Counters for children: folk and new
To honestly choose who leads in hide-and-seek or tag. Folk counting games that grandmothers knew, and new ones from Kazkaland with cats, hedgehogs, and a steam train.
Folk countersKazkaland counters
Folk counters
The bag was rolling.
from a high hill,
and in that bag is a loaf of bread,
who will have to,
He will squint.
Horses ran under the bridges
with golden hooves.
Day-of-the-birch –
The prince has come out!
A hare ran across the bridge,
long ears, short tail.
And don't run away anymore,
start counting:
one, two, three –
Come out!
Eniki-beniki
ate dumplings,
eniki-beniki - kvass,
Little Taras came out.
A woman came from behind the mountain,
carried a pantry bag,
and in that bag is a loaf of bread,
who won't come out,
He squints.
Kazkaland counters
One is a magpie, two is a crow,
three - a tit near the house,
four - a sparrow,
And whoever came out – well done!
The hedgehog carried an apple:
one, two, three, four, five.
Who will count them?
You!
Cat, dog, bunny, mouse –
Which of them breathes the quietest?
One, two, three –
You are driving!
Sun, cloud, rain,
A rainbow appears from the sky,
Whoever is last is the one who leaves,
and whoever is first hides it.
A boat is sailing on the river,
and in the boat – all of us.
Who is rowing, who is singing,
and you come out – once and twice!
I'm baking, baking pies.
with cabbage and mushrooms:
one for you, one for me,
and who is without a pie –
He's squinting at us!
In the meadow of daisies:
one, two, three.
You collect, and you squint,
And you – run away and don't look!
The steam train is going, the steam train is going,
brings a bunny and a cat,
stopped on the bridge –
Who comes out? The one I touch!
The bee was flying,
sat on a flower,
I got honey.
and flew away.
Who is without honey –
he is out!
Forest, meadow, stream,
fungus under the Christmas tree:
once a fungus, twice a fungus –
Get out of the circle, friend!
I count the stars in the sky:
one, two, three.
I make a wish,
and you drive!
A mouse in a hole is a swish,
The cat behind her is a croak,
The cat didn't catch the mouse –
You started driving!
Rain, rain, drip-drip-drip,
wet the cat's paws.
The cat hid under the chair,
and it turns out – well done!
Apple, pear, plum, watermelon –
You're leaving because you're a sorcerer!
Who hid under the bush?
Maybe a bunny with a key?
One, two, three, four –
Go look, we're all hiding!
What is a counter and how to use it?
A counter is a short rhythmic rhyme that children use to choose who will lead in the game. Everyone stands in a circle, one person points at each person in turn, pronouncing a word or syllable, and the person whose counter ends goes out or leads. In addition to fair choices, counters train rhythm, memory, and counting: the child involuntarily remembers the order of numbers.
Folk rhymes are passed down from generation to generation and vary slightly in different regions, so don't be surprised if your grandmother knows a different version of "The Bag Was Rolling." Our new rhymes are composed in the same spirit: short, with rhythm, and with characters that children know from our fairy tales and crafts.
Frequently asked questions
What age are the counters for?
What to do if children argue about who the counter ended on?
Can you come up with your own counter?
Riddles for children with answers · Tongue twisters for children · Fairy tales · Printing developers