Ever found yourself standing in the middle of a grocery store aisle, frantically clapping your hands while chanting "Open shut them, open shut them" just to stop a meltdown? You aren't alone. It's basically the universal anthem for parents and preschool teachers everywhere. While it might seem like just another catchy nursery rhyme designed to keep a two-year-old from throwing a shoe, there’s actually a lot of heavy lifting happening behind those simple hand motions. This isn't just a song; it's a developmental powerhouse hiding in plain sight.
The Secret Architecture of Open Shut Them
If you look at the mechanics of the song, it’s remarkably clever. You start with the basics of opposites. Open. Shut. Give them a little clap. It’s rhythmic, it’s predictable, and for a developing brain, that predictability is pure gold. Children thrive on patterns because patterns represent safety. When a toddler knows exactly what comes after "open," they feel a sense of mastery over their environment.
Honestly, the physical movements—the fine motor skills—are where the real magic happens. We often take for granted how hard it is for a tiny human to coordinate their fingers to "creep them, crawl them" up to their chin. That specific movement requires significant dexterity and what educators call "crossing the midline." When a child moves their hands from their lap toward their face, or across the center of their body, they are forcing the left and right hemispheres of their brain to talk to one another. It's a foundational skill for later tasks like writing, tying shoelaces, or even reading from left to right.
Most people think of it as a distraction technique. It is. But it's also a workout for the prefrontal cortex.
Why the "Creeping" Part Matters So Much
Think about the middle verse. The "creep them, crawl them, right up to your chin" bit. This isn't just filler lyrics. It introduces the concept of spatial awareness and body mapping. A child has to gauge the distance between their hands and their face. They have to regulate the speed of their fingers. If they go too fast, the song ends early. If they go too slow, they miss the beat.
You’ve probably noticed that kids get a huge kick out of the "open wide your little mouth—but do not let them in!" part. That’s an early introduction to impulse control. Inhibition is one of the hardest things for a preschooler to learn. Their brains are essentially all "go" and no "stop." By forcing them to freeze their hands right before they reach their mouth, you're teaching them how to hit the brakes on a physical impulse. Researchers often point to these types of "stop-and-go" games as early indicators of future executive function.
It’s Not Just About the Hands
Language acquisition is the other big player here. Open shut them relies heavily on simple, high-frequency verbs. For a late talker or a child learning English as a second language, these words are actionable. They aren't abstract concepts. You say "open," and the hands open. The word is physically tethered to the action. This creates a "total physical response" (TPR) which is one of the most effective ways to bake new vocabulary into the brain.
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It’s also about the phonemes. The "sh" sound in "shut" and the "p" in "open" are distinct and easy for children to mimic.
I’ve talked to speech pathologists who use this specific song to help kids with apraxia or speech delays. Why? Because the rhythm of the music provides a scaffold. It's much easier for a child to produce a word when it's tucked into a familiar melody than it is to say that same word in isolation. The melody acts like a rhythmic carrier wave for the speech.
The Social Component of the Circle
If you’ve ever been in a library storytime session, you know the vibe. It’s chaotic. But the second the librarian starts "Open shut them," the room usually settles. This is joint attention in action.
Joint attention is when two or more people focus on the same object or event. It’s the bedrock of human communication. When a group of toddlers all perform the same gestures at the same time, they are experiencing "social synchrony." They feel like part of a collective. It’s one of their first tastes of being a member of a community. They look at the person next to them, see them clapping, and realize, "Hey, we’re doing the same thing!" It's a huge dopamine hit for a little kid.
Breaking Down the Variations
Not every version of the song is the same. Some people add verses about "big and small" or "fast and slow." These are actually great for expanding the learning potential.
- Big and Small: Spread arms wide, then bring hands close together. This teaches scale.
- Fast and Slow: Speeding up the "creep them, crawl them" section. This works on tempo and auditory processing.
- Loud and Quiet: Whispering the "open shut them" part and then shouting "give a little clap." This helps with volume regulation (and is a lifesaver in restaurants).
You don’t need a degree in early childhood education to see why these variations work. They keep the game fresh, but they also introduce more complex cognitive hurdles. A child who can switch from "super fast" to "super slow" on a dime is a child who is developing excellent "switching" skills—another pillar of executive function.
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What Most People Get Wrong About Nursery Rhymes
We live in an age of high-tech educational toys. There are apps that claim to teach your baby Mandarin and "smart" blocks that track your child’s progress via Bluetooth. But honestly? None of that compares to the face-to-face interaction of a simple fingerplay song.
Screens are passive. Even "interactive" screens don't provide the tactile feedback of clapping hands or the subtle cues of a parent’s facial expressions. When you sing to your child, you’re adjusting your tempo based on their reaction. You’re making eye contact. You’re pausing when they laugh. An iPad can’t do that.
The simplicity of Open shut them is its greatest strength. It requires zero equipment. It costs zero dollars. You can do it in a car seat, a bathtub, or a doctor's waiting room.
A Note on the "Correct" Way to Sing It
There isn't one. Some people say "toss them in your lap" while others say "lay them in your lap." Some people do the "creep them" part up the arms, others do it in the air.
It doesn't matter.
What matters is the consistency you establish with your child. If you always do it the same way, you’re building that neural pathway. If you want to get fancy and add a verse about being "happy and sad" to help with emotional literacy, go for it. The song is a template, not a legal document.
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The Evolutionary Perspective
Why do humans even do this? Why do we have this instinct to sing rhythmic nonsense to our offspring?
Evolutionary psychologists suggest that "infant-directed speech" (often called "motherese") and rhythmic play are biological imperatives. They help synchronize the heart rates and nervous systems of the caregiver and the child. When you sing a rhythmic song like this, your own breathing tends to regulate. You calm down. Your child senses that calm and their own cortisol levels drop. It’s a co-regulation tool that’s been passed down through generations because it works.
It’s basically a hack for the human nervous system.
Common Misconceptions
People sometimes think that if a child isn't doing the motions, they aren't learning. That’s simply not true. Many kids go through a "receptive" phase where they just watch. They are soaking it all in—the rhythm, the words, the sequence. Then, one day, months later, they’ll suddenly perform the whole thing perfectly.
Don't force their hands to move. Let them watch. The mirror neurons in their brain are firing just by observing you do it.
Actionable Steps for Parents and Caregivers
If you want to get the most out of this simple routine, here is how you can level it up without making it feel like "school":
- Use it as a transition tool. If you're moving from playtime to lunchtime, start singing the song. It signals to the child that the "vibe" is shifting. It’s much more effective than just yelling "Clean up!"
- Exaggerate your facial expressions. When you say "open," make your eyes big. When you say "shut," squeeze them tight. This helps children who might struggle with reading social cues.
- Wait for them. During the "creep them, crawl them" part, pause right before you get to the chin. Look at them expectantly. This encourages "communicative intent." They might make a sound or a gesture to tell you to keep going. That’s them initiating communication!
- Incorporate it into "boring" times. Use it during diaper changes or while waiting for a flight. It turns a potentially stressful situation into a bonding moment.
- Let them lead. Once they know the song, let them be the "conductor." If they stop clapping, you stop. If they go fast, you go fast. This gives them a rare sense of agency and power in a world where they are usually told what to do.
Ultimately, the reason Open shut them has survived for decades isn't because it's a lyrical masterpiece. It's because it perfectly aligns with how a child's brain wants to learn. It’s short, it’s physical, it’s repetitive, and it’s fun.
Next time you find yourself singing it for the fourteenth time in a row, remember: you’re not just killing time. You’re building a brain. You’re teaching impulse control, motor coordination, and language. You’re also creating a tiny, rhythmic moment of connection in a very loud world. And really, that’s all that matters.