When Can Babies Play Patty-Cake?

Not every toy needs to croon a tune or display bright lights. In fact, the best games to play with babies are ones that build cognitive skills while giving you plenty of opportunities to interact and bond. That's why patty-cake, which stimulates as it teaches, is such a classic game for babies. Hand-eye coordination, social and verbal development and fine motor skills are baked right in.

And even if you don’t think you’ve got much rhythm, playing patty-cake is, um, a piece of cake! Here’s how to do it, plus some other fun finger games to add to your playtime routine.

When can babies play patty-cake?

By month 3, many babies are able to bring their hands together in a clapping motion. With your help, your infant can build on this exciting small motor skill, combining clapping with other hand movements like rolling and patting. However, many babies won't be able to play patty-cake on their own until 12 months.

How to play patty-cake with your baby

As your baby grows, give her lots of opportunities to practice patty-cake. Almost any time baby is awake and alert is a good moment to play this type of finger game. The more practice she gets with games that combine visual development, fine motor skills and social interaction, the better. 

Need a refresher course on the lyrics? Here you go:

"Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's mann!

Bake me a cake as fast as you can."

Help your child "pat" and "roll" as you continue:

"Pat it, and prick it, and mark it with a B."

Touch baby's face and then your own as you finish:

"And bake it in the oven for baby and me!"

You can warm up to finger games by offering toys with varying textures, shapes and sizes: blocks, balls, activity boards, soft dolls and even objects from around the house like measuring cups and wooden spoons.

Handling and manipulating different kinds of objects will help her build the manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination that make patty-cake so much fun. 

More hand clapping games for babies 

Once you’ve mastered patty-cake, work these other finger games and activities into the mix:

• "Itsy-Bitsy Spider." Touch your left index finger to your right thumb, then swap back and forth to turn your hands into spiders: "The itsy-bitsy spider crawled up the water spout." Now make your fingers into falling rain: "Down came the rain and washed the spider out." Sweep your hands and arms up into a sun shape: "Out came the sun and dried up all the rain." Now back to spider fingers: "And the itsy-bitsy spider went up the spout again." 
• Peek-a-boo. There’s no wrong way to hide your face behind your hands and then pop out from behind them as you exclaim “Peek-a-boo!” You can also hold your baby’s hands over your face to the same effect or spring from behind a chair or door frame and say “Boo!” again.
• "This Little Piggy." Gently squeeze your baby’s toes when you tell this adorable story, starting with her big toe and moving down the row to her baby one saying: “This little went to market, this little piggy stayed home. This little piggy ate roast beef, but this little piggy had none. And this little piggy cried wee wee wee all the way home.” After the last toe, race your fingers from her foot along her body and up to tickle her chin.
• "Pop! Goes the Weasel." This classic song is the tune that often plays when you crank the handle of a Jack-in-the-box toy. You can sing it without this springy box using your hands to turn in a circle and then popping them in the air at the end.
• "The Wheels on the Bus." How do the wheels on the bus move? Yup — round and round (move your hands in a circle). Next, the people on the bus go up and down (and so does your body). Continue with the babies crying and the driver saying “Move on back,” matching the motions with the song’s lyrics.
• "Five in the Bed." This cute ditty is about five little ones in a too-small bed. “There were five in the bed and the little one said ‘Roll over, roll over.’ So they all rolled over and one fell out. There were four in the bed and the little one said…” Keep counting to the last one who says “Good night!” Turn your hands and hold up each number with your fingers as you count down.

What not to worry about

Too much play? No such thing. During these early months of babyhood, your little one can't get enough playtime, because play is how she grows — and right now, growing is her full-time job. Babies are surprisingly good at letting you know when they've had enough stimulation, too. 

Watch your little one's visual cues: When it's time to take a breather, she'll suddenly appear distracted and bored rather than engaged, and she’ll turn her head away or fuss. 

Playing hand clapping and finger games like patty-cake with your baby can teach her about rhythm, language and hone fine motor skills. But the best part of these activities might be that they just require you and your baby — no special equipment — and you can play them anytime, anywhere.