Party Game :The Grand Old Duke of York

This is a party game which was played at Christmas and Halloween parties when I was a child.

Children stand in two lines facing each other. Each has a partner to look at. The pair at the head of the lines stretch their arms out infront of each other and join hands. As the song begins they skip sideways to the other end of the group and then skip back up to their place. They now let go hands and lead their lines down to the opposite end. They join hands with their partner to form an arch which all the children file through. The game commences again with the next pair at the head of the line.

Oh the Grand Old Duke of York
He had ten thousand men.
He marched them up to the tp of the hill and he marched them down again.
And when they were up they were up.
And when they were down they were down.
But when they were only half way up they were neither up nor down.