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Move and Improvise with The Itsy Bitsy Spider

Aaron Butler
Author

Created November 1, 2023 | Added August 16, 2025

In this playful lesson, children sing, move, and improvise with The Itsy Bitsy Spider—acting out the story, exploring with props, and even remixing the song to make it their own.
  1. Sing the Song
    • Begin by singing The Itsy Bitsy Spider together.
  2. Tell the Story
    • Go through the lyrics phrase by phrase.
    • Ask guiding questions: “What happens next?”
    • For fun: invent new storylines (e.g., “Now that the spider made it to the roof, what does it do?”).
  3. Move Like Spiders
    • Designate a spot in the room for the “bottom” and “top” of the water spout.
    • Act out the story in sequence:
      1. Tip-toe up toward the roof (spider climbing).
      2. Feel the raindrops and fall down gracefully.
      3. Show the sun with circular arm/body movements.
      4. Tip-toe up again… and make it to the roof!
    • For fun: on the roof, improvise (spin webs, gallop, dance, play).
  4. Visualize with Objects
    • Place beanbags (or egg shakers, colored dots, etc.) around the room to represent each part of the song:
      • Red = Spider climbing
      • Blue = Rain
      • Yellow = Sun
      • Red = Spider climbing again
  5. Sing with Beanbags
    • Sing the song while pointing to each beanbag in order.
  6. Hide a Beanbag (Improvisation Game)
    • Remove one beanbag.
    • When the song reaches that part, replace the words with “la la la” and a new improvised melody.
    • Option: take turns leading the “la la la” part solo or with the group.
  7. Switch the Beanbags (Re-Mix the Song)
    • Rearrange the order of beanbags.
    • Sing the new “version” of the song, noticing which words start each phrase.
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About the Author(s)

Author

Aaron Butler

Aaron Butler is an active musical director, accompanist, and teacher in New York City. He is a specialist in Dalcroze Eurhythmics, a musical director for Mind The Art Entertainment, and is a founding member of Sound Narcissist. He is comfortable in a variety of musical styles—from baroque through contemporary classical, op…
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