Pat-a-Cake clapping: a play idea for 9 to 12 months
Clapping along to a rhyme joins words, rhythm and hands together. It takes about 3 minutes and uses nothing but you.
Checked October 29, 2026.
How to play
Pat-a-Cake clapping9 to 12 months · about 3 minutes
You need: nothing at all.
- Sit facing your baby.
- Say "Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man" while you clap.
- Help them clap their hands with yours.
- Roll your hands and "pat it" with your baby's name; a big sibling can lead it.
Builds: language and talking and moving and using hands. Clapping along to a rhyme joins words, rhythm and hands together.
parent.peabody.kids/play/pat-a-cake-clapping · Free, no ads
Sources
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Small Parts for Toys and Children's Products (16 CFR part 1501) (checked October 29, 2026)