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Children’s society, in the same way as that of adults, is therefore an organised body. Ritual formulas such as the ones described below play a key role in its activities.

If a child receives an object from another one and the other child claims it back after some time, the first child replies by reciting a formula, whose shortest and most widespread version was found in Pipaón (A), Barakaldo, Durango, Getxo, Trapagaran (B) and Sangüesa (N); and which goes like this:

:[You gave it to me, it’s mine now]

When a child finds an object and suspects that it belongs to one of its friends, the child announces the finding without specifying what it is. The formula used for this announcement, found with slight variations in Apellániz, Salvatierra (A), Durango, Getxo, Trapagaran (B), Allo, Artajona and Tudela (N) is:

When they hear this, the members of the group check their pockets to see if the object that has been found belongs to them. If nobody finds it is missing, the child who has found it will keep and once the formula has been said four or five times, the object cannot be claimed.

There is also a certain ritual when children fall out.

Then the two turn away from each other and each goes on their way.

During childhood, children particularly learn to abide by rules. Games usually start with a selection process during which the roles are distributed or the participation order is established. The first lesson to be learnt is to accept their fate.

Commonly, when one of the participants believes that one of those rules has been broken, they show their disagreement by shouting: “arrenuncio” [I give up].

In general, children from their earliest age are seen to be sociable and the greatest variety of relations emerges with their peers and friends. Some regard playing, but most apply to all facets of coexistence.