Copy My Clap
What you need
- a cushion each to sit on
How to do it
- Sit facing each other.
- Clap twice and say 'your turn'. Wait for them to clap twice back.
- Try a new pattern: clap, clap, pat your knees.
- Let them make up a pattern for you to copy.
Why it matters
Copying a short pattern of sounds is listening, remembering and doing, all in a few seconds.
What they're learning
- Listening
- Hearing how many claps there were before copying them.
- Patterns
- Clap, clap, pat is a pattern they can hear and feel.
- Taking turns
- Your turn, my turn: a whole game of waiting and going.
What to look for
Watch for them pausing to count your claps in their head before they copy.
A tip
Keep the first patterns very short so they get the feel of copying before it gets harder.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: clap one clap at a time, or do it together rather than copying
Harder: make the patterns longer, or add a quiet clap and a loud clap
