The purpose of counting rhymes is to choose who goes first or who is ‘it’ (like in a game of tag). It’s a fun way to choose a person and encourages the kids to speak in English, because everybody likes to be the King Caller!
Eeny Meenie Miney Moe instructions:
Everybody puts their fists into a circle and the Caller touches a fist per syllable while saying:
- Eeny Meenie Miney Moe
- Catch a tiger by it’s toe
- If he hollers, let him go
- My mother said you are it.
The last person to be touched is ‘it.’
Other rhymes:
Bubble Gum
- Bubble gum, bubble gum in a dish
- How many pieces do you wish (the person who is ‘wish’ says a number and caller counts it out and the last person is ‘it’).
Mickey Mouse
- Mickey Mouse built a house
- How many bricks did it take (‘take’ says the number, etc)
Ink a Bink
- Ink a bink a bottle of ink
- The cork fell out and now you stink
- My mother told me to choose the very best one
- and you are it!