Fine motor development
Toddlers participate in a song that involves clapping.
Carpet squares—1 per child
[Arrange carpet squares in an open area. If toddlers are interested in your actions, explain that you are getting ready for some singing time. Invite toddlers to singing time by walking around the room singing a little clapping song. See the following possibility.
A Song for Inviting Toddlers to Singing Time
Tune: “Go in and Out the Window”
[Clap softly as you sing]
Come over and clap with me,
Come over and clap with me,
Come over and clap with me.
We will have some fun.
Encourage each toddler to sit on a carpet square.]
I have a fun song for us to learn and sing.
[Point to your ears and eyes as you refer to each.]
Please listen with your ears. Please watch me with your eyes.
We can clap our hands together during our song. Let’s practice clapping our hands. Let’s all clap together.
[Demonstrate clapping with exaggerated motions. Lead toddlers in clapping for a few seconds. It is not necessary to clap in unison.]
Our song will tell us when to clap. I will sing our song and clap my hands. Please listen to the words of our song and watch my hands.
[Sing the song below with enthusiasm. Clap your hands at the appropriate times. Encourage toddlers to clap their hands.]
Clap, Clap, Clap Your Hands
Tune: “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”
Clap, clap, clap your hands.
Clap along with me.
Clap with (child’s name),
and Clap with (child’s name).
Clap so merrily.
He got to the other side.
I will sing the song again. We are learning when to clap.
[Encourage toddlers to sing if they like. Remind toddlers to clap when the song says clap.]
We clapped our hands while singing a song. The words in our song told us when to clap our hands. We had a fun time with our song. It is fun to clap with friends.
Be prepared to positively acknowledge a range of participation in the activity. There may be striking differences across toddlers in learning the words to the song and clapping with the song. During the clapping-practice segment especially, pay attention to whether some toddlers may benefit from additional support for how to clap. Use a slower pace and exaggerated arm and hand movements to demonstrate clapping. Avoid hand-over-hand movement of a toddler’s hands.
Some toddlers may join the activity after it begins and will need your guidance on where to sit. It may be challenging for some toddlers to maintain self-control if they feel excited. Help toddlers focus attention on their hands by describing and showing where to place our hands. Examples: “Our hands are for clapping.” “Our hands are for holding on our laps.”
Extra support
Enrichment
Fine motor development
Toddlers participate in a song that involves different hand and arm movements.
None
Begin the activity with the Option 1 activity. Encourage toddlers to listen to the words of our song and clap their hands. Omit the suggested repeat of the song if toddlers are familiar with when to clap during the song. Encourage toddlers to join you in singing.
Include 2–3 more verses/actions from the following possibilities:
Provide a brief demonstration of each action. Emphasize the use of our finger(s) to tap our toes and our shoulder or arm. Tapping a shoulder or arm with the opposite hand may need more demonstration time and brief practice than other actions. Remind toddlers to listen to the words of the song and watch your hands. While the first verse (Option 1) of the song can be done while sitting, invite toddlers to stand for the additional verses/actions.
The additional verses/actions offered in this Option 2 provide more challenge than the clapping included in Option 1. Tapping a shoulder or arm with the opposite hand is an action that crosses the midline. Cognitive benefits of crossing the midline are described in the ELM Curriculum User Guide: Birth–36 Months. It does not matter whether a toddler uses his/her right or left hand to cross the midline. Pay close attention to whether some toddlers find this action challenging to do, and be prepared to provide a brief practice opportunity after your focused demonstration. The “stomp our feet” suggestion is a fully gross motor action that toddlers may appreciate after a series of fine motor actions with their hands.
Extra support
Enrichment
Fine motor development
Toddlers participate in a song that involves hand actions and signals to stop.
Shaker, maraca, or similar rhythm instrument
Use the rhythm instrument in the following simple song to help toddlers follow requests for clapping or tapping and stopping. You may wish to say rather than sing the verses. Use the rhythm instrument continuously during the song (shaking it to the beat of the song) and accentuate the last shake at the point you say or sing stop.
In advance of offering the song, demonstrate and lead toddlers in brief practices of clapping, tapping, and stopping. Explain that we are practicing for fun. Demonstrate where to put hands when you say or sing stop. Example: put hands in front of body with palms showing.
This is intended as a fun, lighthearted activity. Repeat a verse or song if toddlers seem interested.
Clapping and Tapping
Tune: “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”
Clap, clap, clap your hands.
Clap and clap and clap.
Clap, clap, clap, clap.
Clap and clap and stop!
Tap, tap, tap your tummy.
Tap and tap and tap.
Tap, tap, tap, tap.
Tap and tap and stop!
You can strengthen supports for the “stop” request by coordinating an accentuated last shake of the rhythm instrument with an emphasis on the word “stop.” Continuous shaking of the rhythm instrument provides a cue to continue clapping or tapping. Still, do not expect all toddlers to stop an action on cue or clap in unison.
Paying attention to stop requests is not the only challenge of this activity. Your use of the rhythm instrument means that your hands are not free to demonstrate clapping. Toddlers have the opportunity to lead the clapping. For the tapping action, you could use one hand to manipulate the rhythm instrument and your other hand to tap your tummy. This is not a strong demonstration of tapping because some toddlers may look at the rhythm instrument and not your hand that is tapping. The suggested brief practice sessions prior to offering the song can help toddlers manage these reasonable challenges. It also is important to positively accept a range of approaches to participation in the activity.
Extra support
Enrichment
Materials Needed: musical instruments, basket, Clap Your Hands by Lorinda Bryan Cauley
Display and share the book Clap Your Hands. Talk with toddlers about times they have clapped their hands, such as at a party or during a song we sing in our room. On another day, place musical instruments in a basket on a low table. Encourage toddlers to make sounds with the instruments and by clapping. Draw attention to how we use our hands to make sounds with instruments and with clapping.
Materials Needed: see activity description
Preschool-age children may enjoy participating in the Option 3 activity. Also, consider leading toddlers and preschool-age children in clapping in different ways, such as the following: clapping fast, clapping slow, clapping high (hands up high), and clapping low (bend to clap).
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