Use your skills of concentration in this fast paced and fun clapping game.
How to play
Sit in a circle.
One person begins by clapping their hands together once. This “clap” is passed clockwise around the circle.
Explain then that anybody who chooses to can clap twice in quick succession, rather than once. This changes the direction the clap travels in (ie, it goes back to the person it just came from).
Try to build up speed without making mistakes!
A third rule can be added — if somebody claps 3 times in quick succession, then the clap changes direction. However it misses the first person it would normally travel to. For example, if it was moving anticlockwise, and a player clapped three times, the next player to clap would be sitting two places to their left.
Variations
For a more challenging version of the clapping game, the order of the claps is altered. Each person places their left hand on the right knee of the person to their left. They place their right hand on the left knee of the person to their right. Pass the tap around the circle using the same rules as above. (This is not a socially distanced variation)
Take it further
This is taken from the book Games, Games, Games, a publication with around 250 group games. The games are essentially co-operative in nature and develop skills and attitudes which encourage learning together and supporting one another.
If you enjoyed playing this game in your group, you could also try playing Building Rhythms.