Mary Crisp Jameson - copyright material







Saturday, August 2, 2014

Back-To-School

     It's here! Back to school time.  The store shelves are loaded up with all kinds of school supplies, parents already have the teacher's supply list, and free sales tax weekend is here.  Children are excited about their expectant new wardrobe with many being from the upper "designer end."  They have had their vacations and most are ready to get back with some of the friends they have missed seeing over the summer months. 
     Sitting in "A Friendly Shade" my memories of those years are about the summer months of checking out books from the library's Book Mobile which traveled through the countryside stopping for children to check out books for summer reading.  We didn't have computers, laptops, or IPads.  We entertained ourselves with jump rope and chanting games. 
    The jump rope chants went something like:

"Cinderella, dressed in yellow
Went upstairs to kiss her fellow
Made a mistake
And kissed a snake
How many doctors
Did it take?
1, 2, 3, 4, 5. . . ."   And we continued to count the jumps until it was missed.

"Janey and Johnny
Sitting in a tree,
K-I-S-S-I-N-G
First comes love,
Then comes marriage
Then comes Janey
With a baby carriage."   On this one we used a friend's name instead of Janey and Johnny.

"Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear,
Turn around.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear,
Touch the ground.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear
Touch your shoe...."

"I like coffee,
I like tea,
I'd like for (name of friend)
To come in with me."     It took perfect timing to jump in as the rope was being thrown. 

     Then there were other chanting games.  One that comes to mind is, "Red Rover, Red Rover, Let (name of friend) come over."

     In the early days things were different, but it was still back-to-school days, and kids were still excited about going back.  

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