The Eensy Weensy Spider is a classic finger play sung with children throughout the world. The song has many benefits to your child. The rhythmic repetition helps with their brain and speech development. Additionally, the hand motions help teach fine and gross motor skills.
Most children start by mimicking their parents – raising their hands and lowering them as the spider walks up the spout and the rain washes them down. Eventually, each child learns the fine hand motions that cause the spider to walk up the spout, pointer to thumb. As a parent, your direct involvement in this simple interaction will help them for years to come, even if it is the 100th time you have sang this song today!
Check out more great songs on our In All Kinds of Weather CD.
Try These Fun Learning Activities With Your Child!
SINGING AND PLAYING
These 4 simple musical phrases can be a wonderful vehicle for much more learning!
You’ll need a simple one octave glockenspiel (8 pitches, C D E F G A B C). Young children love the challenge of playing after they sing each line with the hand motions. The vocabulary, concepts, timing, coordination, counting and visuals are also a fantastic precursor to reading and music notation.
The eensy weensy spider went up the water spout (Ascending: Play from the lowest to the highest, longest to the shortest bars)
Down came the rain and washed the spider out (Ascending Glissando: Play a gliding motion from high to low, 4 times)
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain (Ascending, Descending Glissando: Play a gliding motion up and down)
And the eensy weensy spider went up the spout again (Play from the lowest to the highest, longest to the shortest bars)
Books with musical additions also add to a child’s enjoyment! Stimulate the imagination by singing The Itsy Bitsy Spider. You and your child can also add musical aspects by adding sound effects. Use wind and movement for the spinning and have each animal can sing its line to the The Very Busy Spider.
Here at Music Rhapsody, we love to help parents help their children develop through our music classes. These Orff-based classes set your child up for success by developing their love for music and helping them with their motor skills, brain development and speech development. Learn more about our programs below!