The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

SEVEN UP

THIS GAME IS PLAYED WITH TWO OR MORE PEOPLE AGAINST THE
SIDE OF THE HOUSE. THERE ARE SEVEN MOVEMENTS WITH
THE BALL. FIRST, YOU THROW THE BALL INTO THE AIR
SEVEN TIMES AND CATCH IT SEVEN TIMES. THEN THROW
THE BALL AGAINST THE HOUSE, LET IT BOUNCE ONCE, AND
CATCH IT SIX TIMES. NEXT DRIBBLE THE BALL FIVE TIMES.
THEN BOUNCE THE BALL ONCE AND TAP IT WITH YOUR HAND
AGAINST THE WALL; THIS IS REPEATED A TOTAL OF FOUR
TIMES. THEN COMES THREES, YOU TAKE THE BALL, THROW
IT UP AGAINST THE WALL, SPIN AROUND, ON THE BOUNCE
DRIBBLE THREE TIMES, TAP IT AGAINST THE WALL AND THEN
CATCH IT. FOR TWOS, YOU THROW THE BALL AGAINST
THE WALL, TAP IT AGAIN AGAINST THE WALL AND THEN CATCH
IT. FINALLY, FOR ONE, YOU THROW THE BALL UP, SPIN
AROUND, AND THEN CATCH IT. THIS WHOLE PROCESS IS
REPEATED THIS CATCHING THE BALL WITH JUST THE RIGHT
HAND, THEN THE LEFT HAND, THEN YOU DOUBLE THE STEPS
AND TRIPLE THEM. THE END OF THE GAME COMES WHEN
AFTER ALL THIS, YOU GO BACK BACKWARDS.

Submitter comment: I LEARNED IT WHEN I WAS IN THE LATTER GRADES OF
GRADE SCHOOL

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT