Games, rhymes, and wordplay of London children

This title presents a unique annotated collection of some 2000 playground games, rhymes, and wordplay of London children.

It charts continuity and development in childlore at a time of major social and cultural change and offers a detailed snapshot of changes in the traditions and language of young people.

Topics include: starting a game; counting-out rhymes; games (without songs); singing and chanting games; clapping, skipping, and ball bouncing games; traditional belief and practice; traditional wordplay; and a concluding miscellany.

Recorded mainly in the 1980s by primary schoolteacher Nigel Kelsey, transcribed verbatim from the children's own words, and accompanied by extensive commentaries and annotation, the book sets a wealth of new information in the wider historical and contemporary context of existing studies in Britain, Ireland, and other parts of the English-speaking world.