Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Round Ball & Crack An Egg On Your Head

This weekend my family met up in Virginia for a family reunion. Over dinner, I was telling my aunts about how I recently played "Round Ball" and "Crack an Egg on Your Head" with my three-year-old nephew. I remembered this as a little girl, but couldn't remember which aunt played those games with me.

They remembered! My Aunt Carol would play "Round Ball, Round Ball" with me which from researching had variations. Basically the way it goes is, you take the child's little arm and start with their hand.




Playing Round Ball, Round Ball


1. Using your pointer finger in the palm of the kid's hand, making a circular motion you sing, "Round ball, round ball, pull a little hair" then lightly tug on the child's hair.


2. "One slice, two slice" making soft chopping or cutting motions on their arm (as if your slicing up a loaf of bread) using you pointer finger.


3. "Tickle under there!" and you end with a gentle tickle under the child's arm.



Crack An Egg On Your Head


My Aunt Sue had her own relaxing game she would play with me when I was about 13. I never tire of this one. As a girl at camp, we'd often do this while waiting for dinner to be served. Here's how it goes.

1. Have the child or your friend sit in front of you with their back towards you.
2.Pretend to crack an egg on their head and sing, "crack and egg on your head and let the yolk drip down, let the yolk drip down, let the yolk drip down."
3. While singing about the yolk dripping down, you use your fingertips starting from the top of their head down to the middle of their back slowly giving the chills to your friend or child.


I found this demonstration video on YouTube of "Crack An Egg" and other fun activities moms can do with their kids while trying to kill time or before bed. Do you do any of these goosebumpy activities with your kids?




24 comments:

April said...

I vaguely remember "Crack an Egg" but also recall one that ended with "cool breeze, now you've got the shiveries". Anyone remember how that game went? Wait, I got it. Also done with person sitting in front of you.

X marks the spot (drawn on back)
Circle and a dot (drawn on back)
Tight squeeze (squeeze shoulders)
Cool breeze (blow on neck)
Now you've got the shiveries (rub upper arms)

April said...

Wait... I think there was a spider involved too...

sara said...

My British BIL does Round and Round the garden which seems the same as Round Ball. And we just did Crack an Egg to my nephews...they thought it was so cool!

Christopher said...

i don't remember those but I remember one called creepy crawlers up your back... I think its the song one blonde girl just referred to

Brandy@YDK said...

we used to do the crack and egg thing even in middle school. I think i'll play those with G

Joe Cap said...

I still do crack the egg on The Daughter! But she is too wise for me, she doesn't fall for it...

Anonymous said...

I LOVE crack the egg!

cheeky rose said...

I remember this, I used to hold my baby's palm and trace around the edge of and say: round and round the garden, like a teddy bear, then I would walk my fingers up her arm and would say: One step, two steps pause for effect and they say tickle uner there, by tickling under her arm.

Maggi said...

I love "Crack an Egg"! Getting chills was the best, lol. I need to try that one on Toot.

Unknown said...

that video was def wacky!!! haahah

Liz said...

I remember the crack the egg one, but I don't think I know the round ball one.

Teachinfourth said...

I never remember playing that game. Of course, when you live out in the middle of nowhere, you usually don't get the 'fun stuff' when it's hot off the press.

I'm sure they're still waiting for that game in Summit Valley. I think that Back to the Future and E.T. just made it to the local theatre...

Cheeseboy said...

That first thing she demonstrated totally freaked me out.

However, the crack the egg thing... I totally need to try that out on my first graders. I had never played/heard of it.

Copyboy said...

The "crack an egg" game i played, nothing with a ball. P.S. my mom once made me green eggs and ham with a recalled dye #345. I'm fine thank you very much.

Unknown said...

I so remember the Crack an Egg thing... not the round ball, but crack an egg for sure.. use to give me goosebumps!! lol

Marlene said...

Don't remember round ball, but definitely remember crack an egg on your head! LOL!!! The things you come up with!

Kristie said...

Dwight did this to Michael on The Office once. It was so funny, he was like..."Do you want me to give you the chills?" lol

TILTE said...

yeah, i remember one that went something like:
ten knives in your back,
blood dripping down,
spiders crawling up,
something-something
tight squeeze...
cool breeze...
now you've got the shiveries.

this was up there on the same level as playing with my hair. both rendered me comatose.

Anonymous said...

oh i know
"around the world in 80 days x makrs the spot, spiders craling up your back they bite you spiders craling down your back they bite you tight squeez light breeze now you've got the chills"

b-chica said...

The version my sister, cousins and I did of "crack an egg" was a little less child friendly, it included the line "stab a knife in your back, let the blood trickle down". And our version of "x marks the spot" went "x marks the spot with the dot dot dot and the dash dash dash and a question mark"; I don't remember where it went from there.

My grandfather never actually played any of these games with us (I barely remember him speaking), but he was great at the fake egg crack. He would slap his fist with the open palm of his other hand on top of your head just right to make it sound like he really cracked an egg on your head. He tried to freak us out by surprising us with it.

Nina said...

X marks the spot
With a dash and a dot
And a biiiiiiig question mark
Upstream
Downstream
And all around stream
A knife in the back
And all the blood comes out
Tight squeeze
Cool breeze
Now you've got the shiveries

Sadie girl said...

X marks the spot with a circle and a dot. spiders crawling up your back bite let the blood drip down. ticks crawling up ur back bite let the blood drip down . repeat. Crack an egg over ur head and let the yolk drip down. repeat . Cool breeze tight squeeze now u got the chills

Sadie girl said...

X marks the spot with a circle and a dot. spiders crawling up your back bite let the blood drip down. ticks crawling up ur back bite let the blood drip down. repeat . crack an egg over ur head and let the yolk drip down. repeat. Cool breeze tight squeeze now u got the chills!

Unknown said...

The one I learned as a child went:

Dot dot dot and a comma comma comma with an X X X. Crack an egg on your head, let it slooowwwly run down. Tight squeeze! Cool breeze, with a chill down your back.

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