Traditional Playground Games

Not strictly a childminding question...

I'm wanting to spice up playtimes a bit at school - Reception and KS 1. Today I was playing some traditional games, like the ones my favourite dinner lady as a child used to play with us.

We did:
Ring a Ring of Roses
The Farmers in his Den
Okey Cokey (sp?)
In and Out the Bluebell Windows

I started 'London Bridge is Falling Down, but had to improvise as I couldn't remember what happened after you 'trapped' someone in your arms at the end of the first verse (haven't explained that very well)

I also tried to do 'The bIg Ship Sales Through the Alley, Alley Oh (sp), but again I couldn't remember what you did after you had all gone under the person's arm (person at the wall).

We did some really dodgy, dangerous games when I was little, like Red Rover, British Bulldogs and Kiss Cat, but they are best forgotten!

Any other ideas? I had such fun today!

what about the hand clapping games? not that I can remember a single one off the top of my head, but I was reminded of them at choir last week, when we did one as pat of a warm up ( and it was noticeable how useless the men were! ... they all said they never did them at school! ) lots if you google/you tube them! DD just reminded me that she did ( still does! ) a rhyme called 'high low jackalow' but I cant remember the rest of it!

hopscotch?

there's a song 'see the little sandy girl/boy, sitting on a stone, ( everyone in a circle, on child in the middle being the 'sandy girl' ) crying, weeping, because she's all alone. stand up sandy girl wipe your tears away ( child stands up and 'wipes tears away' ) choose the one you love the best and dance dance away ( child chooses friend and they dance/skip/run !! all round the circle. original sandy girl stands in circle, and friend stays in the middle ) ... does that make sense. I remember playing it on a school placement ( yr 1 ) when I was training to be a nanny, and the children loving it ( this was 30 yrs ago though, BUT the song has stayed in my head! )


have fun!

OOOO ... just remembered .... whats the time mr wolf and 'oranges and lemons say the bells of st clements', oh and the game a bit like whats the time, but you can only move if you have blue shoes or a green hat etc. can't remember what its called or how it goes!

OOO .. simon says ...

I remember playing 2 balls (that’s what we called it) throwing one ball as you caught the other just can’t remember the songs though. We also used to put a ball in a nylon stocking. Then standing with your back against the wall you had to swing the ball over your shoulder then under your leg, again to a song I can’t recall. You kept going till you hit yourself with it. The things that used to keep us amused. Five stones was a favourite of mine but I didn’t like jacks with the little ball