Games & Counting

Many nursery rhymes were never meant to be read quietly from a page. They were meant to be spoken aloud, repeated, acted out, and shared. Counting and game rhymes grew out of that tradition, turning numbers, letters, and sequences into something physical — something you could clap to, hop along with, or chant in a group.

Instead of formal instruction, these verses rely on rhythm and repetition. Numbers appear almost casually, woven into movement and sound. A simple count unfolds in One, Two, Three, Four, Five, while playful exaggeration stretches the idea of counting in As I Was Going to St. Ives. Alphabet patterns follow the same principle in A, B, C, D, E, F, G and Great A, Little A, where sound and order matter more than explanation.

Many of these rhymes were tied directly to games. Seesaws and ring games appear in See Saw, Margery Daw and Seesaw Sacradown, while timing and coordination shape verses like Jack be Nimble and Girls and Boys Come Out to Play. Even questions about time and routine — such as How Many Days Has My Baby to Play? — quietly reinforce counting and sequence.

Together, these rhymes show how learning once happened naturally: through play, repetition, and shared rhythm. Counting wasn’t taught as a lesson — it was absorbed as part of the game.