. Did anybody from outside Philly ever play halfball? Cut an old tennis ball in half, pitch it underhand, use a broomstick for the bat. We played it in the driveway between the rows of houses. On the roof was a triple, over the house a home run. Then there was wireball. You throw the ball (usually either a "pinkie" or a white "starball", both rather bouncy, rubber, about the size of a billiard ball) over the telephone/power wires that ran along the driveway. If the other guy catches it, it's an out, if he misses, it's a single. If the ball hits the wire (on the way up or down) and isn't caught, it's a homer. [Brits, Aussies, and other unAmerican friends, I'm not going to explain the rules of baseball here. I made it through the Marmite thread, you can make it through this :-)] And then there was "chink", which was not an ethnic slur. It's what some people called handball. You hit the ball (again, soft rubber, not hard like a real handball) so it bounces first on the ground and then against the wall, then back out and onto the ground again, then it's the other person's turn. Two or more people could play. If the ball hit right where the wall met the ground (the "chink"), you played the point over. Fat Albert, by the way, was the meanest, baddest, Buck Buck player there was, 'cause he weighed about 300 pounds. Buck Buck, at least in Philly, involved a few kids forming a line with arms around the waist of the guy in front, bent over so as to make a kind of platform. One by one the members of the other team ran up and LEAPED onto the platform, until it collapsed and then they changed places. Fat Albert's signature was a loud "Hey, hey, HEY!!!", at which point, feeling the ground shake, the other team would just give up. Thanks, lloyd, this isn't musical but it sure is fun! Aloha, Mark |
Subject: Jumprope Chant archive From: Joe Offer Date: 01 May 00 - 06:18 PM I found a copy of the "Jumprope Hypertext Archive (click)," which used to be available at the Website of the University of West Florida. It dropped off the Web, possibly because the professor who posted it moved on to greener pastures. I don't feel right posting it, since I haven't been able to contact the author for permission (and the copy I found has all the HTML stripped off). This is a fascinating archive of chants kids use while jumping rope. It was much more colorful in the HTML version, so I've tracked down the author and asked him if maybe it could be posted somewhere. -Joe Offer- |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: Sandy Paton Date: 01 May 00 - 06:53 PM You might be able to find a copy of one of the earliest examples of genuinely field collected material published in America: William Wells Newell's Games and Songs of American Children, originally published in 1883. Dover did a reprint in 1963. Take a look at BookFinder (click on that). They've even got 1992 and 1998 reprints from someplace in Maryland that I didn't know about! And one copy of the original edition for $45!! Damn! My credit card's maxed out, so you get a crack at it! Sandy |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: Stewie Date: 01 May 00 - 06:58 PM Since this thread seems to have strayed from 'English children's songs' to American ones as well, I draw attention to a truly wonderful set of CDs released recently by Yazoo in its 2000 series: Various Artists 'The Story the Crow Told Me: Early American Rural Children's Songs from the 1920s and 1930s Vols 1 and 2' Yazoo 2051 and 2052. They are marvellously entertaining as well as being a great record of mostly traditional songs sung by or to children, or both (46 songs). The performers range from the relatively wellknown - Riley Puckett, Bradley Kincaid, Cousin Emmy, Henry Thomas, Skillet Lickers etc - to the rare and obscure - Homer Brierhopper, Four Wanderers, Joe Reed Family, Ridge's Fountain Citians and others. --Stewie.
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Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: GUEST,Murray on Saltspring Date: 01 May 00 - 10:48 PM Digitrad has got most of the Scottish children's rhymes I sent in [out of what I call "Bairnsangs", yet to see print], typed under "kids" for some reason [it's not a word I expected, but then I'm an insular exile]. In my notes I've tried to give congeners to English rhymes (i.e. mostly to the Opies' books), so you might pick up some things there.
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Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: Sandy Paton Date: 01 May 00 - 10:58 PM Thanks for the pointer, Stewie! I'll get 'em right away from Greenhaus at Camsco Music. That'll give a percentage to the Mudcat, too. Sandy |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: Lonesome Gillette Date: 03 Nov 00 - 10:33 AM Hey Coriander, I wanted to ask this same question but you already did. Did you ever make that tape and booklet for your friend. I play for a mixed age audience and sometimes there are lots of kids and I want to learn some old, lesser known children's songs myself. The song/games might be cool too, especially ones that can be explained quickly (I'm a busker and my audience has a short attention span sometimes). LG |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: P05139 Date: 03 Nov 00 - 09:45 PM When I was a junior school, I usually played either "Poor Mary", "Oranges And Lemons" or "The Farmer Wants A Wife" but I can only remember the lyrics to "Poor Mary" so here goes Poor Mary sits a weeping/ A weeping/ A weeping/ Poor Mary sits a weeping/ On a bright summer's day Oh tell me what you're weeping for/ You're weeping for/ You're weeping for/ Tell me what you're weeping for/ On a bright summer's day I'm weeping for a playmate/ A playmate/ A playmate/ I'm weeping for a playmate/ On a bright summer's day Well stand you up and choose one/ And choose one/ And choose one/ Well stand you up and choose one/ On a bright summer's day At least I think those are the lyrics, it's a looooooong time since I've played it. |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: roopoo Date: 04 Nov 00 - 03:20 AM If you contact the Preschool Playgroups Association in the UK, they may have something. Local groups do what you suggest and publish little booklets about all sorts. I had some of their publications, but I can't find them now. It's many years since I was a playgroup supervisor! I bet they'll have a website! Andrea |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: Seth Date: 04 Nov 00 - 06:19 AM Berkeley, mid '70's: Jefferson School playground Engine, Engine, Number 9 Goin' down the Chicago Line IF the train runs off the track Do I get my money back? Itsy bitsy eaeenie meanie ooo bop bop alini It cha caught ya Liberacha I love you! Take a peach, take a plum take a piece a bubble gum Nor peach, nor plum, nor a stick of bubble gum My mother said that you are not IT! Seth from China / Robard Williams |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: Long Firm Freddie Date: 04 Nov 00 - 06:41 AM The Oldham Tinkers sing a lot of kid's songs, including firecat's Poor Mary (though the lament is for her lover, rather than her playmate!). They follow it up with:
Don't touch my silk dress LFF |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: Tinker Date: 04 Nov 00 - 08:38 AM Does anyone know when Novello's Elementary Music Manuals date from? I picked one up at a used book store and I'm guessing 1930. (Pictures of little girls in drop waisted dresses and prim white collars) It's Physical Exercises in the Infant School by Margaret A.Hughes. It has Musical games that seem like formal versions of the ones we did on the play ground. Tinker |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: kendall Date: 04 Nov 00 - 08:57 AM When I was little, my granmother used to sing: Here come three Dukes a-riding, riding riding Here come Three Dukes a-ring, ratsy tatsy titty bow wow And ratsy tatsy tee.
What are you coming here for here for here for
We're coming here to get married married married
You're all too black and homely homely homely
I think it was Sandy Paton who told me it was a play party game, but, I dont know the game. It must be of European origin..we dont have Dukes here. (The Dukes of Hazzard dont count..cant read either) |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: Tig Date: 04 Nov 00 - 05:32 PM When I was at teacher training college some half century ago my drama special study was on playground chants and games, some of which I did as a field study collection. Now sometimes when I'm in school I get the kids to tell me what they are playing, especially the skipping games. Take heart, a lot of them are still playing the same things even though the words change slightly. One skipping chant goes:- I'm a little girl guide dressed in blue These are the actions I'm supposed to do Salute to the officers, curtsy to the Queen And................. When my mum played it was 'turn my back on the washing machine' By the early '70's it was 'turn my back on the boys in green' Now it's 'show my knickers to the football team'!!!!! So much for progress. |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: GUEST,Renee Date: 04 Nov 00 - 07:56 PM We used to play Farmer wants a Wife too. I can remember the song but I can't for the life of me remember the actions. Can anyone help? Also, did anyone sing rhymes while bouncing two tennis balls of a door? We used to do that too, which was great fun. Unfortunately, I can't remember any of the songs we sang for that either! |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: richlmo Date: 04 Nov 00 - 09:31 PM " Engine, Engine Number Nine " , Roger Miller |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: MMario Date: 29 Mar 01 - 10:46 AM jumprope hypertext archive |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: Mr Red Date: 29 Mar 01 - 11:24 AM Tin - can - alurky Grandad used to play it as a kid but that would have been in the 19th century. we played a game (boys) we called "Turkey" which is probably related. It involved a set of sticks ballanced against a wall and a bal to knock them down. Everyone would run & hide (hide & seek with IQ). The idea was for one lad to find the others and defend the pile of sticks. Unless someone sneaked over and set-up the sticks again before the stick-keeper could rush over and hit the sticker-upper with the ball. all simple stuff, dunno how regional because it was an orphange (one lost parent) and we had children from a 200 mile radius (all boarders). |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: GUEST,Bruce O. Date: 29 Mar 01 - 11:32 AM You might look at Alice Bertha Gomme's 'The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland', 1898 (Dover reprint, 1964, 2 vols @ $2.50 ea.) Many pictures illustrating games. Only 9 for cat's cradle. Tunes for the singing ones. |
Subject: Jumprope Hypertext Archive From: Joe Offer Date: 29 Mar 01 - 12:57 PM Hey, MMario - how did you find the Jumprope Hypertext Archive? I had posted a link above to a text file, but the HTML version had been offline for at least a couple years. I had toyed with the idea of putting it up at Mudcat. I had permission to do it, but we had technical problems. It's nice to see it's back up, and better than ever! -Joe Offer- |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: SINSULL Date: 29 Mar 01 - 01:31 PM Just last night a game from my childhood started going through my head. Anyone remember: Knee-ankle baby boom boom boom Hip-lip baby boom boom boom. Can't remember if it was a jump rope rhyme or a ball bouncing game. |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: GUEST,TypoPolice Date: 29 Mar 01 - 01:42 PM What DOES happen when you type in "chidren"? |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: GUEST,Nancy Date: 29 Mar 01 - 03:57 PM Renee...I remember that as The Farmer in the Dell (The Farmer in the Dell x 2, hi ho the derry-o, the farmer in the dell...The farmer takes a wife...the wife takes a child....the child takes a dog....is that the one?) As I recall it involved stringing out all the chosen ones behind the farmer and his wife, then a climax, like tug of war..... What about Pop goes the Weasel....a weaver told me it was basically a weaving song... it was a circle game but I can't remember the action.... Seems to me we played a version of Buck,buck called One Potato...action pretty much the same. Clancy Bros had a medley on one of their old albums...(It ISN"T because yer dirty, it ISNT because yer clean, Its because you've got the WHOOPing cough and eat margerine...) This thread reminds me of research I did a long time ago on hopscotch...seems they have found hopscotch squares from early Egyptian times.... nancy |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: MMario Date: 29 Mar 01 - 04:07 PM Joe - I was searching for a tune - what else? then I searched the forum to see if anyone else had posted a link - found yours and the post above - so linked the ressurected archive...
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Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: dick greenhaus Date: 29 Mar 01 - 04:43 PM Some of the ones I recall from the mists of antiquity in Brooklyn: I should worry, I should care I should marry a millionaire He should die, I should cry I should marry another guy. I should worry I should fret I should marry a suffragette. My mother gave me fifty cents To see the elephant jump the fence It jumped so high it touched the sky And didn't come down till the fourth of July. (and my pet) Marguerite, go wash your feet The board of health is across the street. |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: GUEST Date: 16 Feb 08 - 03:33 PM Help!!! Does anyone remember playing this ball game in the 70's? We used a red, white and blue rubber ball, bounced it against the wall and had to catch it before it hit the ground, and sang a ditty that was accompanied with the appropriate actions. Problem is I can't remember the whole song that went with it. I know part of the song went something like this, "clap front, clap back, front to back, back to front, tweedles, twaddles, curtsies, bowsies, 1-2-3, touch my knee, touch my toe, touch my heel, touch the ground, turn around." I think this is possibly the middle-end of the song and for the life of me I can't remember the beginning of the song. As kids, we spent a lot of outside time playing this game and a lot of skipping games too. I would really like to teach it to my 2 girls. Thanks for anyone being able to help! I really appreciate it. Goachgirl |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: Azizi Date: 18 Jul 08 - 07:53 AM GUEST,Nancy 29 Mar 01 - 03:57 PM wrote: Clancy Bros had a medley on one of their old albums...(It ISN"T because yer dirty, it ISNT because yer clean, Its because you've got the WHOOPing cough and eat margerine...) Does anyone know which Clancey Bros record and.or which specific song this was, and when was it recorded? Thanks. Also, I'm interested in collecting more rhymes with the "not because your dirty/not because you're clean" line. I've usually read "it's not because you're dirty/it's not because you're clean/it's not because you've kiss a boy/behind the magazine. Does anyone else know this version? If so, would you post the rest of the rhyme that you know and include demographics. Thanks again! from Azizi, who's still working on "her" book on English language children's rhymes. |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: GUEST,Girl Scout Date: 03 Aug 09 - 07:10 PM I remember a game we played with a song and 2 sticks that we clicked and tossed. I think it was a Native American game and I can write the words although they may be spelled completely wrong. does anyone recognize this: Ma Ko Way, Kowatana, Way Kowatana Ma Ko Way, Kowatana, Way Kowatana Not sure if there were any other words and don't remember exactly what we did with the sticks. I just know it was great fun! Thanks. |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: GUEST Date: 29 Nov 09 - 09:43 AM hi i am trying to find songs that you can play with two bals on a door............... i remember a few..................horsey horsey dont you stop just let your feet go clippity clop let your feet got swish and your tail go round gailey up to london town. wee sam a pice in jam went to london in a pram the pram broke what a joke wee sam a pice in jam does anyone remember any more please help thanx |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: srich Date: 29 Nov 09 - 10:08 AM I believe the album is the Clancy children or the Clancy Brothers and children sing' the poem is: Ahem, Ahem, me mother's gone to church She told me not to play with you, because your in the dirt. 'Tisn't because your dirty, 'Tisn't because your clean Because you have the whoooping cough from eating margarine. |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: Q (Frank Staplin) Date: 29 Nov 09 - 05:22 PM An article in the current "Children's Folklore Review" has some good ones. Here are a couple. Australia, girls in playground flipping up their skirts and chanting; Flintstones, Flintstones, yabba, yabba, doo! Fred does the bow, Wilma does the curtsy, Pebbles shows her knickers, And we all go "Wow!" Mary had a little lamb, Her father shot it dead. Now Mary takes her lamb to school Between two hunks of bread. The night was dark The sky was blue Down the alley A shit wagon flew A bump was hit A scream was heard A man was killed by a flying turd. "Children's Oral Poetry: Identity and Obscenity," C. W. Sullivan III, p. 67-77; Children's Folklore Review, vol. 31, 2008-2009. Children's Folklore Section of the American Folklore Society. |
Subject: RE: Girl scout children's rhymes and songs From: GUEST,guest Date: 30 Apr 10 - 03:31 AM Sticks were used in a Girl Scout song-game ( in Florida early 1960's) which I would like to locate the correct words and origin: The lyrics sounded like this: Ma kayo koee tayo Eh koe tahno Ma kayo koee tayo Eeh koe tahno One scout would sit in front of another and for the first verse strike the 2 upright wooden sticks(about 10 inches in length and about 1 inch diameter) on the floor in front of them, then strike them down so the tips that were originally upward strike the floor in front of them, and then strike their own sticks together. This motion is repeated thru the entire verse in rhythm with the chant. At the end of every verse, when you sing "tahno", you again hold both sticks upright and strike both lower tips to the floor twice (once for "tah" and once for "no") Verse 2 Same as 1, except instead of striking your own sticks together, you strike your right stick to your partner's right stick Verse 3 Same as 1, except instead of striking your own sticks, you strike your left stick to your partner's left stick Verse 4 Same as 1, except you strike both your partner's sticks with both of your sticks from the inside out Verse 5 Same as 1, except you strike both your partner's sticks with both of your sticks from the outside in Verse 6 Same as 1, except you gently toss your own right stick in the air with a half flip and catch it Verse 7 Same as 1, except you gently toss your own left stick in the air with a gentle half flip and catch it Verse 8, Same as 1, except you gently toss both of your own sticks in the air with a half flip and catch them What a fun website! |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: GUEST,Hester Elementary Date: 24 May 10 - 08:24 PM To vote, go to: http://www.refresheverything.com/studentsneed2play Hester Elementary in Farmersville is competing for a $50,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant to fund a playstructure for our school. We desperately need your help by voting for our project. We want to make this community better. Please help make this dream come true by voting for our project.Thank You, Be The Dream!!! |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: GUEST Date: 24 Aug 10 - 07:07 PM A couple of people have been talking about girl scout games using sticks. Both of you have similar words and I have heard it several ways depending on who teaches it. The sticks you used were called Lummi (said lemmi) sticks and they can either be made out of wooden dowels or purchased from various general music magazines (I.E. West Music) If I'm not mistaken you can also purchase activity books that go along with the sticks. Dowels are often fun because they are cheaper and students can decorate them. |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: GUEST,Sarah Date: 22 Aug 11 - 04:28 PM Bubble gum, bubble gum in a dish. How many pieces do you wish? ...5... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5! Now you go out you dirty old dish rag you! |
Subject: RE: Children's rhymes and playground songs From: GUEST,angela Date: 28 Sep 11 - 08:41 AM looking for songs that were sung while playing 2 tennis balls against a door or wall help plz |
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