Welcome to my 2019 Blogging A-Z Challenge. Each day in the the month of April (except Sundays), I will bring you a memory of games and a jump rope song. It is similar to the classic A My Name Is…  Do you recognize the chant? A world of children will greet their friends and skip through the alphabet alliterating their name, a friend’s name, and their home city. They will also state their country, the language they speak, and their favorite game. Descriptions of the games are included. I chose games that are played on playgrounds or streets where children negotiate their teams and terms. You may recognize your favorite games that differ only in name.  As the alphabet progresses, it becomes apparent that the pursuit of laughter and fun are universal.

Dia duit cairde!                      

D my name is Devyn

I live in Dingle, Ireland

My friend’s name is Diedra

We like to play Donkey

We speak Gaelic

And now we’ll say “Slán!”

 

Donkey

A bouncing ball is needed for this game. Children arrange themselves into a circle and throw the ball to each other. When a player drops the ball, he/she get a letter in the word DONKEY.  When a player spells out DONKEY, he/she is out of the game. One can imagine the force of the throw.

 

References

 Pippi’s  Irish Traditional Playground Games

 

 

Here is a video clip of the original A My Name Is… jump rope chant.

                                                                                                      

 

 

 

 

 

Antoinette Truglio Martin is the author of Hug Everyone You Know: A Year of Community, Courage, and Cancer. The memoir is a wimpy patient’s journey through her first year of breast cancer treatment.

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