Tag Archives: string games

I remember “Chinese Jumprope”…

Streetplay Discussion Archive Posted on by
[e-mail]"; } ?>
 

I remember “Chinese Jumprope” that I used to play in the Bronx. When I moved to Queens, I didn’t see it around. We used rubber bands (elastics would do) and looped them together to form one long rope that we tied the ends together. Two people would stand about five feet apart with the “rope” around thier ankles to form a large box. The jumper would put one foot in and out of the rope and then slip the foot under one end and bring it over the other side (in a way like cat’s cradle if you think of it, but you came back to the starting point) We used to sing/song “in out over one, in out over two”.. etc. There were variations as you kept going without making a mistake like turning and taking turns with each foot and the rope would also go higher too.

I just looked at this listing…

Streetplay Discussion Archive Posted on by
[e-mail]"; } ?>
 

I just looked at this listing again and noticed that is listed under girls’ games. I beg to differ. The places that I go, string games are played by everyone. In some cultures it is a guy thing. In some cultures it is done especially by the shaman. Of the Inuit people I have worked with both men and women have figures. In the US the most receptive audience that I have are Junior High Boys.

About Chinese Jumprope-…

Streetplay Discussion Archive Posted on by
[e-mail]"; } ?>
 

About Chinese Jumprope- you can make one easily, all you need is a whole bunch of rubber bands. Just connect them together in a string, then tie the ends together. This can be used for cat’s cradle and those games, too… And if it breaks, all you need to do is put on a new rubber band!

Eirene, you might want to…

Streetplay Discussion Archive Posted on by
[e-mail]"; } ?>
 

Eirene, you might want to check out a book called “Anna Banana: 101 Jump-Rope Rhymes” compiled by Joanna Cole. It doesn’t seem to have the rhyme you’re looking for, but it has a list of further sources at the back. Chinese jump rope — I too am racking my brains trying to remember how we played. When I saw one in a toy store it brought back great memories and I bought one for my daughter… unfortunately those memories are very fuzzy. I think I remember playing a game where you stood on one foot and twisted the two sides of the elastic around your other ankle in various configurations (Cat’s Cradle for the feet?) and said a rhyme at the same time. I think one of the rhymes was M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I. By the last “I” in the rhyme you had to have your foot extricated from the elastics. Can anyone else add to this?