Submitted by Karen Stafford

Idea posted February 10, 2005

Here is my version of "Charlie Over The Ocean":

do-do-do-re-mi-so-so
la-la-la-la-la-so
fa-fa-fa-fa-mi-mi-mi
re-re-re-do
do-mi-so
la-la-so
fa-fa-fa-fa-mi-mi-mi-re-re-do
Charlie over the ocean,
Charlie over the sea,
Charlie broke a pop bottle,
Blamed it on me.
I told Ma,
Ma told Pa,
Charlie got in trouble, so ha-ha-ha.
(I don't feel comfortable using the terms "spanking" or "whipping.")

As everyone is singing, Child One goes around and around the circle while the rest of the kids are standing up. After the song is done, I play an improvised arpeggio over and over while Child One decides to pick someone (Child Two) and tap them.

Child Two chases Child One. Child One tries to make it back to Child Two's space before getting tagged. (While the chase scene is on, I play chase-like music!)

In my rules, if Child One doesn't get tagged and gets to the right spot, he or she remains standing. Child One has to sit down if they: get tagged, jump in the circle in the wrong spot, or try to run around the circle more than once.