I remember when I was kid, we used to play a lot of hand play games (or clapping games). One thing I remember specifically is going on a trip with one of my cousins and, to occupy our time in the car, we played many different hand clapping games. And of course, we played I spy - which is also a huge hit with my daughter.
Below are some of the hand games / clapping games that we've been having fun with lately. Sophie also likes to stack objects and sort colors. In the pictures, she is playing with a set of dominoes by eBoo. It's a versitile set because you can do a lot of different things with it beyond playing dominoes (stack, sort, build!).
Lemonade
lemonade (clap 3x)
crunchy ice (clap 3x)
sip it once (clap 3x)
sip it twice (clap 3x)
lemonade (clap once)
crunchy ice (clap once)
sip it once (clap once)
sip it twice (clap once)
FREEZE! (say "freeze" and then freeze your body)
Open, shut
open, shut them (say that while opening and shutting your hands)
give a little clap, clap, clap! (clap as you say each "clap")
lay them in your lap, lap, lap (clap as you say each "lap" while your hands are in your lap)
creep them, creep them, slowly creep them (while creeping your fingers up your arm)
right up to your chin (stop at mouth)
open wide! (say this and open mouth)
(quickly sing) but do not let them in! (race your fingers down your arm)
Herman the Worm
I was sitting on my fence post, chewing on a carrot: chomp chomp chomp (make noise of chewing)
Playing with my yo-yo, down up, down up (make up down movements with hands)
When along came Herman the Worm and he was this big (hands small distance apart)
and I said to him "Herman how did you get that way?" and he said "I swallowed a fly"
repeat until "I swallowed" then change to different animal as hands get progressively further and further apart.
I swallowed a dog, alligator, cow, horse, elephant, etc.
Then hands go back to small distance apart (5cm) "Herman how did you get that way?"
And Herman says: "I burped".
