70 fun strings for children
In childhood, fun is very important in order to grow up healthy and happy, and the retahílas or playground songs are a source of it. Here we will explain why this literary resource is so important and we will see a wide repertoire of them.
What’s a string?
A retahíla is a typically childish and usually short word game , in which a story is told with verses that rhyme and are sung as if they were a ditty or a poem, but with more rhythm.
This literary resource is widely used in educational contexts, especially with children in kindergarten and the first years of primary education, as it helps to acquire greater verbal fluency, greater vocabulary and encourages the imagination. They are widely used by teachers because they are very versatile, given that they can make comics of absolutely anything and, as they turn out to be fun, they speed up the educational process.
70 short strings for children
Now we are going to see a few short strings, all of them very funny, that can be taught to children, both in the classroom and at home.
1. Chincha, rabiña
Chincha, rabiña,
I have a pineapple
with many sprockets
and you don’t eat them.
2. Slipper
Little white shoe,
blue shoe,
tell me how many years
you have.
3. Whistle, whistle
Eeny, meeny, miny,
Where are you going, pretty boy?
To the true era,
pin, bread, out.
4. This…
This one went for wood,
this one helped him,
he found an egg,
he fried it,
and this little fat guy,
he ate it.
- this string is made by counting the fingers. Each of the phrases is made with one of the fingers or the foot, starting with the little finger and ending with the thumb.
5. Uni, doli
Uni, doli,
teli, catoli,
quile, quileta,
being the queen
sitting in her saddle
the king came
he put out the lamp,
candil, candol,
count the twenty
that twenty is…
- This line is used to decide who is going to get caught in the game of catch, although it is also valid for other games in which one is dedicated to catching and the others have to run away from it, or who is in charge of playing a certain role…
6. In Renato’s house
In Renato’s house
everyone counts to four:
one, two, three and four.
Everyone counts to five
in the house of Francis:
one, two, three, four and five.
7. Santa Rita, Rita
Santa Rita, Rita
What is given cannot be taken away,
With paper and holy water
It’s already written in the sky.
8. Healthy, healthy
Healthy, healthy, froggy-tail
If it doesn’t heal today, it will heal tomorrow.
- It’s used to heal someone.
9. Whoever went to Seville…
The one who went to Seville
He lost his chair,
The one who went to Leon
He lost his chair.
10. Cro, cro, sang the frog
Cro-cro sang the frog,
underwater crocodile,
cro-cro passed a gentleman,
cro-cro with cape and hat,
cro-cro passed a maid
cro-cro selling salad.
11. I brush my teeth
I’m brushing my teeth!
With paste and brush
they are shiny
of clean my teeth
you must do it
after eating
after dinner
or breakfast
see if…
Behind you I will put
So you won’t lose me
Lara… lere… leri…
In single file we are already
To the squaw we’re going!
Lara… lere… leri…
13. One thing I have found
One thing I have found
four times I will say it
if owner does not appear
I’ll stay with her.
14. Pepito wants to hit me
Dad, Mom, Pepito wants to hit me.
Why? For ná, for a little thing that is not worth ná:
for a pepper, for a tomato,
for an ounce of chocolate.
15. Pinto, pinto
Pinto, pinto, gorgorito,
take out the hand of 25.
Where? In Portugal.
Which street? In the old blackberry.
Hide the old lady’s hand.
- To draw lots.
16. Chasing game
Here I wait for you
eating an egg,
French fries
and a candy.
17. Sawdust, sawdust
Sawdust, sawdust,
the woods of San Juan.
The king’s will be fine.
The queen’s, too.
18. Set of clothes
Anton, Anton,
Anton pirulero,
each, each,
to attend to your game
and the one who does not attend to it
will pay for a pledge.
19. Antón pirulero
Antón, Antón, Antón pirulero
each, each
attend to your game,
and whoever does not attend to it,
will pay for a pledge.
20. I have, I have
I have, I have, I have
you don’t have anything.
I have three sheep
in a cabin.
One gives me milk,
another gives me wool,
and other butter
for the week.
21. At one o’clock the moon rises
At one o’clock the moon rises.
The sun comes up at two o’clock.
The train leaves at three.
22. I met Pinocchio
Around the corner from my house,
I met Pinocchio,
And he told me to count
up to eight.
Pin, one, pin, two,
pin, three, pin, four,
pin, five, pin, six,
pin, seven, pin, eight…
- this patchwork is for learning how to count.
23. To the wheel, wheel
To the wheel, wheel of bread and cinnamon.
Give me a toad and go to school.
If you don’t want to go, go to sleep.
24. The light
In the dark shadow
the light was made
opened his little eyes
the Baby Jesus.
Straw cradle
linen cloths,
the manger is poor
where he was born.
25. Canned in the can
In the can, in the tin,
the chocolate maker’s daughter.
To a, to a,
Ladybird can’t iron.
To the e, to the e,
Ladybird can’t read.
To the i, wing i,
Ladybird can’t write.
26. The Elephant
Slow step
always heavy
Here comes the elephant.
Horn weight
weighs the belly
and the little tail doesn’t weigh a thing.
Make way
otherwise it doesn’t happen.
27. Sailor
Sailor who went to sea and sea and sea,
To see that I could see and see and see and
The only thing he could see and see and see,
It was the bottom of the sea and sea and sea.
28. China, China
China, c
33. De tin, Martin
De tin Marín de do pingué
Cucara macara puppet was
I didn’t do it was teté
Hit him that that credit was.
34. My grandmother had a cat
My grandmother had a cat,
with rag ears,
and the paper muzzle.
Do you want me to tell you again?
35. Cricket, cricket
Cricket, cricket
whoever finds it,
for your pocket.
36. What’s going on?
-What’s going on?
-Saliva down the throat,
the train on the track
and the arm up the sleeve.
-What’s going on?
-A donkey for your house.
-What’s going on?
-The flag for your house.
-Mine is over.
-And in mine he stayed.
- Infinite story. The beauty of this line is that you follow it until you decide when to stop.
37. If this book were lost
If this book were lost,
as is often the case,
my name is chocolate,
First cousin of the cafe.
Counting ropes:
38. Pon, pon
Put it on.
Who is it?
The mailman.
What do you want?
A letter.
For whom?
For you.
39. The Francolina hen
The Francolina hen
put an egg in the kitchen.
put one, put two,
put three, put four,
put five, put six,
put seven, put eight,
he put in a sponge cake.
40. To the chair the queen
To the chair the queen
who never combs his hair,
one day he combed his hair
and the chair broke.
41. Around the corner from my house
Around the corner from my house,
I met Pinocchio,
And he told me to count
up to eight.
Pin, one, pin, two,
pin, three, pin, four,
pin, five, pin, six,
pin, seven, pin, eight…
42. He who eats and does not invite
He who eats and does not eat
has a toad in his belly.
I ate and invited him
and the toad is on you.
43. Lelo, lelo
Lelo, lelo,
you who are
on that hill,
give it a voice
that goatherd,
What goatherd?
What corral?
Who will
twenty stripes
not counting?
Olive,
crescent,
hot bread,
nineteen
and twenty.
44. A lioness in pajamas
In the zoo we saw
a lioness in pyjamas
flying from branch to branch,
singing “la cucaracha”
45. The Story of the Fighting Rooster
Do you want me to tell you the story of the bald rooster?
- This line consists of someone answering this question with a sentence and, from the answer given, a whole story is followed, which can be so surreal that it will surely unleash the laughter of all the children.
46. Enriqueta
Enriqueta makes kibble
for Clota and Anacleta,
cycling,
He takes them to the library.
47. Five chicks
Five chicks
has my aunt,
one jumps you,
other le pía
and another sings to him
they go, quack, quack, quack.
A doña gallina
follow the chicks,
over there, over there,
pio, pio, pio, pa
51. I have a rooster in the kitchen
I have a rooster in the kitchen
What the lie tells me;
I have a rooster in the pen
Who tells me the truth.
52. Jump, jump, San Francisco
Hop, skip,
San Francisco.
If I do wrong,
Let me heal
San Pascual
53. One, dola
One, dola, cloth, cinnamon,
Sailing line,
Sumaqui, melon.
Count the hours
The big-headed kid.
54. Salt, alone
Salt, alone,
and warm me up a little bit,
for today, for tomorrow
and for the whole week.
55. My duck
My duckling went to the fairs
To buy a pair of socks.
As socks there was no
My duck was laughing:
Heh heh heh ho ho.
My duckling will be you!
56. Here is bread
Here’s some bread,
There’s honey over here,
This way, this way,
the tickle I will find
57. On Noah’s Ark
On Noah’s Ark
they all fit, they all fit.
On Noah’s Ark
Everyone fits in but you.
58. Pim, pom
Pim, pom, peach,
sardinite, anchovy,
Sleeve, cat, twenty-four.
One, two, three and four.
59. Five little wolves
Five little wolves
had the she-wolf.
Five little wolves
behind the broom.
Five had,
five raised
and all five
titty he was giving them.
Five little wolves
had the she-wolf.
Five little wolves
behind the broom.
Five wash,
five comb
and all of them,
to the school sent.
60. In a cafe, a fish is raffled off
In a cafe, a fish is raffled off,
whoever gets number ten.
One, two, three, four, five, six
seven, eight, nine and ten
I know what you’re gonna do.
61. A cat is raffled off in a cafe
A cat is raffled off in a cafe
Whoever gets it
The number four:
One, two, three and four.
- Shorter version than the previous tableau, especially useful for choosing in games where few participants are available.
62. Small tortillas
Tortilla chips, tortilla chips,
tortillas for mom;
little omelettes for daddy.
The little burns for Mom.
The nice ones for Dad.
Tortilla chips, tortilla chips,
little omelettes for daddy.
Tortilla chips for mom;
bran tortillas
for Dad when he’s angry.
Lard omelettes
for mom who’s happy.
Pat, pat,
Butter pat.
My mom gives me the cookie
and my dad in the flip-flop.
63. This song will make you laugh
With this little ditty
you will laugh
and if you laugh
I’m laughing too.
I cover one little eye,
the other one too
and if I cover them up,
How will I look?
64. What a nice little hand
What a nice little hand
that the baby has.
So cute, so cute,
(
It was an animal
very sensational.
That’s the end of it.
68. Under a bridge
Under a bridge
there is a snake,
with glass eyes
to go to the hospital.
69. At one o’clock the mule
At one o’clock the mule,
at two o’clock he kicks,
on three strip again,
at four o’clock he jumps,
at five o’clock he jumps,
at six o’clock it jumps as you see,
at seven o’clock jump soon and go,
at eight o’clock sherry and cake,
at nine no one moves,
at ten o’clock he jumps again.
To each other,
to the mare, to the filly,
to the foal, to the colt,
the one who loses the corner.
70. In the city there is a door
In the city there is a door,
the door faces a street,
The street goes to a square,
in the square there is a house,
in the house there is an entrance,
the entrance goes to a room,
in the room there is a table,
on the table a cage,
inside the cage a parrot,
who singing says to all:
get me out of the cage
on the table
what’s in the room
facing the entrance
that is in the house
in the square
facing the street
going to the door
in the city.