Welsh Playground Games

Oranges and Lemons
This is a game based around an old children's song, called 'Oranges and Lemons', about the sounds of church bells in various parts of London.
This is how it is played
Two children form an arch with their arms. They determine in secret which of them shall be an 'orange' and which a 'lemon'.
Everyone sings the 'Oranges and Lemons' song (see below).
The other children in the game, take turns to run under the arch until one of them is caught when the arch falls at the end of the song.
The captured player is asked privately whether they will be an 'orange' or a 'lemon' and then goes behind the original 'orange' or 'lemon' team leader.
The game and singing then starts over again. At the end of the game there is usually 'a tug of war' to test whether the 'oranges' or 'lemons' are stronger. The game is similar to 'London Bridge is Falling Down'.
Oranges and lemons,Say the bells of St. Clement's.You owe me five farthings,Say the bells of St. Martin's.
When will you pay me?Say the bells of Old Bailey.When I grow rich,Say the bells of Shoreditch.
When will that be?Say the bells of Stepney.I'm sure I don't know,Says the great bell at Bow.
Here comes a candle to light you to bed,Here comes a chopper to chop off your head.
Chip chop chip chop the last man's head(The arch comes down tapping one player)

Red Letter
A person is picked to be the leader. He stands with his back to the rest of the players who stand 10 metres back from him. The leader calls a letter of the alphabet (for example “a”). If a players's name contains that letter the player can move a step forward. The number of steps forward depends on the number of that letter in his name. The leader continues calling out letters until someone reaches the leader.

Skipping Rhymes

I had a little puppy His name was Tiny Tim I put him in the bathtub, to see if he could swim He drank all the water, he ate a bar of soap The next thing you know he had a bubble in his throat. In came the doctor, (person jumps in) In came the nurse, ( person jumps in) In came the lady with the alligator purse (person jumps in) Out went the doctor (person jumps out) Out went the nurse (person jumps out) Out went the lady with the alligator purse (person jumps out)

I like coffee, I like tea, I like (person's name) to jump with me. (That person joins the first person so that two are now jumping. )One, two, three, change places, seven, eight, nine, change places, etc. (until the pair missed. The two change from right to left each time they said "change places" and all would keep track of who got the highest number before missing.)

The rhyme starts with the rope being swung back and forth, not over
Blue bells, cockle shell
Easy ivy over
Swing rope over head on over and continue in normal rope swing.
Oh no, here comes Miss Blackwellwith her big black stickNow its time for arithmetic
One plus one is?(jumper responds) Two
Two plus two is?(jumper responds) Four
Four plus four is?(jumper responds) Eight
Eight plus eight is?(jumper responds) Sixteen
Now its time for spellingSpell cat.(jumper responds) C-A-T
Spell dog.(jumper responds) D-O-G
Spell hot.(jumper responds) H-O-T
When the jumper finishes spelling HOT swing the rope as fast as possible till they mess up.