A Clapping Game. Let’s Clap "Pease Porridge Hot"

Do you know a game that is a song, a poem, and a dance all at the same time? 

It's a fun-tastic clapping game called "Pease Porridge Hot!"

It is a super old game, and it comes from a nursery rhyme that people have known for hundreds of years! It's great to play with a friend.

"Joyful claps echo as a parent and child engage in the playful hand clapping game 'Pease Porridge Hot,' set against a backdrop of a whimsical playground."

Get ready to clap, sing, and giggle!

What You Need

1. One friend to play with you.

2. Your hands!

   
   

The Words

First, you need to learn the words of the rhyme. They are short and easy to remember!

Pease porridge hot,Pease porridge cold,Pease porridge in the pot,Nine days old!

Some say it is "Pease pudding" and some say it is "Pease porridge." They both mean the same yummy, thick pea dish!

How to Play: The 'Clapping Game' Actions

You and your partner sit facing each other, ready to clap. You need to do the actions right as you say the word!

Here is the secret recipe for the claps:

Word or Phrase	Action
Pease	Clap both hands to your own thighs.
porridge	Clap your own hands together.
hot/cold/old	Clap both hands to your partner's hands (a high-five with both hands!).
in the	Clap your right hand to your partner's right hand.
pot	Clap your own hands together.
nine	Clap your left hand to your partner's left hand.
days	Clap your own hands together.

You do all the actions one after the other, very quickly, as you say the words! Once you finish the first four lines, you just do it all again for the next four lines.

Ready, Set, Go!

Let's try it out! Say the words and do the actions at the same time. The first time, go slow. The second time, go a little faster!

If you get really good, you can try to say the whole rhyme faster and faster until you can't stop giggling!

Step	Action	Word
1	Clap thighs	Pease
2	Clap own hands	porridge
3	Clap partner's hands	hot
4	Clap thighs	Pease
5	Clap own hands	porridge
6	Clap partner's hands	cold
7	Clap thighs	Pease
8	Clap own hands	porridge
9	Clap right hands only	in the
10	Clap own hands	pot
11	Clap left hands only	nine
12	Clap own hands	days
13	Clap partner's hands	old

This fun game was found in an old book called "The Song Play Book" from 1882.

People have been having fun with this rhyme for a long, long time.

Have fun playing this ancient and awesome clapping game.

Try teaching it to someone new.