The games are the same only the names are changed

Today at break time I noticed a group of kids playing a game. I got really excited and was flooded with memories because this was my all time favourite game—Chinese Jump Rope. How I adored this game. I had my own stretchy elastic rope which I wore as an accessory around my neck so a game could begin at a moment’s notice. I played this game every evening until dinner time for at least a year. It involves needing 2 other people to hold the elastic rope around their ankles (and gradually sliding it up higher as the difficulty increases) and one to jump in the middle reciting some cod Chinese—which now that I think about it may have actually been closer to counting in Japanese. You would jump a complicated rhythm of left and right (straddling the rope) then some jiggery pokery inside the rope with in and out leg movements like doing jumping jacks. Then the Pièce de résistance—you stomp on the ropes pinning them to the ground. All the while saying your fake Chinese—

Itsy

Mi

Sa

She

Local

Hotsie

Yotsie

 Kill it!

 Kill it obviously being the bit where you jump on the ropes. I managed to play this with only 2 people by employing this small pylon thing that probably wasn’t mean to be used that way—I don’t know if it held water things or electricity things but it was small and encased in a convenient kid sized box outside my neighbour’s house. Well, I’m not dead so it must have been ok.

Anyway, as I said I saw some children on the playground, leaping enthusiastically over some stretchy rope. I went to enquire and do you know what? It is called French Skipping here. Skipping means jumping rope here. And the words were different.

England

Ireland

Scotland

Wales

Inside

Outside

On it!

Fancy that! It was great to relive my old favourite pastime with a new generation of kiddies—even if it is slightly different.