Clap, Clap, Clap: NCERT Class 1 English Poem (Raindrops Chapter 1)

etmantra4 Feb 20208 min read

The first chapter of Raindrops gets children off their seats. Each line is one action word said three times, so even a child who is just starting English can join in. It is a happy way to learn that words can tell us what to do.

Open now: the CALP Class 1 English course (Mridang)
Every lesson of Mridang, NCERT’s new book, with read-along videos, new words with Hindi meanings, and listen-and-say practice with a score, made for young children with a parent nearby. ₹999 for the whole year, and “Start here” and the first lesson’s notes are free to try.
See the free lessons and enrol →

From the NCERT English book Raindrops for Class 1, chapter 1. NCERT’s newer Class 1 book is Mridang, but many schools still teach Raindrops.

Watch: Clap, Clap, Clap

Play the video three or four times. The first time, just listen. Then point at the pictures, and from the third time, say the lines along with the video. Short, repeated listening is how CALP builds a child’s English.

What your child learns

Six action words: clap, tap, hop, stop, jump, run
Listening to a word and doing what it says
Saying words to a steady beat
Hearing rhymes: clap and tap, hop and stop

What the poem is about

This is a rhyme made of action words. Each word is said three times, like a beat: clap, tap, hop, jump and run. In between, the rhyme tells children to stop, so they must listen carefully and freeze.

The poem has no story. Its fun is in doing. Children hear a word, do the action, and slowly learn that each word has a meaning they can show with their body.

New words, with Hindi meanings

clap: to hit your hands together to make a sound (हिंदी: ताली बजाना)
tap: to touch something lightly and quickly, like a foot on the floor (हिंदी: थपथपाना)
hop: to jump on one foot or with small jumps (हिंदी: फुदकना)
stop: to stand still and not move (हिंदी: रुकना)
jump: to push up from the ground into the air (हिंदी: कूदना)
run: to move your legs very fast (हिंदी: दौड़ना)

Sing and dance

Once your child knows the poem, sing it together with actions. Children who can’t sing yet can still do the moves.

Talk about it

Ask these aloud after reading or watching. Let your child answer in English if they can, or mix in their home language. Both help.

What is the first thing the poem asks us to do?
Which words in the poem tell us to move our feet?
What do we do when the poem says “stop, stop, stop”?
Which action do you like doing most when you play?

Answers for parents

To clap our hands: clap, clap, clap.
Tap, hop, jump and run.
We stand still and do not move.
For example: I like to jump. I jump when I play with my friends.

Grammar corner: Rhyming words

Words rhyme when they end with the same sound. Clap and tap both end in "-ap". Hop and stop both end in "-op".

I clap my hands and tap my lap.
I hop and hop, and then I stop.
My cat jumps up and takes a nap.

Practice at home

Which word rhymes with "clap"? (run / tap / jump)
Fill in the blank: I ___ on one foot. (hop / clap)
Say it and do it: "jump, jump, jump", then "stop".

Answers: 1. tap · 2. hop · 3. The child jumps three times and then freezes.

Try this

Play a listen-and-do game. Say the action words from the poem one by one, three times each, and let your child do the action. Say “stop” at surprise moments and see if they freeze. Then swap roles and let your child call out the words for you.

Tip for parents

Say each action in Hindi first, ताली बजाओ, कूदो, दौड़ो, रुको, and then the English word, doing it together. After a few rounds, say only the English word and see if your child does the right action. Mixing both languages is fine; clap for every try.

Questions parents ask

What is the poem Clap, Clap, Clap about?

It is an action rhyme. Each line is one action word said three times, such as clap, tap, hop, jump and run, with "stop" in between.

Which words rhyme in Clap, Clap, Clap?

Clap rhymes with tap, and hop rhymes with stop.

Which book and class is Clap, Clap, Clap from?

It is Chapter 1 of Raindrops, NCERT's older English book for Class 1. The newer NCERT English books are Mridang for Class 1–2 and Santoor for Class 3–5.

Learn every Class 1 lesson with CALP

Every lesson of Mridang, NCERT’s new book, with read-along videos, new words with Hindi meanings, and listen-and-say practice with a score, made for young children with a parent nearby. ₹999 for the whole year.

See the free lessons and enrol →