Clapping game facts for kids

Kids in Virginia playing a hand game at school.

A clapping game (also called a hand game) is a fun activity usually played by two people. It involves clapping hands in a rhythm while singing a song or saying a rhyme. Many of these rhymes are nursery rhymes you might already know. Clapping games are played all over the world, and similar games can be found in many places with small changes from one region to another.

What Are Clapping Games Like?

An old drawing of a clapping game from around 1920.

Clapping games help you improve your communication skills and motor coordination. Simple clapping games are great for children as young as two years old. In many cultures, people of all ages and genders play these games. However, in some parts of Europe and places influenced by European cultures, clapping games are mostly played by girls.

Common claps in these games include clapping your own hands together, clapping both hands with your partner, or clapping just one hand with your partner (like right hand to right hand). Sometimes, the game might also include other actions, such as slapping your thighs or touching the ground. There are many different basic hand-clapping moves you can learn!

Clapping patterns can be used with specific rhymes, or they can be used with almost any rhyme. Sometimes, players even make up new patterns as they go! Kids in different areas might have strict rules about which claps go with which rhymes. But generally, different clapping patterns can be used for different songs. The rhymes are often very similar to those used in jump-rope games. Some games don't even need a rhyme, like 'Slide,' and not all games require you to clap your partner's hands, like 'Sevens.'

Clapping games are part of an oral tradition. This means they are passed down from person to person by word of mouth, not usually written down. Because of this, there are many different versions of the same game. A game might be played differently in various areas, at different times, or by different groups of people. For example, "Hello, Operator" might be called "Miss Susie" or "Miss Lucy." It might have different verses or lines. The clapping patterns and actions can also change. There isn't one "official" way to play any game, even though kids often argue about whose version is the "right" one!

Popular Clapping Games

"Miss Mary Mack" is a well-known clapping game.

A common way to play "Pat-a-Cake."

Here are some examples of clapping games you might know or want to try:

• "A Sailor Went to Sea"
• "Down Down Baby" (also known as "Roller Coaster")
• "Down by the Banks"
• "Mary Mack"
• "Miss Susie"
• "Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man"
• "Pease Porridge Hot"
• "Pretty Little Dutch Girl"
• "Stella Ella Ola"
• "Cup game"
• "Crocidilly"
• "Four White Horses"