Hobbies And Interests
Double This
To play Double This, children will need to learn a short rhyme while clapping in time to its words. During the first line, "double double this this," players form fists and tap knuckles twice then clap each other's open palms together twice. For line two, "double double that that," players again tap knuckles together twice and then clap their own hands together twice. Players tap knuckles once, clap each other's palms once, tap knuckles once and clap their own hands once while saying "double this double that" for line three. The game ends with the fourth line, "double double this that," during which the players tap knuckles twice, clap each other's palms once and clap their hands once.
Miss Mary Mack
This clapping game is played to the rhyme "Miss Mary Mack." While the children are singing about Miss Mary, clap in a certain pattern. Each word is accompanied by a specific clapping motion. The players cross their arms and clap their shoulders once, clap their thighs once and then clap their hands together once. Each line of the rhyme ends with the last word being repeated three times. During this repetition, the players clap each other's open palms three times. The lyrics to this rhyme can be found at the KIDiddles website.
Patty Cake
This clapping game is appropriate for parents to play with young children for bonding and entertainment purposes, as well as encouraging motor development and coordination. Parents can hold the hands of their baby and make the motions for them until they learn to do it on their own. The players clap their hands together in time to the beginning lines "Patty cake, patty cake, baker's man. Bake me a cake as fast as you can." The hands are rolled, thighs patted and a letter B is drawn in the air during the remaining lines, "Roll it, and pat it, and mark it with a B. Put it in the oven for baby and me."
Tarzan Jungle Man
Tarzan Jungle Man is a clapping game that needs two participants. The players recite this rhyme: "Tarzan jungle man swinging from a rubber band, fell down broke his crown, what color was his blood?" The first player claps her hands together once and then slaps her thighs. The second player continues the game by slapping his thighs once and then clapping his hands once. The claps are passed back and forth in this manner during the rhyme. When the word blood is spoken, the player slapping her thighs says a color. The players then repeat the clapping pattern while spelling out the color. The player whose hands fall on his thighs when the last letter is spoken has to put a hand behind his back. The player who is the first to remove both hands from the game loses.