Text types: Texts for fun & leisure

Poems & rhymes

Counting out and skipping rhymes 

These are very rhythmic rhymes that young children often chant when they need to find someone to be the first 'victim' for games such as Hide-and-Seek. They are also used to keep steady time when children are skipping with a rope. They are easy to learn and they can be chanted by the whole class. Hong Kong students are familiar with the tradition of counting out for games like 'Hide and seek', and typically use 'Paper-scissors-rock' to decide who is the victim. Remind your students of this activity and tell them that playground rhymes can also be used, with one child pointing to each person in turn as they chant the rhyme.