Pat-a-Cake Lyrics
For many babies, Pat-a-Cake is the first clapping game they ever play, two people pretending to bake a cake together. A version of it turns up in a comedy written in 1698.
Pat-a-Cake
Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake,
Baker's man!
So I do, master,
As fast as I can.
Pat it, and prick it,
And mark it with T,
Put it in the oven
For Tommy and me.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/pat-a-cake/
- Type
- Action Songs, Mother Goose
- First published
- 1698
- Tune
- Traditional
- Best for ages
- 0 to 5 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake | Clap your own hands, then clap both hands with your partner. Repeat. |
| Baker's man | Clap your own hands, then pat your partner's hands. |
| So I do, master, as fast as I can | Clap faster and faster. |
| Pat it, and prick it | Pat your palm, then poke it gently with a finger. |
| And mark it with T | Draw a letter in the air. Use your child's initial instead of T. |
| Put it in the oven for Tommy and me | Push a pretend tray forward, then point to your child and yourself. |
What Does Pat-a-Cake Mean?
The rhyme is a pretend baking game. The child asks the baker to make a cake, and the baker pats the dough, pricks it, marks it with a letter and puts it in the oven.
Parents often swap the "T" and "Tommy" for their own child's initial and name, which babies love.
History and Origin
The oldest known mention appears in The Campaigners, a comedy by Thomas D'Urfey from 1698, where a character says a version of the rhyme to a baby. It was printed as a nursery rhyme in the 1760s and has been a first clapping game for babies ever since. In the US it is often called "Patty Cake".
Learning Activities
- Baby version: hold your baby's hands and clap them gently together.
- Name game: mark the cake with your child's initial and use their name.
- Real baking: press a letter into cookie dough before baking.
- Next step for talkers: once your toddler can clap along, try these easy tongue twisters for toddlers from our sister site AllTongueTwisters.com.