Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes - A Teacher's Guide
Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes - Lyrics, Activities, Lesson Plans, Worksheets
Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes is a fun warm-up, icebreaker or circle-time song. As the tempo increases, kids laugh and dance, ending up happy and out of breath. Kids can learn parts of the body and face, rhythm, and coordination as they enjoy the song. You probably know the lyrics and the actions, but have you ever built a lesson around this song? Read on for activities, printables, lesson plans and alternate lyrics for Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes. You can even sing it in Japanese!
The Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes board book pictured here is available at amazon.
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"Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" Lyrics
Betcha don't know the second verse
Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes
Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes
and eyes and ears and mouth and nose,
Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes!
Neck, elbows, hips and feet, hips and feet
Neck, elbows, hips and feet, hips and feet
and eyes and ears and mouth and nose,
Neck, elbows, hips and feet, hips and feet!
(The second verse is often left unsung.)
"Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" Sing-Along Board Book - Push the button and sing along!
Read this to one child or a whole group of preschoolers. They'll love the interactive aspect as they learn rhythm and the parts of the body.
"Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" Sing-Along Board Book - Push the button and sing along!.
"Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" Video - My kids' favorite version sung by The Wiggles
The Wiggles sing a fun version of "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes." They sing the song several times in a row, each time leaving off a word. "This time we won't sing 'head.' We'll just point to it." Check it out below.
"Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" Activities, Printables and Lesson Plans - A collection of great lesson plans
- "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" Mix-Up
Print out word or picture cards of the body parts in the song, rearrange the cards, then sing the lyrics in the order that the cards are placed. - Teaching Tips for "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes"
This page has tips especially for those who teach English language learners. The song is simplified to avoid students hearing the lyrics like this: Head, shoulders, kneezen, toes." - "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" Sheet Music
Get a free PDF of the sheet music. - "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" Worksheet
This PDF contains a picture of a boy and the words, "head, shoulders, knees, toes." The instructions are to draw lines from the words to the body parts. (Scroll down to page 36 of the PDF.)
Teach the Bones
When I teach about the skeletal system, I change the lyrics to "Cranium, scapula, patella, phalanges." Kids love it!
"Head, Shoulders, Knees and and Toes" in Japanese! - Atama, Kata, Hiza, Pon!
Atama (Head), Kata (Shoulders), Hiza (Knees), Pon (Clap) is a fun way to learn a little Japanese. The "Dai, dai, daiskui" at the end is a cute way of saying "I love you." Enjoy!
© 2011 Jeremy