Beautiful and attractive books from the most prominent collector and advocator of the rich heritage and diversity of folk songs

For generations, neighborhood kids would gather to skip rope, bounce balls, play hand-clapping games, or choose one another to be the first “it” in a game with a counting-out rhyme. The songs and rhymes in this book were made by playing these games and are a great foundation for music learning. By sharing these songs and rhymes with students during music class, today’s students will discover the joy of music and, hopefully, share the songs, rhymes, and games in this collection with their friends and family. The songs are organized into five distinct categories: Hand Clapping, Jump Rope, Ball Bouncing, Counting Out, and Passing and Stick Games.

John M. Feierabend is a professor of music and the director of the music education division at the Hartt School of the University of Hartford. He is the author of the First Steps in Music series. He lives in Hartford, Connecticut.