Working with young children often requires us to become creative problem-solvers on the fly, especially when a child is experiencing sensory overload in a public setting and all our therapeutic tools are back in the car.
Our foster son was a sensory-seeking child who struggled with managing his energy when we were out and about. Through trial and error, I discovered a simple “game” of jumping to the beat while chanting to a nursery rhyme for counting.
Our game became a pattern of Jumps and Pauses using the rhythm of “One, Two, Buckle My Shoe.” He jumped while I held his hands to give him a boost to make his jump even higher and help him keep the beat. Jumping on the counting words (“One, Two”) and then pausing on the rhyming words (“Buckle My Shoe”) created a pattern that was calming.
It offered a fast, intense burst of movement followed by a moment of structured stillness. The older siblings could easily join in, and we could execute it anywhere—in a hallway, outside a restaurant, or even at the park—without needing any specialized equipment.
One ,Two, Buckle My Shoe
Melody: You can find the melody from Beth’s Notes here
Lyrics:
One, two, buckle my shoe,
Three, four, shut the door,
Five, six, pick up sticks.
Seven, eight, lay them straight.
Nine, ten, a big fat hen!
Rhythm Organizes the Brain
Our spontaneous nursery rhyme jumping activity worked so well because it paired sensory input with a predictable, external rhythm.
Rhythm and Jumping Research
Jumping to the beat of a nursery rhyme works like a “reset button” for your brain because it combines physical movement with a steady rhythm.
Research by Yamashita & Yamamoto (2021) shows that rhythmic jumping increases levels of helpful brain chemicals, like norepinephrine and serotonin, which are responsible for keeping you focused and helping your brain switch between different tasks. This activity also significantly reduces feelings of anxiety, which helps the nervous system feel more balanced and calm.
A steady rhythm serves as an external guide that makes movements more automatic, which reduces the mental effort and stress of moving. (Hardy & LaGasse, 2013)
Goal-Oriented Play: Motor learning is most effective when the movement is tied to a meaningful goal. (Sutapa et al., 2021)
With “One Two Buckle My Shoe,” the chant served as both the rhythm and the goal. By linking the movement to the words, he was motivated to complete the sequence. The goal wasn’t just “jump up and down”; it was make it to the BIG FAT HEN! YAY!
Benefit for Early Intervention
- No Tools: This method requires no equipment, making it easy to teach and generalize to parents and siblings.
A Simple Challenge: What’s Your Favorite Rhythmic Intervention?
Our little sensory-seeking child was so successful because the rhythmic activity was accessible, predictable, and engaging. It offered a moment of organized input that reset his system, allowing him to better regulate and engage with the world around him.
We all have these creative, in-the-moment tricks we use in our practice. What chants or songs do you incorporate into your sensory and movement activities? Share your go-to rhythmic intervention in the comments below!
References
- Hardy MW and LaGasse AB (2013) Rhythm, movement, and autism: using rhythmic rehabilitation research as a model for autism. Front. Integr. Neurosci. 7:19. doi: 10.3389/fnint.2013.00019
- Yamashita, M., & Yamamoto, T. (2021). Impact of Long-Rope Jumping on Monoamine and Attention in Young Adults. Brain Sciences, 11(10), 1347. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11101347
- One, Two, Buckle My Shoe. Retrieved from Beth’s notes https://www.bethsnotesplus.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/One-Two-Buckle-My-Shoe.pdf
- Sutapa, P., Pratama, K. W., Rosly, M. M., Ali, S. K. S., & Karakauki, M. (2021). Improving Motor Skills in Early Childhood through Goal-Oriented Play Activity. Children (Basel, Switzerland), 8(11), 994. https://doi.org/10.3390/children8110994
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