Why patty cake?
Patty cake is a great brain break when children are restless.
When you patty cake you cross the midline which activates both sides of the brain.
It's good for eye-hand coordination.
It's TPR - Total Physical Response - motor skills and oral language.
Patty cake encourages self-regulation and the executive function.
It nurtures 21st century skills - cooperation, collaboration, and communication.
You've got purposeful practice for automaticity (aka repetition) because children will want to do it over and over.
How about INTENTIONAL TEACHING? Choose words or skills you are working on and integrate them into this movement game.
It's free, simple, environmentally friendly, sugar-free...Doesn't get much better than that!!
What skills can you practice?
In addition to traditional hand clap chants like "Miss Mary Mack," you can practice these skills.
Sight Words
Children face a partner. They say the word as they clap. They cross and tap partner’s hands on each letter. Then high five and say the word in the air.
the (clap hands)
t (right hand)
h (left hand)
e (right hand)
the (high five)
Children face a partner. They say the word as they clap. They cross and tap partner’s hands on each letter. Then high five and say the word in the air.
the (clap hands)
t (right hand)
h (left hand)
e (right hand)
the (high five)
Clap right hands and say a letter. Cross left hands and make the sound.
A (right hand)
/a/ (left hand)
B (right hand)
/b/ (left hand)
C through Z
Counting
Count by one’s, five’s, ten’s, etc.
Nursery Rhymes
Patty cake nursery rhymes.
*Use the tune to "100 Bottles of Pop on the Wall" or "Yankee Doodle.)
Math Facts
Say addends and then high five the sum.
3 (right hand)
plus (left hand)
4 (right hand)
equals (left hand)
7 (high five)
Here's a patty cake video I made several (well, many) years ago with my grandson.
http://bit.ly/drjeanPattyCakePlay