How Children's Recreational Rhymes, Chants, Parodies, Singing Games Etc. Were Spread Worldwide BEFORE The Internet

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series about the spread of children's recreational rhymes, chants, songs including parodies, and singing games throughout the world before the internet became available to the general public (before 1993-1994 and particularly before YouTube was first launched in 2005)

This post presents my list of how children's recreational rhymes, chants, songs including parodies,  singing games etc. have been spread worldwide before the internet was available to the general public and particularly before YouTube was first launched. I believe that after those dates the internet and particularly YouTube have been important ways that children's recreational rhymes and singing games etc. have been and continue to be spread throughout the world.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/04/redditcom-comments-about-how-childrens.html___ for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post presents selected comments from four reddit.com discussion threads about how children's recreational rhymes and singing games etc. were spread in one nation and elsewhere in the world before the internet was available to the general public.

The content of this post is presented for folkloric purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

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CHILDREN'S RECREATIONAL RHYMES INCLUDE
-jump rope rhymes, including single rope, Double Dutch jump rope etc.
-hand clap rhymes (partner hand clap rhymes, group hand clap rhymes) etc.
-ball bouncing rhymes
-and some rhymes that are chanted without any accompanying physical activity

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HOW CHILDREN'S RECREATIONAL RHYMES, CHANTS, PARODIES, SINGING GAMES ETC.
WERE SPREAD WORLDWIDE BEFORE THE INTERNET 

These entries also apply to the dissemination of English language (and other languages) children's nursery rhymes 
 
These entries aren't presented in any particular order.

Word of mouth

AI Overview definition: "Word of mouth is the passing of information, opinions, or recommendations from person to person through spoken, informal conversation rather than written or formal advertising")

-telephone conversations -learning a new rhyme, singing game etc. via telephone communication with a person who doesn't live in your neighborhood, city, state, or nation 

-formal and informal communication at schools/universities that include students/professors from more than one location in your nation and/or overseas 

-written communication with children, teen, and/or adult "pen pals" within your nation and/or outside of your nation 

summer camps and other formal and informal gatherings of children/teens  that includes people from multiple locations, including from other nations

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Mass Media

Wikipedia definition: "Mass media refers to the forms of media that reach large audiences via mass communication. It includes broadcast media, digital media, print media, social media, streaming media, advertising, and events."

-books, magazines, newspapers, scholarly journals/dissertations (These entries pertain to children's rhymes. singing games etc.) 

-vinyl records, videocassette recorders (VCRs), (compact disc (CDs), Digital Versatile Discs (DVDs). and their linear notes particularly for vinyl records; including children's records, folk records, and records from multiple genres that have song tracks that include actual or adapted children's rhymes. singing games etc. 

-radio, television, movies, theater productions, and commercials (These forms of mass media include actual or adapted children's rhymes, singing games etc.; including multiple genres of music concerts, and including stand up comedy.)  

-advertisement (ads) that include actual or adapted children's rhymes, singing games etc.

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Travel, Visits, Relocation
-travel, visits, or relocation to another location where you hear or learn a rhyme, singing game etc. that is new to you or a different version of a rhyme, singing game etc. that you already knew

- travel, visits, or relocation to another location where you share a rhyme, singing game etc. that you know; this especially occurs in these occupations: teachers (including those that teach English as a second language) , missionaries, the peace corp. and other overseas volunteer positions, and soldiers.

-emigration and immigration - resulting in becoming familiar with children's recreational rhymes and singing games etc from people other that those you had known before

(AI Overview- "Immigration refers to entering and settling in a new country, while emigration is the act of leaving one's home country to live elsewhere. The primary difference is the perspective: emigration is moving out (E for Exit), and immigration is moving in (I for In). Both terms often describe the same movement from opposite sides."...

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This concludes Part I of this pancocojams series. 

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Additions and corrections to this list are very welcome.