A counting-out game is a simple game intended to select a person to be "it", often for the purpose of playing another game. Some counting-out games are

• Rock, Paper, Scissors
• Odd or Even
• Coin flipping
• Drawing straws - player with the shortest straw loses.
• Bizz Buzz

Many such games involve one person pointing at each participant in a circle of players while reciting a rhyme. A new person is pointed at as each word is said. The player who is selected at the conclusion of the rhyme is "it" or "out". In an alternate version, the circle of players may each put two feet in and at the conclusion of the rhyme, that player removes one foot and the rhyme starts over with the next person. In this case, the first player that has both feet removed is "it" or "out". These are often accepted as random selections because the number of words has not been calculated beforehand, so the result is unknown right up until someone is selected.

Some common rhymes

• Eeny, meeny, miny, moe
• Tea Cup Saucer Out
• Tinker, Tailor - Traditionally played in England.
• One potato, two potato - players may start with both fists (to resemble potatoes) in, so have to be got twice to be out.

One potato, two potato

Three potato, four,

Five potato, six potato,

Seven potato, more,

One big bad spud.

• Ink-a-bink (Last two lines added if the chooser happens to like the person singled out by the "stink")

Ink-a-bink

A bottle of ink

Cork fell out and you stink

My mother told me to pick the very best one and

You are not it

• Bubblegum, Bubblegum

Bubblegum, bubblegum,

In a dish,

How many pieces,

Do you wish?

Whomever the rhyme ends with chooses a number, and that many "pieces" are counted. The person on whom the last number falls is out.

• Superman

Superman, Superman fly away

Superman, Superman save the day

• Inky Pinky Ponky

Inky pinky ponky,

Daddy had a donkey,

Donkey died, daddy cried,

Inky pinky ponky.

• Ip dip

skunk in the barnyard Pee Yoo!

somebody ate it, thats YOU!

• Horses in a Stable

Number horses in a stable,

One jumps out

In place of the word number, the number of players currently in is used, changing as the players are taken out.

• My Mother and Your Mother

My mother and your mother were hanging up clothes,

My mother punched your mother right in the nose.

What color was the blood?

The color chosen is spelled out. Whoever gets the last letter is "it."

• Cindereller

Cindereller, Dressed in yeller

Went upstairs To kiss her feller

Made a mistake and Kissed a snake

Came downstairs with a bellyache

How many doctors did it take?

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8!

Whoever is #8 is it.

• Scout,Scout

Scout,Scout

You're out

External links

• Counting rhymes at the BBC's project h2g2
• Counting rhymes and other songs for counting in traditional music from county of Nice, France