Joc Lucas is a graphic designer and mum to 6-year old Finn, who loves music. Joc remembers the hand-clapping game Patacake from her own childhood when her grandmothers let her join in with the baking. She loved the warmth and cosiness of the kitchen and the actions which went with the song.
Here is her recollection of it along with our Playsongs version, sung by Janet Russell with illustrations by Rachel Fuller.
My grandmas played this song with me while they were baking. I liked the way they used to trace the B on my palm and use hand actions when singing the words ~ like gentle clapping on the first line (patting one palm with the other hand) and switching hands with the next line. Then there was one pat at 'Pat it', and a finger in the palm with 'prick it’ and then a trace of the letter B with ‘mark it with B’ ~ and a cuddle at the end. The ones I loved playing with Finn when he was a little baby were Round and round the garden like a teddy bear and This little piggie went to market. He loved them because of the tickling and the suspense!
Pat a cake, pat a cake, bakers man Bake me a cake as fast as you can Pat it and prick it and mark it with B and put it in the oven for Baby and me.