Time management with children is often about time-stretching strategies. Seasoned teachers know how to get extra miles out of an activity by making up new variations of a song or game.
Any song suited for clapping as you sing is a candidate for creative clapping. We use one of our Scripture songs that tells us to clap: “Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!” (Psalm 47:1 ESV) The day we learned the song, we clapped the usual way, but the next Sunday we changed things up. The 30-second song filled two or three minutes, and we added repetitions in a way the children didn’t mind. As a song, the Bible verse becomes:
Clap your hands,
Clap your hands
All peoples!
Shout to God,
Shout to God
With loud songs of joy!
Clap your hands,
Clap your hands
All peoples!
Shout to God,
Shout to God
With loud songs of joy!
Once we could sing the song with a little confidence, a new way to clap was introduced every three lines. We clapped hands out in front of us and hands behind our backs, hands over our heads, hands to either side, hands clapping in vertical passes (like playing cymbals…correctly!) and hands flat on top of each other, rotating which hand was on top with each clap.
Oh, for video right here! But, you get the idea. Step outside the box of what a clap looks like, and make up some more! We haven’t tried clapping with a partner…yet. Get ready, class!
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