Simple Games From My Past That Are Perfect For Twins

Now that my twins are 6, it has been interesting to see them play games that I played when I was their age. At the beach this summer I was browing the toy isle of this quaint little hardware store and came upon one of my favorites – a Chinese Jumprope

I started to think back on my 80s childhood and I remembered these 3 classic “kids-only” games. I say ‘kids-only’ because I never saw a grown up playing them.  After taking my twins through a short lesson with each of these they were completely entertained…with each other! These three games are perfect for families with twins because two children the same age (or similar) need to work together, and play nicely for them to work.

Miss Mary Mack

The earliest version of this type of game is Pat-a-Cake. I remember my cousing teaching me several versions of these hand-slapping games but the one I remember most is Miss Mary Mack. A few years back I found this Miss Mary Mack book that has more verses than I had ever heard. The hand movements that went like this:

Cross arms, slap thighs, clap together, clap right hands, clap left hands, clap right hands.

Miss Mary Mack Mack Mack
All dressed in black, black, black?
With silver buttons, buttons, buttons
All down her back, back, back.

She asked her mother, mother, mother?
For 50 cents, cents, cents?
To see the elephants, elephants, elephants?
Jump over the fence, fence, fence.

They jumped so high, high, high
They reached the sky, sky, sky?
And they didn’t come back, back, back
‘Til the 4th of July, ly, ly!

Cat’s Cradle

This simple little string makes the most complicated toy.

I remember playing by myself but it was always more fun if you had a friend to play with you. I remember making Jacob’s Ladder and Witche’s Broom by myself, but there were so many more to make with a friend. I’m already thinking that a Cat’s Cradle string will be the perfect addition to our long car rides!

Check out this YouTube video to jog your memory of how Cat’s Cradle worked.

“Chinese” Jump Rope

Remember the chant, “Inside-outside-on-in-out”?

Chinese Jump Rope is best played with 3 or more friends because the rope requires 2 sets of legs. However, I remember playing it at a friend’s house using a chair as the second set of legs and it worked perfectly. Not only is Chinese Jump Rope good exercise (trust me, I tried it at the beach) but it’s a great way game for twins who are stuck inside on a rainy day, waiting in an exam room at the doctor’s office, and any other place you have a spare chair and some time.

Jump Rope image by Jon Rawlison via Flickr. Cat’s Cradle image by deepfun.com. Chinese Jump rope image by Bounce to be Fit

Janine Nickel is the mother of 6-year old twin girls. She writes about her twins, raising girls, her own neuroses, an every day adventures at TwoferMom.com.

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