The article studies counting rhymes in Lezghin children’s folklore. The purpose of the paper is to establish the significance and importance of counting rhymes in children’s social development and game discourse, to highlight them as the main component of the game action, to identify specific features of counting rhymes as a speech genre. It is noted that counting rhymes are a genre variety of game poetry of Lezghin children’s folklore. The generally recognized function of a children’s counting rhyme is the distribution of roles between children during the game, which leads to strengthening of contacts and regulation of communication between the main participants. Counting rhymes are an introductory part to any game action. They mainly serve as a way to select “an odd man out”. As a result of this game action, the counting rhyme simultaneously contributes to the physical education of the child. It has been established that counting rhymes are artistically organized verbal statements that can be conditionally divided into two groups: semantic counting rhymes, which are characterized by a certain semantic field or ordinary counting, and intricate (abstruse) ones. The relative stability and stable design of the counting rhyme facilitates quick memorization of the text. In addition, the children’s counting rhyme in Lezghin folklore performs cognitive, ethical and aesthetic functions. Thus, the article proves that folk counting rhymes are multifunctional.