Sandy Supposes....

Skipping Through Memories

PROMPT: Fun Fact Friday! On this day in 1959, the word "Frisbee" became a registered trademark of Wham-O. What is your favourite memory of a childhood summer outdoor toy?

         I remember tossing a Frisbee around. There were different techniques. It flew through the air with a distinct arc. It was a great gadget to throw and catch in a lake because it floated if it was not caught. Kids and dogs loved them.

          Ah, good ol' nostalgia. Now I'm typing, and reciting ditties that had been hibernating in the recesses of my memory. I speak of jump, or skipping rope rhymes. They were always catchy, and of a quick-tempo. Double Dutch was the premiere challenge of skipping. This required the jumper/skipper to constantly leap over two turning ropes. Of course, every child was competitive, and attempted to better not only another child's number of jumps, but surpass their own personal record as well. We all wanted to skip forever.

         Skipping was not always planned in advance. Sometimes, it happened spontaneously wherever we found ourselves. No special clothing, or equipment was needed. Often we jumped in our bare feet. The rhymes set the pace of the rope-turning.

          Here are a selection of the skipping songs I recall... "Teddy bear, teddy bear, turn around. Teddy bear, teddy bear, touch the ground." "Bubble gum, bubble gum in a dish. How many pieces do you wish? 1,2,3,4,5,..." "Cinderella dressed in yella went upstairs to kiss a fella, made a mistake and kissed a snake. How many doctors did it take? 1,2,3,4,5,..." "Miss Susie had a baby, his name was Tiny Tim. She put him in the bathtub to see if he could swim." "Blue bells, cockle shells, eevy, ivy, over, my mother said that I was born in January, February, March..."























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