Shake, tap, clap

Ages 0 to 2 A grown-up reads and plays along · about 10 minutes

Read together

Shake, shake, shake! Tap, tap, tap!

Clap, clap, clap! Stop. Now quiet.

Do it

1. Make a shaker from a plastic bottle with a few dry beans or rice, with the lid glued shut and taped. Check that it is sealed. Or use a wooden spoon and a pan as a drum.
2. Play music or sing. Shake, tap and clap along.
3. Play fast, then slow. Play loud, then quiet. Stop completely and say “Stop!”
4. Say the words as you play: “Shake, tap, clap.”

Talk about it

• Can you play fast and slow?
• What sound is the loudest?

For the grown-up

Rhythm is a first music lesson, and a child's body learns steady beats by moving to them.

Mark as done

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Where this comes from

This is a play and practice activity with no factual claims to source.

Written with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed. Please read it before sharing it with a child.