Handclap Games

HANDCLAP GAMES, or sidewalk songs, are not only fun to play, they are a fantastic oral storytelling tradition. Many of the rhyming, clapping games flirt with grown-up ideas like “bad words,” courtship, and power, and they do so with inventive language, simple songs, and entertaining, sometimes tricky, choreography.

The lyrics and movements to handclap games can vary depending on where a girl lives. Different regions often have different clap sequences or alternate lyrics that become popular with the girls who practice them. Below we’ve included the most standardized lyrics and verses for the most popular handclap songs, but you and your friends may know other variations.

BASIC

The basic handclapping pattern involves two people standing facing one another. The clapping begins with each person bringing up her right hand, palm facing out, and clapping hands with the other person, then clapping her own hands together, then bringing up the left hand and clapping the other person’s left hand, then clapping her own hands together. Repeat this pattern until the rhyme is done. (You can also begin with clapping your own hands, then clapping right hands together, etc.)

CROSS-ARMS

Begin with arms crossed against the chest, uncross your arms and clap your hands on your upper thighs, clap your hands together, clap right hands with your partner, clap your hands together, clap left hands with your partner, clap your hands together, clap right hands with your partner—then back to arms crossed and repeat from the beginning. Repeat until the rhyme is done.

UP-DOWN

Begin facing each other, both players with right hands up, palms facing down, and left hands down, palms facing up. Bring your right hands down and left hands up, clapping together; then switch so your left hands are up, palms facing down, and your right hands are down, palms facing up. Bring your left hands down and right hands up, clapping together. Then clap palms together straight on, then clap your own hands together. Repeat from the beginning until the rhyme is done. (Another variation is to clap as instructed, then after clapping your own hands, clap right hands together, clap your own hands, clap left hands together, clap your own hands, then start from the very beginning.)

BACK-FRONT DOUBLE CLAP

Begin by clapping right hands with your partner, clap your hands together, clap left hands together, clap your hands together TWICE, clap backs of hands with your partner, then palms of hands with your partner, then clap your hands together—then back to the beginning. Repeat until the rhyme is done.

Here are five favorites.

DOWN BY THE BANKS

(This rhyme uses the basic handclap pattern, beginning with partners clapping right hands together. This game can also be played as an elimination-style game in a group. Everyone stands in a circle with each girl’s right hand on top of the left hand of the girl on her right. Going clockwise, each girl slaps the hand of the girl to her left. At the end of the rhyme, if it is your turn and you manage to hit the next girl’s hand before she pulls it away, she is out—but if you miss, you are out. When there are only two people left, the game reverts to the twoperson basic pattern.)

Down by the banks of hanky panky where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky

with a hip hop, shimmy-shimmy pop the bank was too far and they went ker-plop!

THREE SAILORS

(This rhyme uses the basic handclap pattern, beginning with a clap, then partners clapping right hands together.)

Three sailors went to sea, sea, sea [point to your eye for each “see” or “sea”] To see what they could see, see, see, But all that they could see, see, see, Was the bottom of the deep blue sea, sea, sea

Other versions, in four verses:

The “I love you” version:

1. Three sailors went to I, I, I, to see what they could I, I, I…etc.

[point to yourself for each “I, I, I”]

2. Three sailors went to love, love, love to see what they could love, love, love…etc.

[cross your arms against your chest for each “love, love, love”]

3. Three sailors went to you, you, you to see what they could you, you, you…etc.

[point to your partner for each “you, you, you”]

4. Three sailors went to I LOVE YOU To see what they could I LOVE YOU But all that they could I LOVE YOU Was the bottom of the deep blue I LOVE YOU

[perform all three signs for each “I LOVE YOU”]

The “Disneyland” version:

1. Three sailors went to diz, diz, diz to see what they could diz, diz, diz…etc.

[twirl your finger around your ear for each “diz, diz, diz”]

2. Three sailors went to knee, knee, knee to see what they could knee, knee, knee…etc.

[touch your knee for each “knee, knee, knee”]

3. Three sailors went to land, land, land to see what they could land, land, land…etc.

[put your arms one on top of the other out in front of you for each “land, land, land”]

4. Three sailors went to DIZ-KNEE-LAND To see what they could DIZ-KNEE-LAND But all that they could DIZ-KNEE-LAND Was the bottom of the deep blue DIZ-KNEE-LAND

[perform all three signs for each “DIZ-KNEE-LAND”]

MISS MARY MACK

(This rhyme uses the “Cross-Arms” pattern.)

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 elephant, elephant, elephant Jump over the fence, fence, fence He jumped so high, high, high He reached the sky, sky, sky And he never came back, back, back Till the 4th of July, ly, ly.

(Alternate ending: girls point and shout “You lie!” after the last line about July.)

MISS SUSIE HAD A STEAMBOAT

(this rhyme uses the “Up-Down” pattern)

Miss Susie had a steamboat, the steamboat had a bell Miss Susie went to heaven, the steamboat went to—HELLO, operator, please give me number nine and if you disconnect me, I’ll kick you from—BEHIND the ’frigerator there was a piece of glass, Miss Susie fell upon it and broke her little—ASK me no more questions, I’ll tell you no more lies, Miss Susie’s in the kitchen, Making her mud pies.

SAY, SAY, OH PLAYMATE

(This rhyme uses the “Back-Front Double Clap,” with a small “intro” and a small “ending.” Intro: on the words “say, say, oh” you grab hands and swing them toward each other for the first “say,” back out for the next “say,” and then clap your hands together on “oh,” then begin the Back-Front pattern. Ending: at the words “forever more,” on the first and second “more”s you clap hands with your partner then clap hands yourself, then on the words “shut the door!” you clap hands with your partner three times.)

Say, say, oh playmate, Come out and play with me And bring your dollies three, Climb up my apple tree. Slide down my rainbow, Into my cellar door, And we’ll be jolly friends Forever more, more, shut the door!

(sometimes this verse is followed with:

I’m sorry playmate, I can not play with you. My dolly has the flu, Boo-hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo. Ain’t got no rainbow, Ain’t got no cellar door, But we’ll still be jolly friends Forever more more, ever more!)