Our Childhood Games
Drop the Handkerchief: A Circle Game
told by The family
The passage explains how to play Drop the Handkerchief. Players hold hands in a circle while “It” walks outside with a handkerchief, chanting a rhyme beginning “A tisket, a tasket.” On one of three designated repetitions of “dropped,” “It” may drop the handkerchief behind a player, who then chases “It.” If tagged before reaching the empty spot, “It” continues in that role; otherwise, the chasing player becomes the new “It.”
In the family's own words
One person is designated as “It” and is given a handkerchief. The rest of the players form a circle facing in and hold hands. “It” walks slowly around the outside of the circle, chanting:
A tisket, a tasket, A green and yellow basket I wrote a letter to my love, And on the way I dropped it Dropped it once, I dropped it twice, I dropped it three times over. ALL CHANT: A little child picked it up, And put it in its pocket.
“It” may drop the handkerchief behind anyone in the ring on any of the three times he/she says the word “dropped” at his/her option. When that player realizes that the handkerchief has been dropped behind him/her, he/she must take off at a run in pursuit of “It.” “It” tries to get around to the empty spot in the circle before being tagged. If “It” is tagged before reaching the other player’s spot, he/she must continue as “It” and drop the handkerchief again. But if he/she reaches the empty spot, the player left on the outside the circle becomes the new “It.”
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