1. **State the problem:** Emma bought 12 cakes and each child received $\frac{1}{6}$ of a cake. We need to find how many children received cakes. 2. **Understand the division:** Each child gets $\frac{1}{6}$ of a cake, so the total number of children is the total cakes divided by the portion per child. 3. **Set up the equation:** Number of children $= \frac{12}{\frac{1}{6}}$ 4. **Calculate:** Dividing by a fraction is the same as multiplying by its reciprocal: $$\frac{12}{\frac{1}{6}} = 12 \times 6 = 72$$ 5. **Conclusion:** Emma gave cakes to 72 children. **Final answer:** 72 children