Materials published in the Children's Folklore Review (CFR) remain the property of their authors. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. The bond between the girls resonates in rhythm beyond any description on paper. Peter and Iona Opie, highly respected children's folklorists in the English-speaking world during the middle and late twentieth century, wrote 'A printed page cannot convey the exuberance of children singing these games' (Singing Game vii). The widespread appeal of the tradition can be more thoroughly appreciated by viewing the action. It is my goal to expand appreciation of this worldly, though some would argue commonplace, activity by producing a documentary video based on fieldwork and research. This paper discusses four distinct aspects of the genre: (1) enculturation in the formation of childhood social identity (2) the influence of ethnic factors (3) the use of audio-visual media in recording the genre and (4) the constraints in classification ofhandclaps. It is a medium executed in plain sight whereby girls have private interactions that are nearly codified, without the need of any externally imposed structure.

Yet these games supply many meaningful observations of how young girls perceive themselves and others. The poetry is prosaic the music, not much to note. Upon close scrutiny this praxis is seen to be profound in its treatment of serious issues, even though initially it may appear mundane. The activity is child-initiated, tactile, and rhythmic. Participation in the handclap game reveals a fascinating exhibition of the cooperative nature of girlhood.

Handclaps, often overlooked and challenging to document, are a striking folklore tradition shared predominantly by young girls between the ages of five and eleven on every populated continent and many islands between.

The Singing Game by Iona Opie