Wexford Wanderings

by Hugh E. Conway

Games 5

Like other Iowans, early settlers in northeast Iowa believed that everyone would gain from some education. To function properly in society and play a role in the future in this county, children should learn how to read and to write. Early on, often one room schoolhouses in the Wexford area were where basic skills were taught to both boys and girls. Over 12,000 of these little structures once dotted Iowa’s landscapes. Recess was some of the fun times where children could use their imagination and play games and in the process also gain life skills.

Another fun game of rounds that was played in Wexford schools was Muffin Man. The game starts with one child turning to the next child and singing the verse:

Do you know the muffin man? “The muffin man, the muffin man” Do you know the muffin man who lives on Drury Lane?

The child addressed replies: Yes I know the muffin man. “The muffin man, the muffin man” Yes I know the muffin man who lives on Drury lane.

They both then explain: Then two of us know the muffin man, the muffin man, the muffin man who lives on Drury Lane.

The second child then turns to the next child repeating the same words. Child two turns to child three and so on around the room with the same question and answer being repeated, with the chorus only varied by the addition of one more number each time. (This game helped improve basic counting skills.)

A-Tisket A-Tasket was another circle type game where children hold hands and dance in a circle singing a verse with one child outside the circle who is “it” carrying a hanky. “It” skips around the circle often in the opposite direction and drops the hanky, behind another child. The second child changes places and then becomes “it”. This is repeated a number of times during the game with different children being “it”. The same verses are repeated during the game.

There were two different versions of A-Tisket A-Tasket. In the second version at the verse, And on the way I dropped it, the students all stopped and in the manner similar to Duck Duck Goose, the “it” child ran one way and the child who had the hanky dropped behind them ran the opposite direction around the circle. The first child back to the empty spot was safe and the other “it”.

The song verses were:

A-Tisket A-Tasket A-Tisket A-Tasket: A green and yellow basket. I wrote a letter to my friend and on the way I dropped it. I dropped it, I dropped it, and on the way I dropped it.My little friend picked it up and put it in their pocket, their pocket, their pocket.

There were also a number of games that involved hand and finger play to enhance the story. The first of these was Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star. (Children open and close fist to indicate star light)

How I wonder what you are? (Children point up into the air with index finger)

Up above the world so high. (Children move index finger back and forth)

Like a diamond in the sky.    (Children make a diamond shape with fingers)

Twinkle, twinkle, little star. (Children open and close fist to indicate star light)

How I wonder what you are? (Children point up into the air with index finger)

Another hand and finger play game was Five Little Monkeys Jumping on a Bed.

5 little monkeys jumping on a bed     (5 fingers up, hand moves up and down)

1 fell down and bumped his head     (1 finger down toward floor and tap head with fist)

Mom called the doctor who said     (Pinky to cheek and thumb to ear like telephone)

No more monkeys jumping on the bed (Wag index finger nine times)

4 little monkeys jumping on a bed     (4 fingers up, hand moves up and down)

1 fell down and bumped his head     (1 finger down toward floor and tap head with fist)

Mom called the doctor who said     (Pinky to cheek and thumb to ear like telephone)

No more monkeys jumping on the bed (Wag index finger nine times)

3 little monkeys jumping on a bed     (3 fingers up, hand moves up and down)

1 fell down and bumped his head (1 finger down toward floor and tap head with fist)

Mom called the doctor who said     (Pinky to cheek and thumb to ear like telephone)

No more monkeys jumping on the bed (Wag index finger nine times)

2 little monkeys jumping on a bed     (2 fingers up, hand moves up and down)

1 fell down and bumped his head     (1 finger down toward floor and tap head with fist)

Mom called the doctor who said     (Pinky to cheek and thumb to ear like telephone)

No more monkeys jumping on the bed (Wag index finger nine times)

1 little monkey jumping on a bed     (1 finger up, hand moves up and down)

1 fell down and bumped his head     (1 finger down toward floor and tap head with fist)

Mom called the doctor who said     (Pinky to cheek and thumb to ear like telephone)

Put those monkeys right to bed (Wag index finger seven times)

Another finger and hand game was Itsy Bitsy Spider.

The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout. (Start low and wiggle fingers like a spider crawling moving your arm upward as spider moves up spout.) (Another version is index fingers to thumbs up the spout).

Down came the rain and Washed the spider out. (Wiggle fingers and the hands down for rain falling and spider sliding down spout.)

Out came the sun and (Circle moving arms over head clearing sky) and dried up all the rain. (Cross palms moving hands down.)

And the itsy bitsy spider (Climb fingers back up again as if spider moves up spout.)

Went up the spout again.