We called it 'tag' (west central West Virginia, mid to late 50's.)

To chose "it" we would stand in a circle and everyone would hold a hand out, palm down. There were no rules for determining who was the reciter, to use Azizi's term. But that person would go around the circle, tapping each person's hand sequentially with a balled fist, one tap per word.

One potato, two potato, three potato, four
Five potato, six potato, seven potato, more.
Then, much faster,
My-mother-told-me-to-pick-the-very-next-one-and-you-are-it!

Then there would be a mad, screaming scramble to run away from the circle and 'it' so as not to be immediately tagged. Once tagged. You were it.

We also played freeze tag, and I game called 'statue.' In statue, we took turns being the 'swinger'. Each swinger swung everyone else before passing the job off to some one else.

The 'statue' would stand at right angle to the swinger. The swinger took the statue's wrist in both hands, and swung the person in a circle, building up momentum. When the swinger was satisfied there was sufficient momentum, they would let go, sending the statue staggering or tumbling. Quickly, the swinger would yell 'freeze! and the statue would have to try to stop their motion immediately, and hold the pose. The point was to freeze into as silly and/or awkward a position as possible, preferably with a grotesque look on your face. There was no other point than to look silly and get a good laugh from the other participants.

Janie