Children's Folklore

This comprehensive guide to children's folklore provides parents and educators with a fascinating window into the secret world of childhood traditions, games, and verbal art. The book systematically explores everything from jump rope rhymes and playground games to riddles and supernatural legends that children pass down through generations. It offers both a scholarly framework for understanding these traditions and abundant examples of actual folklore texts from diverse cultural backgrounds. Parents will discover the rich oral heritage that shapes children's social development and imaginative play.

What makes this volume particularly valuable is its dual perspective—it respects children's folklore as both a legitimate field of academic study and a living tradition that continues to evolve in schoolyards and neighborhoods. The chapters connecting these traditions to literature and popular culture help adults recognize the enduring patterns in children's creative expression. This book will especially benefit parents who want to understand their children's cultural world and educators seeking to incorporate folk traditions into learning activities. Readers will come away with renewed appreciation for the sophisticated social structures and creative intelligence embedded in children's seemingly simple games and stories.