Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest update - October 15, 2025
This post showcases examples whose titles begin with the letter A-L.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/09/examples-of-jump-rope-rhymes-whose_9.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post showcases examples of these rhymes whose titles begin with M-Z.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, historical, cultural, and recreational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
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The examples in this compilation don't include profanity and/or racially offensive references, and/or other offensive words. However, some other versions of these rhymes may include that content.
When more than one example of a rhyme is given in this compilation, no particular criteria was used to decide the order of those examples.
All in together girls
its fine weather girls
when is your birthday
please jump in (now really fast)
January, February, March, April, May, June,
July, August, September, October, November, December
All out together girls
its fine weather girls
when is your birthday
please jump out
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, etc., etc., etc.
--"The Jump Rope Book & the Jump Rope Paperback" by Elizabeth Loredo (Author), Martha Cooper (Photographer), quoted in this pancocojams post
https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/08/kings-and-queens-and-partners-two-some.html "Kings And Queens And Partners Too" & Other Old Examples Of Jump Rope Rhymes From An African American Woman's 2007 University Dissertation
Apple on stick
Five cents a lick
Everytime I turn around (* Jumper turns around *)
It makes me sick.
-Source: Abrahams (1969), https://mudcat.org/jumprope/jumprope_display.cfm?rhyme_number=15
****
ANNA BANANA
Can play the piano.
All she can play
Is the Star Spangled Banner.
Anna Banana split. (* Jumper does a split *)
-Source: Abrahams (1969), Hastings (1990), https://mudcat.org/jumprope/jumprope_display.cfm?rhyme_number=14
A SAILOR WENT TO SEA
to see what he could see, see, see.
But all that he could see, see, see
Was the bottom of the deep blue sea, sea, sea.
This was harder with double jump rope jumping because you had to speed up at the same time on the "see, see, sees"
-Kathy T, 08-28- 2013, https://www.quiltingboard.com/general-chit-chat-non-quilting-talk-f7/can-you-remember-your-jump-rope-songs-childhood-t228868-3.html
****
BLUE BELLS (Example #1)
Blue bells. (* Rock the rope to
establish rhythm *)
Cockle shells.
Eevey, ivey,
Over. (* Starts
full turning *)
Source: Abrahams (1969)
Bow legged Dutchman: walking down the street.
Bow legged Dutchman: have a little sweet.
Bow legged Dutchman: drink a glass of wine.
Bow legged Dutchman: count to nine.
One, two, three, ... (* Continue counting
to nine *)
-Source-
****
BLUE BELLS COCKLESHELLS (Example #2)
bluebells cockleshells evy ivy over
My mother sent me to the store and this
is what she sent me for
salt, vinegar, mustard, pepper
You're out as soon as you can't pepper anymore at the end.
-Betty Gipson Music, May 22, 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHNPbnh-dX0
****
BLUE BELLS COCKLESHELLS (Example #3)
When I was little, my mom taught me many skipping rope
songs.This is one of them, you probably
know it:
Bluebells, cockle shells, eevy, ivy, overhead"
while two people were swinging the rope side to side. On the word "overhead" the twirlers
would make the rope go over and we would keep jumping while chanting:
"Here comes the teacher with a big fat stick,
Better get ready for 'rithmetic.
One plus one is two;
Two plus two is four;
Four plus four is eight;
Eight & eight is sixteen;
etc., as high as we could count or until we "messed
up" with the jumping.
-Amy Abbott, February 16, 2013, https://www.musicalaabbott.com/2013/02/bluebells-cockleshells.html
-snip-
Read another example of a recreational rhyme that begins with "evey ivey over" in this compilation under the letter "E".
****
BUSTER BROWN
Buster Brown
Went to town
With his pants
On upside down.
He lost a nickel.
He bought a pickle
The pickle was sour.
He picked a flower
The flower was yellow.
He bought him a fellow.
The fellow was mean.
He bought a bean.
The bean was hard
He bought a card.
And on the card
It said, "Red hot pepper!" (* Calls for fast turning *)
-Source: Abrahams (1969), Cochran (1976), Knapp (1976), Solomon (1980), Hastings (1990), https://mudcat.org/jumprope/jumprope_display.cfm?rhyme_number=37
****
BUSTER BUSTER
Buster, Buster, climb the tree. (* Jumper mimes actions *)
Buster, Buster, slap your knee.
Buster, Buster, throw a kiss.
Buster, Buster, do not miss.
- Source:Solomon (1980), https://mudcat.org/jumprope/jumprope_display.cfm?rhyme_number=38
C, D
CRIMINAL MINDED
Criminal minded, you've been blinded
Looking for a shoe like mine, can't find it
Mine cost more
Yours cost less
Mine Footlocker
Yours Payless
Do your footsies, 1, 2, and three
And your hopsies, 1, 2, and three
And your bouncies, 1, 2, and three
And your walksies, 1, 2, and three
And your turnsies, 1, 2, and three
And your crisses, 1, 2, and three
- African American elementary school girls at Mills School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania chanted as a Double Dutch jump rope rhyme (collected in 1999 by Anna R. Beresin, included in Recess Battles: Playing Fighting, And Storytelling (This book was first published in 2010)
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/08/criminal-minded-double-dutch-jump-rope.html for the pancocojams post "Criminal Minded" Double Dutch Jump Rope Rhymes (Information, Examples, Comments, & A Video)"
Here's some information about the movement commands that are included in the Double Dutch rhymes from Recess Battle, page 64:
"Many traditional double-dutch songs list specific steps in order, and the commercial ones utilize the old formulas well:
footsies - two basic running steps with one small two-footed bounce
hopsies - one foot hopping
bouncies - two footed small jumps
turnsies - a complete rotation while inside the two turning ropes
walksies - basic running step
criss - crossing both legs repeated while jumping"
-snip-
Note: Recess Battles examples were from African American girls in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1991 -2004.
****
E, F
"Anyone remember playing EXTRA LONG JUMP ROPE - SINGLE JUMPING GAME:
You must jump without stand on the line (made from the jump rope)
🎶😎 EVEEE-IVY-OVER
(jump rope song)
eveee-ivy-over!
*the jumper stands in the middle of the rope.
❤NEVER STEPPING ON THE ROPE LINE
* the turner tap one side of the jumper's foot. The JUMPER JUMPS! OVER the SWINGLING ROPE "EVEE".
* the turner tap the other side of the jumper's foot. The OVER JUMPS OVER the SWINGING ROPE "IVY"
*the turner turne JUMPING ROPE OVER your head & you SINGLE JUMP ROPE
❤NEVER STEPPING ON THE ROPE LINE.
EVEEE-IVY-OVER
(Single Jumping Rope Song)
🎶EVEEE-IVY-OVER
Here comes the teacher with the big fat stick. I wonder what she has for arithmetic
1 and 1 two
2 and 2 four
Now it's time for spelling!
Spell cat C A T
Spell rat R A T
Now it's time
for History
(jumper must jump out of jumping rope & run around 1 turner & jump back into turning rope
❤NEVER JUMPING ON THE ROPE LINE.
🎶how many trees did he chop down?
Turners turn rope as fast as they can
&
Jumper jumps as fast as they can while counting 1,2,3,4,5,6,etc
❤NEVER JUMPING ON THE ROPE LINE."
-kkkkkkk7, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I06pOBN4_wI "The Story Of Double Dutch" published by Brut America, September 14, 2021
****
G, H
GEORGE WASHINGTONGeorge Washington
never told a lie.
'till he ran around the corner
(Drag out while singing. The jumper runs out and run around a turner then jumps back in and the song continues)
stole a cherry pie.
How many cherries were in that pie?
1.2.3.4....(count until the jumper messes up)
-Contributed by Solana Reed, http://www.gameskidsplay.net/jump_rope_ryhmes/jump_george_washington.htm
****
GRANDMA GRANDMA SICK IN BED
Another one for double dutch...
Grandma, Grandma sick in the bed
Called the doctor and this what he said:
"Get up grandma, you ain't sick,
all u need is a peppermint stick"
Hands up (shake,shake..shake shake)
Hands down (shake shake...shake shake)
All around (shake shake...shake shake)
To the ground (shake shake...shake shake)
-mrcreamyuser, St. Louis, MO, 07-28-2007, https://www.nappturality.com/forums/threads/81695-Clapping-Rhymes-hand-Games/page6 [This website is no longer active.]
****
HAD A LITTLE SPORTSCAR (Example #1)
Had a little sportscar 248 Took it round the
coooooooooooorrr (jumper hops out of the turning rope, runs around the corner
& jumps back in)
Ner & slammed it on the brakes (jump rope turners stop
turning)
Bumped into a lady, bumped into a man
Bumped into a policeman, man oh man
Policeman caught me
Put me in jail
All I had was ginger ale
Red, hot, chili pepper (rope turners turn faster &
faster until jumper misses a jump)
-
**
HAD A LITTLE REACE CAR 1969 (Example #2)
Had a little race car 1969
Took it around the coooooo-rner!
(continue saying ooo while the jumper in the middle runs out, runs around, and tries to get back into the rope while it is still swinging.)
And slammed on the brakes,
But the brakes didn’t work!
Bumped into a lady, Bumped into a man.
Bumped into a the police, Man oh man!
Police man caught me, Put me in jail.
All I had was ginger ale.
How many bottles did I drink?
2, 4, 6, 8….
(At this point the spinners spin the rope really fast,
and when the jumper trips is how many bottles.)
-Vikki from Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA, schoolyard play January 21, 2016 Jump Rope Rhymes, https://schoolyardplay.net/had-a-little-race-car-1969/
HAD A LITTLE SPORTSCAR (Example #3)
Had a little sportscar
(name a year)
went around the corner
(skipper jumps out and runs around the twirler and run back
in the rope.
Drag out
slam on the brakes.
Policeman came and put me in jail.
How many ale did I drink?
(count until the player messes up)
****
HAD A LITTLE SPORTSCAR (Example #4)
had a little sports car 248 went around the corner (say until
the person jumpes out and goes arouhnd then jumpes back in)
slammed on the
brakes.
Police man stopped me put me on his knee,
asked me a silly questions
will you marrie me,
yes no maybe so (until the person makes a mistake-April 10, 2005
– Roland, May 18, 2013, https://jumpropesongs.wordpress.com/2013/05/18/policeman-jump-rope-songs/ "Jump Rope Songs and Rhymes about Policemen"
****
HIGH, LOW, MEDIUM, WAVIE, WALKIE-TALKIE (Example #1)
High, low, medium, wavy- walkie, talkie, slowly- PEPPERS!
Then counted 1-2-3 etc. really fast with each swing till you were put haa
-oldschooleggroll, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/AskOldPeople/comments/1am0g1d/do_you_remember_any_childhood_jump_rope_songs_so/
-snip-
This is how that comment ended. I don't understand the ending.
-snip-
Here's a partial memory of a rhyme from that same discussion thread which I think refers to that rhyme:
"I remember one jump rope song ending like.. “walkie! talkie!
slowly…. PEPPERS!!” And then my older sisters would swing the rope so fast I
couldn’t possibly keep up, and it would whip my legs. Fun"
-eyzhaveit, 2022
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskOldPeople/comments/1am0g1d/do_you_remember_any_childhood_jump_rope_songs_so/
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I, J
I AM A LITTLE TROLLEY CAR
I am a little trolley car.
My number's 48.
I went around the cor-or-orner
And I slammed on my brakes.
-snip-
"I am a little trolley car" rhymes are the precursors to "Had A Little Sportscar" rhymes such as the examples that are given above.
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I AIN'T GOING TO WOOLCO ANYMORE
Oh I ain’t going to Woolco anymore anymore There’s a big fat
policeman at the door at the door(person 2 jumps in) He’ll/She’ll grab you by
the collar (perform action) And He’ll/She’ll ask you for a dollar (perform
action) Oh I ain’t going to Woolco anymore (both jump out) – Tue May 11 2004
- Roland, May 18, 2013, https://jumpropesongs.wordpress.com/2013/05/18/policeman-jump-rope-songs/ "Jump Rope Songs and Rhymes about Policemen"
-snip-
-"Woolco" was a brand name for an American discount store that was founded by the Woolworth company and eventually expanded to Canada and the United Kingdom.. Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woolco for more information about those stores.
I'm a little Dutch girl
Dressed in blue.
These are the things
I like to do:
Salute to the captain,
Curtsey to the queen,
Turn my back
On __________ submarine.
-https://elitejumps.co/blogs/guides/jump-rope-rhymes-songs?srsltid=AfmBOoqAPbE2Kq2psUQdMZsx4egDJ9JIBXa8-kk1ekmzH6RI7sS3edqn
****
I'M A LITTLE DUTCH GIRL (Example #2)
I'm a little Dutch girl
Dressed in blue.
Here are the things
I like to do:
Salute to the captain,
Bow to the queen,
Turn by back
On the submarine.
I can do the tap dance,
I can do the split,
I can do the holka polka
Just like this.
-
I'M A LITTLE DUTCH GIRL (Example #3)
I’m a little Dutch girl dressed in blue
These are the duties that I must do
Salute to the captain, curtsey to the queen
Turn my back on the dirty submarine
I can do the hootchie-kootchie, I can do the twist
I can do the turn-around and I can do the split
-http://www.kathrynbashaar.com/2015/05/1960s-jump-rope-rhymes/
****
i WENT DOWNTOWN TO SEE MISS BROWN
I went down town, to see Miss Brown.
she gave me a nickel, to buy a pickle.
The pickel was sour so she gave me a flower
The flower was black so she gave me a smack
The smack was hard so she gave me a card.
And on the card it said:
Little spanish dancer turn around...
Little spanish dancer, touch the ground (touch ground)
Little spanish dancer tie your shoe (jump on one leg,
pretend to tie shoe)
Little spanish
dancer, sixty four skidoo (jump/exit rope area)
-Judy,
****
JACK BE NIMBLE
This is a double-dutch jump rope song. One jumper at a time.
And depending on how well the jumper is, will normally be followed by another
song until the jumper misses.
JACK BE NIMBLE JACK BE QUICK JACK JUMPED OVER THE CANDLE STICK.
MUMBLE, KICK, SIZZLER, SPLIT, POP-UPS 10 TO 1 - HIT IT.
10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1.
When you sing the words "Jack Jumped Over" the jumper pops-up very high with both feet leaving the ground at the same time. When the singers call out Mumble, Kick, Sizzler, Split, Pop-ups these are actual tricks done while jumping.
Mumble-by putting both feet together making very small hops;
Kick-by repeatedly kicking one foot outward and back again; Sizzler-by crossing
and uncrossing feet and legs; Split-by opening and closing legs about 5feet
apart; and Pop-ups-by jumping high in the rope with both feet coming off the
ground together.
- Monica, http://www.gameskidsplay.net/jump_rope_ryhmes/jack_be_nimble.htm
Kings and Queens and partners too,
Here are the things that you must do;
Stand at ease,
Bend your knees
Salute to the east,
Bow to the west,
Shake to the one,
That you like best.
-"The Jump Rope Book & the Jump Rope Paperback" by Elizabeth Loredo (Author), Martha Cooper (Photographer), quoted in this pancocojams
post https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/08/kings-and-queens-and-partners-two-some.html "Kings And Queens And Partners Too" & Other Old Examples Of Jump Rope Rhymes From An African American Woman's 2007 University Dissertation
Ladybug, Ladybug, turn around,
Ladybug, Ladybug, touch the ground.
Ladybug, Ladybug, tie your shoe,
Ladybug, Ladybug, I love you.
Ladybug, Ladybug, reach up high,
Ladybug, Ladybug, say goodbye.
Ladybug, Ladybug, grab your knees,
Ladybug, Ladybug, touch your nose,
Ladybug, Ladybug, turn out the light,
Ladybug, Ladybug, say goodnight
****
LADY LADY TOUCH THE GROUND
Lady, lady, touch the ground,
Lady, lady, turn around.
Turn to the east, and turn to the west,
And choose the one you like the best.
Lady, lady, touch the ground,
Lady, lady, turn around.
Lady, lady show your shoe,
Lady, lady, now skidoo!
~Erin Pollard & Caitlin Pollard, 2nd Grade, https://elitejumps.co/blogs/guides/jump-rope-rhymes-songs?srsltid=AfmBOoqAPbE2Kq2psUQdMZsx4egDJ9JIBXa8-kk1ekmzH6RI7sS3edqn
****
LAST NIGHT AND THE NIGHT BEFORE (Example #1)
Here's another version of this rhyme that I remember from my childhood:
Last night the night before
twenty five robbers at my door.
I got up to let them in.
and this is what they said to me.
Lady bird, lady bird
turn all around around around
Lady bird, lady bird
touch the ground the ground, the ground
Lady bird, lady bird
say your prayers, your prayers, your prayers
Lady bird, lady bird
step right OUT!
-Azizi Powell; childhood memories of Atlantic City, New Jersey; 1950s, posted on https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm/http/thread.cfm?threadid=115045&messages=167&page=1 on 06 April 08
-snip-
Several examples of "Not Last Night But The Night Before" are included in Part II of this pancocojams series: https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/09/examples-of-jump-rope-rhymes-whose_9.html
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LAST NIGHT AND THE NIGHT BEFORE (Example #2)
Quote
Jump-roping song:
Not last night but the night before
14 robbers
Came knocking at my door
Um, I can’t remember the rest right now
-End of Quote-
As I ran oouuuuuut (jumper runs out of the game) they ran in
Hit me on the head with a rolling pin
Aske 'em what they wanted, this is what they said
Spanish dancers do the splits(jumper does the splits)
Spanish dancers give a high kick (jumper gives a high kick)
Spanish dancers touch the ground (yeah, you guessed it)
Spanish dancers turn all around (right again!)
Spanish dancers get out of this town
-OOKINPANUB, Dec 05, https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hand-clapping-and-jumprope-rhymes-do-you-remember/337151/22?page=2
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This concludes Part I of this two part pancocojams series.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
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