Counting-out game

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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

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.

[edit] Some common rhymes

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 Binky Bonky
Inky binky bonky,
Daddy had a donkey,
Donkey died, daddy cried,
Inky binky bonky.
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.

cinderella dressed in yeller went up stairs to kiss a fella by mistake she kissed a snake how many kisses did it take?==External links==