16 Entertaining Hand Clapping Games for Children
In this Article
Do you remember the silly games you played with your friends, where hours were spent in singing and clapping without anyone noticing? Now you see your kids glued to their mobiles or tablets watching a cartoon or playing online games. As parents, it’s justified for you to be worried about their growth and health spent indoors and alone. Hand clapping games just didn’t teach you singing or hand co-ordination but also were a great means to bond with friends. These games develop the cognitive, motor, and social skills of kids while they are enjoying themselves with their friends. So it’s no wonder that as parents you want to introduce your little kids to these enjoyable hand-clapping games.
16 Fun Clapping Games for Toddlers, Preschoolers, and Kids
The sweet games kids played by clapping their hands on funny lyrics were a good way to teach them co-ordination, singing, and improving their social skills. These games were also good for their physical and mental development. Hand clapping games are suitable for kids of any age from toddler to pre-schoolers and older kids too as the clapping game rhymes are catchy for kids of all ages.
Here are some entertaining children’s clapping games to play and enjoy with their friends.
1. Pat-a-cake –
Wordings
Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake baker’s man
Bake me a cake as fast as you can
Prick it and pat it and mark it with a “b”
And put it in the oven for Billy and me
Make it with chocolate, make it with cream
Make it the prettiest you’ve ever seen
Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake baker’s man
Bake me a cake as fast as you can
Please
Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake baker’s man
Bake me a cake as fast as you can
Mix it and stir it and bake it just right
Good from the first ’til the very last bite
Write his name with lots of care
And make pretty flowers here and there
Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake baker’s man
Bake me a cake as fast as you can
Prick it and price it and mark it with a “b”
And put it in the oven for Billy and me.
How to Play
The kid can sit on the ground or on a chair with their friends. They should pat each other’s hands when singing ‘pat-a-cake’ and use different hand motions for the rest of the words. The speed of singing should become faster towards the end.
2. Apple on a stick
Wordings
Apples on a stick,
Makes me sick,
Makes my heartbeat,
2-4-6.
Not because you’re dirty,
Not because you’re clean,
Just ’cause you kissed,
A boy behind the magazine.
Girls, girls,
Wanna have some fun?
Here comes Suzy with
Her hoop skirt on.
She can wibble. She can wobble.
She can do the splits.
But I betcha ten dollars,
She can’t do this.
Close your eyes,
And count to ten.
If you miss you start again.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
How to Play
The kids need to make fists and tap them against each other’s fist three times. Then clap their right hands up and then down. Shake their hands and then snap their fingers. Then keep repeating the pattern.
3. Miss Susie
Wordings
Miss Susie had a steamboat
The steamboat had a bell,
Miss Susie went to heaven,
The steamboat went to… (add a word of your choice)
Hello Operator
Please give me number 9
If you disconnect me,
I’ll kick you from… (add a word of your choice)
Behind the refrigerator,
There lay a piece of glass,
Miss Susie sat upon it,
And cut her little… (add a word of your choice)
Ask me no more questions,
Tell me no more lies,
The boys are in the bathroom,
Zipping up their… (add a word of your choice)
Flies are in the meadow,
The bees are in the park,
Miss Susie and her boyfriend are kissing
In the dark, dark dark
How to Play
The kids can first clap their hands, then one hand of their friend and then both the hands of their friend. Then repetition of the same as they sing these hand-clapping games lyrics.
4. Say, Say, Oh Playmate
Wordings
Say, say, oh playmate,
Come out and play with me.
Bring out your dollies three.
Climb up my apple tree.
Slide down my rainbow
Into my cellar door.
And we’ll be jolly friends
Forevermore, one two three four!
How to Play
The kids can clap their hands first, and then tap their friends’ hands. Repeat the sequence and increase the speed as the lyrics progress.
5. ABC
Wordings
ABC,
As easy as 1, 2, 3.
My momma watches MTV.
My dada takes care of me.
Oh ah, I wanna piece of the pie.
Pie too sweet, I wanna piece of meat.
Meat too tough, I wanna ride a bus.
Bus too full, I wanna ride a bull.
Bull too black, I want my money back.
Money too green, I want a jelly bean.
Jelly bean not cooked, I wanna read a book.
Book not read, I wanna go to bed.
Bed not made, I want some lemonade.
Lemonade too sour, I wanna take a shower.
Shower too cool, I wanna go to school.
School too dumb, I wanna suck my thumb.
Thumb too dirty, I wanna ride a birdie.
Birdie too slow, and that’s all I know.
So close your eyes and count to ten.
Whoever messes up is a big fat hen!
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
How to Play
The kids first should put their hands together and then swish them with each other. Then clap their friend’s right hand up and down. Now while holding their right hand, snap the left hand. Repeat the hand motions.
6. Tic Tac Toe
Wordings
Tic tac toe
Give me an X
Give me an O
Give me three in a row
Don’t get hit by a UFO
How to Play
This is played by two kids by tapping each other’s opposite hands. Then clapping with both their hands and then their partner’s hands. Then holding the other person’s right hand and tap their hip with their left hand.
7. Lemonade Crunchy Ice
Wordings
Lemonade
Crunchy ice
Sip it once
Sip it twice
Lemonade
Crunchy ice
Beat it once
Beat it twice
Turn around (Turn around here)
Touch the ground (Touch the ground here)
FREEZE
How to Play
The kid needs to clap their friend’s right hand up and then clap with the left hand down. The clap both the hands of their partner and then clap their hands thrice. After clapping they turn around and touch the ground. Then shout ‘Freeze’ and the kid who moves first loses the game.
8. Pepper
Wordings
I drink Dr. Pepper don’t you see
It’s the perfect taste for me
The original taste you know.
It’s raining Peppers everywhere I go…..
I’m a Pepper, he’s a Pepper, she’s a Pepper, we’re a Pepper!
Wouldn’t you like to be a Pepper too?
Dr. Pepper…’
How to Play
Two kids can play this game by first swishing each other’s opposite hands. First, clap and then tap opposite hands. Then switch the hands and clap. Repeat.
9. Bobo Ski Watten
Wordings
Bobo ski waten taten
Eh, eh, eh eh boom boom boom
Bobo ski waten taten
Eh, eh, eh eh boom boom boom
Itty bitty waten taten
Bobo ski waten taten
Bobo ski waten taten
Freeze, freeze, American cheese
Please don’t show your______ to me
How to Play
The kids need to join their hands together and then swish their friend’s hands. Clap each other right hand, up and down. Then clap with the left hand and snap their fingers. Repeat.
10. Bim Bum
Wordings
Bim bum bim bum, biddy biddy bum,
Biddy bum, biddy biddy bum, bim bum.
Bim bum, biddy biddy bum,
Biddy bum, biddy biddy bum, bim bum.
How to Play
Kids can start this game by tapping their thighs on ‘Biddy’, snapping their fingers on ‘bum’ and clapping their hands at ‘bim’.
11. Four white Horses
Wordings
Four white horses on a river.
Hey, hey, hey, up tomorrow.
Up tomorrow is a rainy day.
Come on, join in our shadow play.
Shadow play is a ripe banana.
Hey, hey, hey, up tomorrow.
Up tomorrow is a rainy day.
How to Play
This game is played by clapping the hand of the kid standing next to one kid and then clapping the hand of the kid standing opposite to them. The kids can also tap their feet along with the lyrics.
12. Long-Legged Sailor
Wordings
Have you ever, ever, ever,
In your long-legged life,
Seen a long-legged sailor,
And his long-legged wife?
No, I’ve never, never, never,
In my long-legged life,
Seen a long-legged sailor,
And his long-legged wife.
How to Play
This game is played by two kids by first clapping their hands and then crossing their hands three times as they sing ‘ever, ever, ever’ or ‘never, never, never’. Then again clap each other’s hand and then their own hands. Repeat.
13. Miss Mary Mack
Wordings
Miss Mary Mack, Mack, Mack,
All dressed in black, black, black,
With silver buttons, buttons, buttons,
All down her back, back, back
She asked her mother, mother, mother,
For fifty cents, cents, cents,
To see the elephant, elephant, elephant.
Jump over the fence, fence, fence.
He jumped so high, high, high,
He reached the sky, sky, sky,
And he never came back, back, back,
‘Till the end of July, July, July.
How to Play
This Miss Mary Mack hand game is played by two kids by first clapping their own hands and then crossing their arms and putting them on their shoulders. Then clapping their hands again and then slapping each other’s hands. Repeat.
14. Quack Diddlee Oh So
Wordings
Quack diddlee oh so, quack quack, quack
Senorita, rita, rita, rita
Delore, delore, delora-lora lore
One, two, three, four
Quack diddlee oh so, quack quack, quack
Senorita, rita, rita, rita
Delore, delore, delora-lora lore
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine…!
How to Play
This group hand-clapping game is played by kids keeping their palms of their hands facing up. Then they keep their right hand on the left hand of the kid standing on the left. The kids keep singing the circle hand slap game song and clapping the hand of the next kid top continues the cycle. In the end, the kid who’s hand is about to clap takes their hand out of the way, wins the game.
15. Down Down Baby
Wordings
Down, down, baby
Down, down the roller coaster
Sweet, sweet, baby
I’ll never let you go
Shimmy, Shimmy cocoa pop
Shimmy, Shimmy pow
Shimmy, Shimmy cocoa pop
Shimmy, Shimmy pow!
I like coffee
I like tea
I like another boy
And he likes me
Up and down and side to side
All-around and shake it little ride
P-O-P spells POP!
How to Play
This game is played by two kids by first tapping their thighs and then clapping their hands. Then they clap each other’s hands and then snapping their fingers. Repeat.
16. Double Double
Wordings
Double, double, this, this,
Double, double, that, that,
Double this, double that,
Double, double, this, that.
How to Play
This game is played by clapping and then fist-bumping. Kids bump their fists when they sing ‘double’ and clap at ‘this’ and clap with the back of their hands-on ‘that’. Repeat.
Hand clapping games with catchy lyrics are entertaining for kids of all ages. The hand-clapping games are good for developing their motor, cognitive, and social skills. So teach your kids these entertaining hand-clapping games to help them form strong bonds with their friends.
Also Read:
Easy One Minute Games for Children
Interesting and Easy Card Games for Kids
Writing Games and Activities for Children
