Open Them, Shut Them

Posted: Friday, July 13, 2007, 9:42 am

This is a fun rhyme to do several times in a row with your toddler, each time getting a little bit faster.

Open them, shut them
Open them, shut them
open and close your hands

Give a little clap, clap, clap.
clap hands three times

Open them, shut them
Open them, shut them
open and close your hands

Lay them in your lap, lap, lap.
pat your lap three times

Creep them, creep them
Creep them, creep them
creep your hands up your body to your chin

Right up to your chin.
tickle chin

Open wide your little mouth
open mouth wide

But do not let them in!
race fingers down your body to your toes or hide them behind your back

Help your child be ready to read by practicing early literacy skills. Researchers have found that children who have heard a lot of different words and have a large vocabulary find it easier to read when that time comes. You can help by:

• Talking about the words in a rhyme, song, or book.
• Talk about the pictures in a book and leave time for your child to say something back.
• Narrate your day or talk about what you are doing as you are doing it.

Activities for Babies: Since babies can't open and close their hands, you can help them open their arms wide and then close them.

Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers: This is a fun rhyme to do several times in a row, each time getting a little bit faster.

More like this: early literacy rhymes Audio and video for Babies Audio and video for Preschoolers Audio and video for Toddlers