A first-time ever study has been done on hand clapping games! Important skills are gained by this activity, like motor skills and cognitive development. The rhyme and rhythm of this activity are well known early literacy skills.
Leave it to children to naturally make the things we work so hard to teach into a fun game!
Check out the study and then learn or revisit some hand claps with your kids!
http://www.israel21c.org/201008108010/culture/applause-for-clapping-your-hands
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Directions for basic hand clapping game
Face your clapping partner. Begin by clapping your hands together at the same time, then reach out with your right hand to clap your partner’s right hand. Next, clap your hands again. Now reach out with your left hand and clap your partner’s left hand. Repeat. Clap on the beat. You can mix it up or clap straight across with both hands.
Miss Susie
Miss Suzie had a steamboat
The steamboat had a bell
Miss Suzie went to heaven
The steamboat went to
Hello operator
Please give me number nine
If you disconnect me
I’ll kick you from
Behind the refrigerator there was a piece of glass
Miss Suzie sat upon it and cut her little
Ask me no more questions
Tell me no more lies
The boys are in the bathroom zipping up their
Flies are in the meadow
The bees are in the park
Miss Suzie and her boyfriend are kissing in the
Dark is like a movie
A movie’s like a show
A show is like a TV screen
And that is all I know
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Say, Say, Oh Playmate
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!
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Miss Mary Mack
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 elephants, elephants, elephants
Jump over the fence, fence, fence
They jumped so high, high, high
They touched the sky, sky, sky
And didn’t come back, back, back
Till the fourth of July, July, July
