Jump Rope Game Alexa Jennings
“Helicopter” Dayton Ohio
September 2006
Informant Data:
Alexa was born in Dayton Ohio on May 17th, 1997. She has one older brother and is very close with both of her parents. Growing up, Alexa attended the Normandy Elementary school from grades 2-5. Alexa always loved going to school and especially playing outside during recess. She had a very close group of 6 friends that also attended the elementary school, of whom she would play with at recess. They are still friends to this day. The playground of the elementary school had a massive black top, a big grass field and a play structure. Alexa and her friend’s would always play on the blacktop. Alexa is currently a senior at Dartmouth college, majoring in engineering. Her parents still live in Dayton. Whenever she has a chance to go home, she always tries to meet up with her 6 friends from elementary school.
Contextual Data:
Alexa shared this story as part of a Folklore collection for Russian 13. When Alexa was in elementary school, she would have recess after lunch. Alexa loved this time because it allowed for her to let her energy out after having to sit still all day. The elementary school had a bin of toys that included soccer balls, frisbees, kickballs, chalk, and jump ropes. Her and her friends would always grab a jump rope so that they could play helicopter. The rules are described below. They would play this game every time they could get a jump rope from the bin. Alexa loved being the one to spin around with the rope because it was fun to try to get people out and it also meant that she had won the previous round. Alexa remembered the pain of when the jump rope would hit your ankle and the urgency it created for you to jump over. Sometimes the person spinning with the jump rope would accidently swing it above ankle length. Alexa remembered this being extremely unfair and usually started fights with her friends.
Item:
The game helicopter started with the person in the middle holding one end of a jump rope. They would spin with one end of the jump rope in one hand, and the other part of the jump rope flying close to the ground. People would form a circle around the person in the middle and jump over the one end of the jump rope as it come around. If the jump rope hit them, causing it to stop, that person would be out. This process continued until there was only one person left. The winter would become the next jump rope spinner.
Informants Comments: “I still remember the marks on my ankle that the jump rope would leave!”
Collector’s Comments: I also played this game when I was in elementary school. However, I remember the teachers made us stop playing because people were getting injured. I wonder if this game is no longer allowed to be played because of the safety hazards and the increasing protection now placed on children and more regulated play.
Isabelle Giordano 20
Dartmouth College
Russian 13.02
Spring Term 2019