Jump rope

Jump rope (American English) or skipping rope (British English) was integral part of recreation from ancient civilizations. Some say the jump rope was originated in China and some say in Egypt, nobody is hundred percent sure of the origin. Wherever it came from it is well known as playground game for children. There are various jump rope techniques that have evolved over time. Basic jump (single person or two together), alternate foot jump criss-cross, side swings, double and multiple unders, double Dutch. Double Dutch is played by two turners turn two ropes on opposite ends turning rope twice or thrice then a third or fourth person can jump in between, was introduced to America by the early Dutch settlers. As a child, I enjoyed learning and mastering different techniques. We mastered basic jump and loved playing similar to double Dutch but with single rope. There were and are individual and team competitions played in many school and other events. As any young girl I enjoyed skipping all the time. I had great fun while being competitive with my friends. My calf muscle used to hurt but that did not stop me from playing again next day. We used to sing some rhymes once the skipper starts jumping and end when the skipper is tripped. I was able to jump non-stop to the count of 500. We had competitions in school for the endurance and number of counts we could skip per minute. I was happy to win second prize for which I received a small gift. I was so proud to show it to my mom that day. We associate jump rope to girls playing during recess but now it is all around the world with no age/gender restrictions. Jump rope usage transformed from a pastime activity to a competitive sport to a cardiovascular workout.

I used to sing similar to this while a skipping game, the names were different.
Two players, one at each end of the rope.
"Two little dickie birds sittin' on the wall" the two players jump in 

"One named Peter, one named Paul" each player waves at their name 

"Fly away, Peter, fly away, Paul" the player exits the rope as name is called 

"Don't you come back 'till your birthdays called?" 

"January, February……….December" the player returns when their month is called 

"Now fly away, fly away, fly away all" players both exit the rope.