I loved hand clapping games as a kid. They were fairly popular in the 80’s. I have fond memories of being at my family’s cottage and playing clapping games and clapping rhymes on the dock. My best friend and I would clap and move in a circle while we sang the songs. It was fun at recess during school, too. I even remember some from summer camp.

Research has shown that not only are these clapping games fun for kids, but hand clapping songs improve motor and cognitive skills, too.

What hand clapping games or clapping rhymes do you remember? I’ll add it to the list. Some of these were so much fun.

Here’s a few hand clapping games that I remember:

A sailor went to sea sea sea

 

A sailor went to sea, sea, sea,
To see what he could see, see, see.
But all that he could see, see, see
Was the bottom of the deep blue sea, sea, sea.

A sailor went to chop, chop, chop,
To see what he could chop, chop, chop.
But all that he could chop, chop, chop
Was the bottom of the deep blue chop, chop, chop.
Sea, sea, sea.

A sailor went to knee, knee, knee,
To see what he could knee, knee, knee,
But all that he could knee, knee, knee,
Was the bottom of the deep blue knee, knee, knee.
Chop, chop, chop.
Sea, sea, sea.

A sailor went to snap, snap, snap,
To see what he could snap, snap, snap.
But all that he could snap, snap, snap
Was the bottom of the deep blue snap, snap, snap.
Knee, knee, knee.
chop, chop, chopp.
Sea, sea, sea.

A sailor went to jump, jump, jump,
To see what he could jump, jump, jump.
But all that he could jump, jump, jump
Was the bottom of the deep blue jump, jump, jump.
Snap, snap, snap.
Knee, knee, knee.
chop, chop, chopp.
Sea, sea, sea.

Miss Mary Mack

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

Miss Susie

Miss Susie had a steamboat,
the steamboat had a bell.
Miss Susie went to heaven
and the steamboat went to Hell–

Hello, operator,
Please give me number nine
And if you disconnect me
I’ll kick you from be–

’hind the ’frigerator,
there was a piece of glass
Miss Susie stepped upon it
and broke her little

Ask-a me no more questions,
I’ll tell-a you no more lies,
The boys are in the bathroom
zipping up their

Flies are in the city
The bees are in the park
Miss Susie and her boyfriend
are kissing in the

D-A-R-K
D-A-R-K
D-A-R-K
Dark, dark, dark,

Another version (sometimes called Miss Lucy):
Miss Suzie had a baby, His name was Tiny Tim,
She put him in the bathtub, to see if he could swim,
He drank up all the water, He ate up all the soap,
He tried to eat the bathtub,
but it wouldn’t go down his throat
Miss Suzie called the doctor, the doctor called the nurse,
The nurse called the lady with the alligator purse,
Mumps said the doctor, Measles said the nurse,
Nothing said the lady with the alligator purse,
Miss Suzie kicked the doctor, Miss Suzie hit the nurse,
And then she paid the lady with the alligator purse

(sometimes people say get out you crazy doctor, get out you crazy nurse, get out you crazy lady with the alligator purse)

Say, Say, Oh Playmate (so many versions of Oh Playmate are available)

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!

Another longer version:

See, see my playmate,
Come out and play with me
And bring your dollies three
Climb up my apple tree
Holler down my rain barrel
Slide down my cellar door
And we’ll be jolly friends
Forever evermore.

Oh no my playmate
I can’t come play with you
My dollies have the flu
Boo hoo boo hoo
Can’t holler down rain barrels
Or slide down a cellar door
But well be jolly friends
Forever evermore.

Say, say, my playmate
Don’t come and play with me
Don’t bring your dollies three
Cut down my apple tree
Fall off my rainbow,
Into my cellar door
And we’ll be enemies
Forever evermore.

Say, say my enemy.
Come out and fight with me.
And bring your Bulldogs three.
Climb up my sticker tree.
Slide down my lightning.
Into my dungeon door
And we’ll be jolly enemies
Forever evermore.

Say say old enemy
Come out and fight with me
And bring your BB gun
And we’ll have lots of fun
I’ll scratch your eyes out
And make you bleed to death
And we’ll be jolly enemies
Forever evermore.

Oh little enemy,
I cannot fight with you,
My mommy said not too
Boo hoo hoo hoo
I can’t scratch your eyes out
And make you bleed to death
But we’ll be jolly enemies
Forever evermore.

 

I also loved action songs from camp. These didn’t always rhyme and weren’t always hand clapping games. But they were still a lot fun. My favorite camp song is Boomerang Chili Chili. I can still remember dancing and singing it at safety patrol camp.

Boomerang Chili Chili

Hands up!
Chili chili, chili chili chili
Hands down!
Chili chili, chili chili chili
Turn around!
chili chili, chili chili chili
Touch the ground!
Chili chili, chili chili chili

Hey ________,
Don’t be afraid!
Show us how you boomerang!
(do a dance move)

Boomerang!
chili chili, chili chili chili
Boomerang!
Chili chili, chili chili chili

(start over again from the beginning)

Here are some more action songs:

Actions Song List

 

Photo by Sitternook