Down Down Baby facts for kids
"Down Down Baby" (also known as "Roller Coaster") is a fun clapping game played by children. Kids in many English-speaking countries enjoy this game. In "Down Down Baby," two or more children stand in a circle. They clap their hands together in time with a rhyming song. Just like many other hand-clapping games, there are lots of different ways to play it.
Contents
What is a Clapping Game?
A clapping game is a type of game where players clap their hands. They often clap along to a song or rhyme. These games are popular with children around the world. They help kids learn about rhythm and coordination. Clapping games are also a fun way to play together.
How to Play "Down Down Baby"
The basic idea of "Down Down Baby" is simple. Children stand in a circle. They then clap their hands in a special pattern. This pattern matches the words of the song. Different hand motions often go with different parts of the song. For example, you might make a waving motion with your hand. This motion can show the "roller coaster" part of the song.
The Lyrics
The words to "Down Down Baby" can change a lot. Different groups of children might use slightly different lyrics. This is common for many traditional children's songs. The main idea of the song stays the same.
Common Lyrics
Here are some of the most common lyrics for the game. These words were even used on the TV show Sesame Street in the 1980s.
- Down, down, baby
- Down by the roller coaster (You might make a horizontal wave motion with your hand here)
- Sweet, sweet, baby (You might cross both arms over your chest here)
- I’ll never let you go
- Shimmy, Shimmy Ko Ko Bop
- Shimmy Shimmy Pow
- Shimmy, Shimmy Ko Ko Bop
- Shimmy Shimmy Pow
Other Versions
Sometimes, the lyrics might change just a little bit. For example, some versions use "Coco Powder" instead of "Ko Ko Bop." This shows how songs can evolve when people share them.
- Down, down, baby
- Down by the roller coaster
- Sweet, sweet, baby
- I’ll never let you go
- Shimmy, Shimmy Coco Powder
- Shimmy Shimmy Powder
- Shimmy, Shimmy Coco Powder
- Shimmy Shimmy Powder
Where You Might Hear It
The tune and rhythm of "Down Down Baby" have appeared in many places. You might hear parts of it in popular songs or movies.
- The song "Shimmy Shimmy Ko-Ko Bop" by Little Anthony and the Imperials used a similar rhythm.
- The Damned's song "New Rose" also has a part that sounds like it.
- The film Big featured a scene with a similar clapping game.
- More recently, artists like Usher with "OMG" and EXO with "Ko Ko Bop" have used parts of the rhythm.
- Bella Thorne and Zendaya's song "Contagious Love" also has a connection.
