Monday, July 13, 2009

Pouring Part 1: Conjuring Newfangled Things!


A few weeks ago, I blogged about our experience with inadequate childcare, which prompted a summer of my pouring into the girls. You can read more about that here. One aspect of the pouring involves reigniting their playful nature. So, I thought what better way to add some levity, than to indulge them in silly childhood clapping games! Now, this little song is a bit different from the way I remember singing it when I was their age, but I think we accomplished our goal none-the-less.

Remember those hand games we used to play as kids? You and your girlfriends or-- if you were as fortunate as I was-- your sisters would sing a song accompanied by rhythmic clapping and hand gestures.  For example, here the girls are singing a novel chant that goes:  Down, down, baby;  I can do karate. Down, down, baby; I can call my mommy.  Down, down, baby; I can eat salami.  Oops!  I'm sorry.  I'm not sorry.  Peek-a-peek-a-boo!  Peek-a-peek-a-boo!

These silly hand games have a way of making them revisit their silliness in ways that nothing else can.  They can't keep from giggling when playing these games.  It doesn't matter that the songs they chant don't make any sense or that they butcher the rhythm.  There are no age or ethnic pre-requisites. In this space of innocence all that matters is that everyone is laughing and having fun! I think everybody should do this every once in a while with their kids.

So, take a walk down memory lane with your kids today. Sing some nonsensical song from childhood. Laugh! Clap! Recite away, as loud as you can or as fast as your hands can slap! And when you realize that you've just chanted a bunch of stuff that makes absolutely no sense at all, sing some more nonsense! Pat your thighs, touch the ground, and conjure some other newfangled thing!


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5 comments:

Alli said...

Absolutely precious!

Lisa P said...

The words you typed are actually the words? Yikes. I completely butchered a non-sensical song my whole childhood. Come to think of it, Aris might say that I still do that to songs on the radio...great post!

Dionne Sincire said...

i think there are different versions of the song floating around. i think that's one of the great things about these hand clapping games. it's an oral tradition that takes on new forms as it gets past along from one culture to the next, from one generation the next, and so on. for instance, the chant i remember had something to do with a roller coaster. :0)

Diane Davis said...

you and teddy sure made pretty kids...

Tee-Tee said...

my girls are the bomb!!!

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