Pass the clap games?

[nafmeadmin]

I love those pass the clap games like “down by the banks with the hankey pankey…” I was aware of the “quack diddleyoso” one, but a student just taught me a new one.
Tarzan the Monkey man, swinging on a rubber band, fell down and broke his crown, what color was his blood?” and that person picks a color, and then they continue to clap spelling the color, one clap for each letter until the last person is out.
Are any of you familiar with any other such games? I’d love for you to share them with me!
Thanks!

[nafmeadmin]

Yep, Tarzan is all the rage now!! Even my 6th graders loved playing it. I highly doubt they would have played it if I had taught it to them, haha.
With “down by the banks” I changed the words from “hanky panky” to “nanky nanky” just to be careful and not have worries about connotations being it’s a children’s song.
I don’t have any others off the top of my head. There are tons of fun circle games which kids love, but they don’t involve hand clapping. Ultimate Camp Resource has a tab with a database.

[nafmeadmin]

We spent hours playing this one at recess, though I’ve never heard it outside of my elementary school:

Oom pa pe colony colonasta,
Oom pa pe (rest) colony,
Acadaymi safari, acadaymi buff buff!

(If your hand gets clapped on the last “buff” you’re out, or if that person pulls their hand back and you clap your own hand, you’re out)

[nafmeadmin]

🙂 Thank you for posting that song!! I played that ALL the time growing up and in girl scouts, but I entirely forgot about it. We called it Oom Pah Pee. That was the 1980s version of “Tarzan” – we couldn’t get enough of it and even the older kids begged to play it with us!!
To clarify, this circle game is played sitting in a circle with hands out, right hand over, left hand under.

[nafmeadmin]

Awesome posts! Thanks for sharing. New material is always welcome. I’d be interested to hear what general location you all are from because sometimes the recess games that are “all the rage” take a bit of time to make it to Nevada! 🙂 I certainly will be stealing “Tarzan”–how fun!

Bridget James
Western Division Representative
Council for General Music Education, NAfME

[nafmeadmin]

I grew up in Cincinnati but am on my way out to Nevada! I just got a job in Clark County for the upcoming year 😀

[nafmeadmin]

@gragans034,

Congratulations on your employment in the great Battle Born State! Good luck with the move and once you arrive make sure you get a copy of our state song, “Home Means Nevada.” 🙂 I am in Washoe County–if you are ever in Reno, look me up!!!

Bridget James
Western Division Representative
Council for General Music Education, NAfME

[nafmeadmin]

I teach in an urban district in CT. Generally kids play these games before or after school, or during other free time. (My school does get recess – some don’t due to scores – but they tend to play on the playground during recess.) If I finish a couple minutes early, they ask to play this or other “trendy” games. Funny how certain games suddenly gain popularity.

I had a general idea of The Cup Game (find it on YouTube), a game whereby students gather in a circle with one cup. Come to realize this is all the rage with my 4th graders. …. The participants perform a clap pattern with their hands and the cup, then pass the cup to the next person. After a couple times at one speed, another cup is added and it speeds up. One day the rhythm stick game which I planned for the last ten minutes of class didn’t take off as I had planned. Students began playing the Cup Game with rhythm sticks instead, so I gave them paper cups (for my after-school choir) and they had a blast. The little things, you know!!

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