Clapping hands: fun games that are good for children

Do you remember those games we played as children where you had to clap your hands? They sang songs with the lyrics a bit silly (and sometimes even meaningless) and clapped their hands respecting a sequence and a precise rhythm and then faster and faster, with parallel or crossed hands. How many hours of fun these games offered, right?

Well, clapping is actually not just a fun game, but much more. The games with applause and those where you clap your hands in fact, are also very useful because they improve the emotional, social, physical and cognitive development of children.

Clapping is a game that’s good for you

If we think about it well, in fact, clapping is a gesture we do when good things happen in life: a victory, good grades, a birthday, a party and in many other cases where there is joy. For this reason, clapping is an activity that improves the mood of children and helps in socialization (often in fact these games are played in two or even in groups). But that’s not all.
Dr. Idit Sulkin, thanks to a research he conducted on games with applause, observed that children who engage in this type of activity, demonstrate better motor and cognitive skills, are more alert and attentive, mark words well in reading, have a more orderly handwriting and better writing skills.
This also happens because the games in which you clap your hands are a great way to improve motor and coordination skills, to learn rhythm and movement, to understand the concepts of constant beat, division and sequence.

I have summarized the concept a lot, but wanting to deepen the topic on the benefits of games with clapping hands, you can find very interesting articles and studies.
For example, in this post → why teach children the games in which they clap their hands there are very detailed examples that help to understand how to clap their hands playing or going to music, helps and stimulates motor development (it is in English but you understand it well, or you can translate it with Google).

The practice of clapping

Wanting to add a note from the “alternative” style, I also read in this post → clapping and its benefits, which according to practices such as acupuncture and reflexology, the hands and palms of the hands have numerous points, which, if stimulated, trigger a positive response in our body. It would benefit the brain, heart, lungs, circulation, blood pressure, digestive system, immune system and this not only in children but also in adults. In fact, there are numerous laughter yoga centers (Hasyayoga) where the practice of clapping (clapping) is also taught.

Indicatively, children begin to clap their hands around 8/9 months , although some learn even later. In fact, every child has his own times and it may also be that for the moment clapping is not a game that interests him. At first they make funny attempts, their hands try to touch each other even if in an uncoordinated way, then slowly the movement becomes more secure and precise.
To stimulate children to Learn to Clapit is important that they enjoy themselves, and that they don’t feel it as an imposition. Hands can be clapped while singing short songs or nursery rhymes or applause can be made on particular and recurring occasions such as when the child learns to do something new. In this way, trying to imitate us, the child will begin to do spontaneously what they have seen us do.

Games to play by clapping

Once children learn to clap, it will be easier to teach them fun games and nursery rhymes. I recommend seriously considering this type of games not only for the benefits I described above, but also because playing without toys is a very important thing.

In an era where children are hyper-stimulated and iPhones and tech toys seem to reign supreme, playing a game as simple as singing and clapping can rediscover the beauty of playing without having anything.  We always did it if you remember, but unfortunately today’s children hardly know how to do it anymore.

If you want to try to teach some games and songs to clap your hands here are the ones I found for you:

Nursery rhymes and songs to clap your hands (lyrics)

• clap your hands
• If you’re happy you know it clap your hands ( clap clap )
• I was in the Tic and Tac shop
• Don Don Baby
• My name is Lola
• Nursery rhyme of the week