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Itsy Bitsy Spider facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
This page is about the nursery rhyme. For other uses, see Itsy Bitsy Spider (disambiguation).

"Itsy Bitsy Spider" (also known as "Incy Wincy Spider" in places like Australia and Great Britain) is a very popular nursery rhyme and fingerplay song. It tells the story of a little spider trying to climb up a "waterspout" (which is like a drainpipe on a house). The song describes the spider going up, then being washed down by the rain, and finally climbing up again when the sun comes out.

This song is often sung with special hand movements that act out the words. It's a fun way for kids to learn and play!

Lyrics and Fingerplay

The most common way to sing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" goes like this, with actions for each part:

Words Fingerplay

The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the waterspout.
Down came the rain
And washed the spider out.
Out came the sun
And dried up all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again.

Touch the thumb of one hand to the index finger of the other, moving them up like a climbing spider.
Hold both hands up and wiggle your fingers downwards, like falling rain.
Sweep your hands from side to side, as if washing something away.
Raise both hands and sweep them to the sides to make a big semicircle, like the sun appearing.
Wiggle your fingers upwards again, like the spider climbing.

There are other versions of the song too. For example, an older version from 1910 was called the "Spider Song" and used different words. But the idea of the spider, rain, and sun stayed the same. This song is sung by children and for children all over the world in many different languages.

Popular Recordings

Many artists have recorded or used "Itsy Bitsy Spider" in their music. Here are some examples:

  • 1980: Patsy Biscoe sang it as "Incy Wincy Spider" on her album 50 Favourite Nursery Rhymes Vol. 1.
  • 1987: Carly Simon included it on her album Coming Around Again.
  • 1989: Nicole Kidman sang it as "Incy Wincy" for the Dead Calm movie soundtrack.
  • 1991: Little Richard sang it for a Disney CD called For Our Children.
  • 1995: The pop band Aqua (when they were called Joyspeed) released a single called "Itsy Bitsy Spider".
  • 2002: The Mars Volta used a part of the rhyme in their song "Eunuch Provocateur".
  • 2002: Raffi sang this song on his Let's Play album, adding an extra verse.
  • 2006: EliZe and Jay Colin released their version, also called "Itsy Bitsy Spider".
  • 2013: A company called Off-Centre Productions made an animated version of the song with a mouse character named "Journo."
  • 2021: Lyn Lapid released a single called "Itsy Bitsy".

On Television

"Itsy Bitsy Spider" has also appeared in many TV shows:

  • Bart Simpson sang the rhyme in an episode of The Simpsons called "Lisa's First Word".
  • It was featured in the children's show Dora the Explorer.
  • It appeared in the South Park episode "Something You Can Do with Your Finger".
  • A child singing the rhyme can be heard at the beginning of the Criminal Minds episode "Gatekeeper".
  • In the Netflix show A Series of Unfortunate Events, the character Lemony Snicket mentions the song.
  • In an episode of Rugrats called "Quiet Please", the Rugrats hear a story about an "Itsy Bitsy Centipede".

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Canción de la araña para niños

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