In Brooklyn in the 50’s we sang while bouncing a ball: Oh, I won’t go to Macy’s any more, more, more There’s a big fat policeman at the door, door, door He’ll grab you by the collar And make you pay a dollar So I won’t go to Macy’s Anymore, more, more We sang this while bouncing a ball and crossed our leg over the rhyming words..more, door, collar, etc.
In the Bronx, New York, in the 50’s we played a game called Russian 10 which sounds a lot like the games two of the other posters wrote about. First we would throw the ball up (or against the wall?) Then followed a series of claps. (Some behind the back?) I seem to remember the one hand against the wall position as well. No one I’ve ever mentioned this to had heard about it. I find it fascinating that a similar game with almost the same name was played in Chicago in the 40’s.
Here’s the rhyme I remember, playing with two rubber balls against the garage door in Dublin, Ireland in the 70s Plainy, a packet of rinso Over, a packet of rinso Uppy, a packet of rinso Downy, a packet of rinso Dashy, a packet of rinso Right Leg, a packet of rinso Left Leg, a packet of rinso Archy, a packet or rinso Plainy, plainy, a packet or rinso, etc. etc. until you were out! We got so good at this we could then do with one hand.
What a great website! I was trying to think of the one two three alary game – and I think now I have all of them. We used to have ten tricks and they got harder as you went (clapsie, double clapsies, waterfall, etc.). Also to the lady from Toronto with the ball in the toe of a sock – I grew up in small town BC – we used to say “hello hello hello sir, can you come out to play, sir, no sir, why sir, because I have a cold sir, where did you get the cold sir, behind the kitchen door sir, etc.
I was on the employee bus tonight and brought up pensie pinky balls. and the games we played. A my name is Alice…. there were 4 other women all aged about 40-55 ish and NOT ONE knew what I was talking about. Grantd I live in Houston now, but some of these women are from back east, like PA. They all thought I was nuts! So here I am Googling it for them.
K. Traxler, I found this while looking for the steps to a game we called “Africa.” My daughter is in fifth grade, and I’ve been racking my brain! Thanks for jogging my memory on the steps..I also remember leaning on one arm against the wall and tossing the ball under and around it and catching it; bouncing it ‘overhand’ clapping and then catching it without it bouncing; standing with back to the wall and bouncing it between the legs and turning to catch it without moving your feet. Goodness knows how many varieties there are! I grew up in NH :o) thanks again!
wow this is great. I am just about to teach my youth group some of these old games we played for hours in Toronto as a kid. We played one game called Ordinary Movings by throwing the red,white and blue rubber ball up against the wall and repeating this rhyme and doing the actions before you caught the ball. Ordinary Movings (don’t move your feet) Laughings (don’t laugh) Talkings (don’t talk) One hand (catch with one hand) the other hand (catch with other hand) One foot (do the throw and catch on one foot) the other foot (do standing on the other foot) Clap at the front Clap at the back Front and back (clap at front and back) Back and front Tweedles (roll your arms over each other turning in one direction) Twidles (roll the other direction) Curtsies Bowsies Salutesies Away she goes (turn in complete circle and then catch the ball) If you got all the way through without dropping the ball then you would go through the whole thing again without Moving, then without laughing, then without talking, then with one hand etc) I also played the game with the ball in the nylon and swinging it against the wall side to side, as we stood with our backs to the wall. We said a rhyme “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.” at the words sea and see we had to hit the ball between our legs (by lifing a leg and swinging the sock to hit the wall) I would love to have someone add some of the other wall and ball games we played.
hiya was looking for some songs for what i know as (baws) were u do exactly what u all talking about with 2 balls this is the way i done it well the song i sang was wee sam a peace in jam…. wee same a peace in jam and would put it under right leg then under left leg the under both legs then behind my back then doing it with 1 hand then spin round and catch the ball then fling it so the ball hits high in the wall then doing it just plain then touch the ground i know there more songs im from the uk so i know there songs that are gonna be diffrent from all over but i hope the helps some of u out and any more songs could u email me steakbake [at] hotmail [dot] com or add me im doing this for my daughters school were gonna be 65 years old and gonna show them what we all played and the school is 65….. lol not me im only 26 ….