Remember that song, “The Double Dutch Bus”? “Y’zzall bizzetter mizzoove! Izzsay whizzat?” Yeah, Snoop Dogg wasn’t the first to create that type of slang…lol! Some of you maybe too young to remember and some of you (like me) had parents that played it all the time in the car. If you have no clue, look it up on Youtube. But for real, what happened to double dutch? Hopscotch? Hand games? Hula Hoopin’? Ya know “Miss Mary Mack Mack Mack, all dressed in black black black…” Honestly, I never learned how to double dutch, but I had cousins that could. They could turn double dutch into an Olympic sport if ya know what I mean. What happened to it? As busy as we are as parents I know that’s the last thing on your mind, but I’m going to tell you why you shouldn’t let that die.
Some of you maybe too young to remember and some of you (like me) had parents that played it all the time in the car. If you have no clue, look for everyone.
Sometimes we take things for granted because some things have always been so it’s not a big deal. Then trends come along and so some things are just deemed as obsolete. I get it but, there are social, physical and educational benefits, and not to mention, it’s part of our culture. Double dutch helps with spatial sense, eye perception, coordination, critical thinking, creativity and agility. Of course you can’t leave out the chants. Remember that? “I like coffee, I like tea…” or “Cinderella dressed in yella…” Sidenote: I believe that one reason why so many children struggle with rhyming is because of lack of outside activities such as jump roping, hula hooping, double dutch, etc. Those activities come with rhyming chants, counting and knowing the alphabet. And yes, I did see a pattern with our little ones and their struggle with rhyming, learning the alphabet and counting. Not to mention the lack of just basic physical activity which aids in learning, improves in sleep and emotional health and cuts down on ADD/ADHD. Please don’t let this generation grow up not knowing how to double dutch!
A little bit of history. One thing I didn’t know was that two men David Walker and Ulysses Williams were the first to make double dutch a competition in New York City, where Double Dutch started and became very popular, BUT did you know where the sport originated from?
“A history of the game written by David A. Walker, the founder of the sport, traces the probable origins to ancient Phoenician, Egyptian and Chinese ropemakers. They plied their craft at ropewalks – spaces 900 feet or more in length – usually near seaports. With a bunch of hemp around their waists and two strands attached to the wheel, the ropemakers walked backwards, twisting the rope into uniformity. As the runners traveled the cluttered floors supplying the spinners with hemp, they had to jump the twisting rope. To make their deliveries, they needed quick feet, lithe bodies and good eye perception.” Excerpt from http://www.nationaldoubledutchleague.com/history/
I highly recommend this book!!!
Speaking of skipping and jumping, I’ve added two free worksheets on skip counting! You can download them here. Please subscribe to receive newsletters and more resources! Thank you!
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