Another feature of skipping songs is the common presence of letters and numbers, which are often used as cues for the skipper to begin and end a skipping turn while two others turn the rope.
Children are instinctively aware that they learn by using their senses. This could be one reason why numbers and crop up in rhymes like the following:
Cinderella dressed in yellow
Went upstairs to kiss her fellow
By mistake she kissed a snake
How many doctors did it take? 1,2,3...
Here's one that involves jumping in and out of the ropes while reciting the months of the year.
Two little birdies sitting on a wall
One named Peter, the other named Paul
Fly away Peter (first child jumps out)
Fly away Paul (other child jumps out)
Come back Peter
Come back Paul
But don't come in till your birthday's called:
January, February, March, etc.
Other songs involve ABCs and days of the week.
As well as being good exercise, skipping helps children consolidate basic literacy and numeracy skills.
I was just thinking about skipping songs and the ball bouncing songs! Thanks for a trip back to recess.
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