{"id":846,"date":"2025-06-24T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-24T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/s37407.p1377.sites.pressdns.com\/resources\/8-easy-games-for-kids-you-can-play-with-just\/"},"modified":"2025-07-18T18:26:04","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T18:26:04","slug":"easy-games-for-kids-you-can-play-with-just","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/easy-games-for-kids-you-can-play-with-just\/","title":{"rendered":"11 easy hand games for kids"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>You have shelves full of books and a playroom full of toys, but still kids want something to <em>do-oo-oo<\/em>. We know just the trick! These easy games to play with hands (yes, just hands!) will keep kids busy anywhere &mdash; the car, long lines, a doctor&rsquo;s office. And you know what&rsquo;s even better? They&rsquo;re all free!<\/p><p>These fun hand games let kids play, but they also let them put their own twist on their play. Here are 11 games to play with your hands &mdash; and grown-ups, feel free to play, too!<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-numbers-or-chopsticks\">1. Numbers (or Chopsticks)<\/h2><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Chopsticks\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gm8asL2t_oM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/figure><p><\/p><p>This finger game involves simple math and can be played by two or more players ages 5 and up. Each player begins with one finger held out on each hand. Player 1 taps one of Player 2&rsquo;s hands with her finger, causing Player 2 to hold out a second finger on that hand. Player 2 can then tap one of Player 1&rsquo;s hands with their two fingers, and Player 1 will have to hold out two more fingers on their hand, so that they now have three. When one player has 5 (or more) on one hand, that hand is &ldquo;out.&rdquo; For a fun twist, players can also &ldquo;divide&rdquo; an even number of fingers across both hands, so that if a player has four fingers on one hand and none on the other, they can split them into two and two. The last player to have a hand still in play wins.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-thumb-wrestling\">2. Thumb wrestling<\/h2><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Jane McGonigal: Massively multi-player... thumb-wrestling?\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SjsG-NgmleA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/figure><p><\/p><p>The object of this game is to pin your opponent&rsquo;s thumb down for three seconds. Curl your fingers and lock hands together, thumbs up. Chant together &ldquo;1-2-3-4, I declare a thumb war,&rdquo; then let your thumbs do the wrestling. Check out a <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/SjsG-NgmleA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">TED talk by gaming expert Jane McGonigal<\/a> on how to take this game to the next level by making it a larger-group activity.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-double-double-this-this\">3. Double, Double, This, This<\/h2><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-tiktok wp-block-embed-tiktok\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><blockquote class=\"tiktok-embed\" cite=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@mollywhuppiemusic\/video\/7236916738518994219\" data-video-id=\"7236916738518994219\" data-embed-from=\"oembed\" style=\"max-width:605px; min-width:325px;\"> <section> <a target=\"_blank\" title=\"@mollywhuppiemusic\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@mollywhuppiemusic?refer=embed\">@mollywhuppiemusic<\/a> <p>&ldquo;Double Double This This&rdquo; is usually a clapping game for two people.  Often it&rsquo;s fist bumps instead of claps.  <a title=\"handclapgame\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/handclapgame?refer=embed\">#handclapgame<\/a> <a title=\"playgroundgame\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/playgroundgame?refer=embed\">#playgroundgame<\/a> <a title=\"childhood\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/childhood?refer=embed\">#childhood<\/a> <a title=\"innerchild\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/innerchild?refer=embed\">#innerchild<\/a> <a title=\"nostalgia\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/nostalgia?refer=embed\">#nostalgia<\/a> <a title=\"coordination\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/coordination?refer=embed\">#coordination<\/a><\/p> <a target=\"_blank\" title=\"&#9836; Double double this this clapping game - Molly Whuppie\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/music\/Double-double-this-this-clapping-game-7236916755468208939?refer=embed\">&#9836; Double double this this clapping game &ndash; Molly Whuppie<\/a> <\/section> <\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/div><\/figure><p><\/p><p>This is <em>hands down<\/em> one of the easiest games for hands of little ones. See the full tutorial (it&rsquo;s short!) on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@mollywhuppiemusic\/video\/7236916738518994219?q=hand%20games&amp;t=1750773184765\">Molly Whuppie Music&rsquo;s TikTok page<\/a>, but it&rsquo;s incredibly simple, will help increase coordination, and with time, kids will get faster at it. <\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-4-concentration\">4. Concentration<\/h2><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Concentration Handclap Game\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/CojU3JiVLbs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/figure><p><\/p><p>Concentration is a hand-clapping game that challenges kids&rsquo; ability to keep rhythm and think on their feet. Two or more players sit in a circle and start the rhythm by slapping their knees, clapping their hands or snapping their fingers in a pattern. The player who is the leader chooses a category, such as names or animals, and on their turn, each player has to call out something that fits this category in time with the rhythm or they&rsquo;re &ldquo;out.&rdquo; The last remaining player wins. Check out this example of a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CojU3JiVLbs&amp;t=2s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">mom and her daughter playing together<\/a>.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-5-finger-spelling\">5. Finger spelling<\/h2><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-tiktok wp-block-embed-tiktok\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><blockquote class=\"tiktok-embed\" cite=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@thebeachclassroom\/video\/7283123892086951198\" data-video-id=\"7283123892086951198\" data-embed-from=\"oembed\" style=\"max-width:605px; min-width:325px;\"> <section> <a target=\"_blank\" title=\"@thebeachclassroom\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@thebeachclassroom?refer=embed\">@thebeachclassroom<\/a> <p>We love @Jack Hartmann <\/p> <a target=\"_blank\" title=\"&#9836; original sound - The Beach Classroom\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/music\/original-sound-7283123904216877855?refer=embed\">&#9836; original sound &ndash; The Beach Classroom<\/a> <\/section> <\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/div><\/figure><p>In this game, Player 1 closes their eyes while Player 2 traces a letter of the alphabet on Player 1&rsquo;s back or palm. Player 1 has to guess what the letter was. If they&rsquo;re right, they&rsquo;re the winner, but if they guess incorrectly, Player 2 wins. Older kids can increase the challenge by spelling out short words.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-6-di-bi-di-bi-dip-cham-cham-cham\">6. Di-Bi-Di-Bi-Dip (Cham Cham Cham)<\/h2><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"BTS playing cham cham and Rock Paper Scissors game with staff\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QJjJxq8vTdE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/figure><p><\/p><p>This two-player game from Korea is a simple way to decide a winner, similar to Rock-Paper-Scissors. The leader holds out a fist, chanting &ldquo;di-bi-di-bi-dip&rdquo; (or &ldquo;cham cham cham&rdquo;). Then both players flip their hands either horizontally or vertically. If they match, the opponent wins. If they don&rsquo;t, the leader wins.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-7-miss-mary-mack-mack-mack\">7. Miss Mary Mack, Mack, Mack<\/h2><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"RHYMES AND HAND CLAPS! Miss Mary Mack || Lemonade || Double Double This This (HD with LYRICS)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hCvH74vrOfg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/figure><p><\/p><p>From Miss Mary Mack to Miss Lucy&rsquo;s steamboat and beyond, hand-clapping games play a valuable role in child development. Researchers at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedaily.com\/releases\/2010\/04\/100428090954.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ben Gurion University&rsquo;s Music Science Lab<\/a> found these games help with handwriting, spelling and motor coordination. There are many different versions and variations of these hand-clapping games, so help your kids discover their favorites!<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-8-1-2-3-break-it-down\">8. 1, 2, 3 Break it Down<\/h2><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"1, 2, 3, Break it Down Clapping Game\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_ICDWs7lnfI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/figure><p><\/p><p>Another hand clapping game, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_ICDWs7lnfI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1, 2, 3 Break it Down<\/a> is great for large groups (think birthday parties when there&rsquo;s down time) and older kids since there&rsquo;s a lot to remember. That said, the end result sounds super cool and no doubt, kids will be proud! <\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-9-ninja\">9. Ninja<\/h2><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Denzel Curry Talks Billie Eilish &amp; How to Play Ninja | Exclusive Interview\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zyvC_FNvnS0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/figure><p><\/p><p>Ninja is played with two or more people standing in a circle, swiping at each others&rsquo; hands to eliminate them. Moving clockwise in turns, players strike a pose in one swift, Ninja-like movement and slap the hand of the person next to them to get them out. To see how it&rsquo;s played, read this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.howdoyouplay.net\/active-games\/how-to-play-ultimate-ninja.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">simple explanation<\/a>.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-10-tic-tac-toe\">10. Tic-Tac-Toe<\/h2><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Tic Tac Toe! -  Fun and Challenging Hand Clap :) | Fun Clapping Games for 2 players &#128079;\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xpmQ3tBlySM?start=17&amp;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/figure><p><\/p><p>No pen and paper? No problem! Kids can play <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=xpmQ3tBlySM&amp;t=17s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tic-Tac-Toe<\/a> with just their hands! Different from the O.G. T-T-T, this is a simple hand game that&rsquo;s perfect for two players. <\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-11-hand-slap-or-hot-hands-flinch-or-red-hands\"><strong>11. Hand Slap&nbsp;(or Hot Hands, Flinch or Red Hands)<\/strong><\/h2><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Hand Slap\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cwX-SVwyBbI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/figure><p><\/p><p>This game is not for faint-hearted adults. In this game, two players stand face to face. One places their palms up, the other hovers their hands over Player 1&rsquo;s palms. Player 1 tries to flip their hand over and slap the back of Player 2&rsquo;s hands. If the second player flinches or if Player 1 makes contact, Player 2 loses and they switch hands.<\/p><p>Introduce your little ones to fun hand games from the days before electronic devices ruled the planet. They may discover that unplugging and tuning in to each other is the best way to connect and have a good time.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Let kids put their own twist on playtime with these fun hand games to play with nothing but hands \u2014 and grown-ups can easily join in, too!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1273,"featured_media":7287,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"enable_toc":false,"care_reviewed_by":0,"care_post_updated_flag":false,"care_updated_date":"2025-06-24T04:00:00.000Z","last_update":"2025-06-24","view_count":404840,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[202],"member-type":[4],"vertical":[6,17],"platform":[2],"class_list":["post-846","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-exclude-from-trending","member-type-all","vertical-children","vertical-child-care-advice","platform-resources"],"acf":[],"created":"2015-07-02","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/846","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1273"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=846"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/846\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":219556,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/846\/revisions\/219556"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7287"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=846"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=846"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=846"},{"taxonomy":"member-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/member-type?post=846"},{"taxonomy":"vertical","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vertical?post=846"},{"taxonomy":"platform","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/platform?post=846"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}