Can anyone explain “いち、に、の さん”

I’m watching Pocoyo in Japanese and I heard them say “いち、に、の さん” when counting to three. I’m aware of の as a particle, but it seems like の is being used differently here. I’m not looking for a translation, but more of an explanation of why this happens. Or is it just a Pocoyo thing?

3 comments
  1. It‘s more rhythmic. It‘s something japanese kids learn. Along the lines of “one, two and three” to find your rhythm, e.g. music, sports etc.

  2. It is not just a Pocoyo thing, in Japanese the particle between numbers is often a rhythmic or playful way of counting for kids mostly. It’s not the standard way of saying it by any means, just more a kid thing. Like when you play hide and seek and are counting to 10 you may say “….seven, eight, nine, and ten!”

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