Clapping along to rhymes is a great way for children to listen out for rhythms.
Listening for rhythm helps children to pay attention to language too. Try speeding up and slowing down as you sing and clap.
How can you encourage your baby to clap?
Some babies will start putting their hands together and start the early stages of clapping at around 9 months old but every baby is different and some might take longer.
If you're trying to encourage your child to clap along with you, the best thing you can do is model the action. You can also try holding your baby’s hands and bringing them together while saying, "Clap, clap, clap."
Work on clapping at different speeds. Babies love variety and unexpected events, so speeding up and slowing down your clapping as you sit together can make the practice funny and exciting.
Try singing along to nursery rhymes as you clap together, or perhaps you could practise playing copycat and keep showing your baby how to clap and then tell them when it's their turn to do the same.
Singing, clapping and copying each other is a great way to community and, most of all, have fun together!
Image caption, Clapping to rhymes helps develop an awareness of rhythms.
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