Rhymes are short poems which are taught to young children. ‘If you happy and you know clap your hands’ is a famous repetitive song which is mainly sung by children. Children find it easier to remember songs compared to plain words. They learn to sing along with the song even before they know the meaning of the whole song. This helps them develop their vocabulary slowly. With the help of these rhymes, kids can understand the basics of reading. Rhymes help in preserving the history of oral records. Oral records are stories which are told from the mouth of one person to another. This makes it easy to remember what has been taught orally compared to those taught through writing. These rhymes are remembered through life which is then passed to other generation.
History
The song was published in many places in the 1900s. It was to be used by children during recreational and vacations time. It was used during drama festivals and other children ceremonies.
The common version goes like:
If you happy and you know clap your hands-x2
If you happy and you know, and you really want to show if you happy and you know clap your hands.
The song then follows with different verses like ‘stomp your feet’ which replace the rhyme.
Where people come in contact with the rhyme
This rhyme is mostly taught in nursery schools. It is played most times even during break time or when they are free. This helps children learn new vocabulary in an interesting way. Education begins in nursery school where kids are taught colors, told stories and sing to those rhymes. Teaching them with rhymes makes them learn many things in an easy and interesting way. The song is popular with nursery school teachers, camp counselors, and most parents. The rhyme is also sung by children in their parties.
Meaning of the rhyme
The rhyme means that if someone is happy he can clap his hands. When they say turn around, the kids usually turn then they stomp their feet. It teaches the children to celebrate whenever something good happens.
Significance
The rhyme helps children identify their body parts as they use them. The children learn how to follow instructions through clapping hands and touching their feet and this is an essential part of their life. They can relax after playing, and this makes them have good self-control. Singing and dancing to the rhyme is part of exercising which is beneficial to their health. The jumping up and down and shaking their hands is part of flexibility. All children are involved during the jumping, singing and clapping hands, and this makes them active. Children learn the bible as they sing because people believe the clap ur hand part is part of a bible version. It helps children get their balance example when they turn around. Repeating the phrases of the songs boosts the children memory, and this makes them first learners.