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‘Red Rover, Red Rover’ The games we played, and the joys of recess by HELEN LEDFORD Ah, those early school day memories… It was then called “Drop the Handkerchief,” a popular game elementary school children played in which youngsters sat in a circle while the one chosen to be “it” ran around outside the arrangement of
little ones carrying a cloth handkerchief (probably from the teacher’s purse!). The “it” child would take his/her time, keeping an eye on someone in the circle while running slowly, then surprising the chosen one and quickly dropping the handkerchief behind them.
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Picking up speed, “it” would sprint faster while the “victim” grabbed the handkerchief and chased “it,” whose intent was to reach the vacant spot, sit in it, and not be tagged by the pursuer. Later, the cherished and simple game would evolve into “Duck, Duck, Goose” (and other variations). I often wonder if kids today play any of the games we enjoyed when I was growing up (or if they have even heard of them), when Hopscotch, “Red Rover,” “Farmer in the Dell,” “London Bridge,” etc., were some of the mainstays at everyday recess time.
The Northwest Observer • Totally localwas since 1996 Our school small, and we lived
in an era when money did not pour like golden syrup from a jar – America was recuperating from World War II, and school budgets were not full to overflowing. Playground equipment consisted of a metal slide, a merry-goround and a few swings. On rainy days,
elementary classes congregated in the gym/ auditorium along with high schoolers, since our building also housed the cafeteria and home economics department. There we played vigorous games, made new friends and socialized with both classmates and older students. Jumping rope was a favorite activity for all younger children, especially the girls. Who doesn’t remember the nonsensical rhymes we mouthed as we emptied our youthful energies into vigorous jumping? “Cinderella, dressed in yellow, came downstairs to see her fella. How many kisses did she get?” And “Teddy bear, teddy bear, turn around, teddy bear, teddy bear, touch the ground.” These two popular poems were only a few of dozens that we quoted in staccato rhythm as we got more and more proficient in our quest to be the best jump ropers in our class. In that era, most children were happy with simple toys, playground
