:nth-child

/* Selects every fourth child element inside the body */
/* regardless of element type */
body :nth-child(4n) {
  background-color: lime;
}

:nth-child( <nth> [ of <selector># ]? )where 
<nth> = <an-plus-b> | even | odd

<p><code>span:nth-child(2n+1)</code>, <em>without</em> an <code>&lt;em&gt;</code>
 inside the child elements. Children 1, 3, 5, and 7 are selected, as expected.</p>

<div class="first">
      <span>This span is selected!</span>
      <span>This span is not. :(</span>
      <span>What about this?</span>
      <span>And this one?</span>
      <span>Another example</span>
      <span>Yet another example</span>
      <span>Aaaaand another</span>
</div>

<p><code>span:nth-child(2n+1)</code>, <em>with</em> an <code>&lt;em&gt;</code>
 inside the child elements. Children 1, 5, and 7 are selected. 3 is used in the
 counting because it is a child, but it isn't selected because it isn't a 
<code>&lt;span&gt;</code>.</p>

<div class="second">
      <span>This span is selected!</span>
      <span>This span is not. :(</span>
      <em>This one is an em.</em>
      <span>What about this?</span>
      <span>And this one?</span>
      <span>Another example</span>
      <span>Yet another example</span>
      <span>Aaaaand another</span>
</div>

<p><code>span:nth-of-type(2n+1)</code>, <em>with</em> an <code>&lt;em&gt;</code>
 inside the child elements. Children 1, 4, 6, and 8 are selected. 3 isn't
 used in the counting or selected because it is an <code>&lt;em&gt;</code>, 
not a <code>&lt;span&gt;</code>, and <code>nth-of-type</code> only selects
 children of that type. The <code>&lt;em&gt;</code> is completely skipped
 over and ignored.</p>
 
  <div class="third">
      <span>This span is selected!</span>
      <span>This span is not. :(</span>
      <em>This one is an em.</em>
      <span>What about this?</span>
      <span>And this one?</span>
      <span>Another example</span>
      <span>Yet another example</span>
      <span>Aaaaand another</span>
</div>

html {
  font-family: sans-serif;
}

span, div em {
  padding: 10px;
  border: 1px solid green;
  display: inline-block;
  margin-bottom: 3px;
}
    
.first span:nth-child(2n+1),
.second span:nth-child(2n+1),
.third span:nth-of-type(2n+1) {
  background-color: lime;
}