Head Shoulders Knees and Toes Lyrics

This American action song took shape in the 1920s as part of a wave of movement-based classroom songs and has no single credited composer. It's designed for toddlers and preschoolers, roughly ages 2-6, an age when children are actively building body awareness and enjoy naming parts of themselves. As the tempo speeds up with each repetition, children practice touching named body parts in quick succession, and early-childhood educators often use songs like this to reinforce body-part vocabulary while also building the kind of quick, coordinated movement that supports general motor planning. The song's escalating speed adds a fun challenge element that keeps children engaged well past the first few rounds, since trying to keep up as the song speeds up becomes its own small game. Because it requires no props or equipment, it remains a go-to choice for classrooms, therapy sessions, and living rooms alike. Learn more about how movement-based songs support development in [this guide to movement songs and gross motor development](/blog/movement-songs-gross-motor-development).

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!

(Repeat faster each time!)