“Crossing the midline” is a term you hear quite often as a parent, and if you are a therapist or teacher, it is often a goal for many of your students or clients. This action refers to any movement that requires one side of the body to cross over the center line of the body.
Kimberly Sena Moore wrote a fantastic post on her blog, Music Therapy Maven, about the importance of crossing the midline and how this skill affects a child’s abilities in many other areas of function. I highly recommend reading it to learn more about this subject.
As a music therapist, this goal is very common amongst my students, which is why I wrote a song meant to target such movements. Some of the motor skills included in the song are more difficult than others, but I wanted it to be as comprehensive as possible so that students can work towards successfully achieving all of the movements in the song.
Body cross, apple sauce,
Movin to the beat,
You can do it sittin’ down,
Or up on your feet.
Body cross, apple sauce,
Do as I say,
Move, move your body
This way.
Body cross, apple sauce,
Here we go,
Make your left hand touch
Your right elbow.
Bring your hand across, to
Your other elbow, you see,
Move, move, movin’ your body.
Body cross, apple sauce,
Here we go,
Make your right hand touch
Your left elbow.
Bring your arm across, to
Your other elbow, you see,
Move, move, movin’ your body.
Body cross, apple sauce,
Here we go,
Make your left knee touch
Your right elbow.
Bring your arm across,
So it can touch your other knee,
Move, move, movin’ your body.
Body cross, apple sauce,
Here we go,
Make your right knee touch
Your left elbow.
Bring your arm across,
So it can touch your other knee,
Move, move, movin’ your body.
Body cross, apple sauce,
If you please,
Make your left hand
Give your right shoulder a squeeze.
Bring your arm across, to
Your other shoulder, you see.
Move, move, movin’ your body.
Body cross, apple sauce,
If you please,
Make your right hand
Give your left shoulder a squeeze.
Bring your arm across, to
Your other shoulder, you see.
Move, move, movin’ your body.
Body cross, apple sauce,
Your pardon I beg,
Give a little kick across
With your left leg.
Kick your leg across the other,
To the right, you see,
Move, move, movin’ your body.
Body cross, apple sauce,
Your pardon I beg,
Give a little kick across
With your right leg.
Kick your leg across the other,
To the left, you see,
Move, move, movin’ your body.
Do you have any other strategies for targeting this important skill? If you can think of any additional “across the midline” movements I’ve left out, please share so that I can add to the song.
Rachel…I can really tell the new guitar connection directly to your computer. Wow…what a difference…and I thought you were fabulous before ….now the sound is noticeably more awesome than before !
Crossing midline is significant to my son's medical diagnosis and brain anomaly: agenesis corpus callosum. This is such a fun song. We just got done listening to it a couple of times and I enjoyed singing along with you – it's very catchy. Matthew even touched his knees (a body part he is working on learning) during the song when you sang "knees".
Then I got an idea (that came to mind due to Brain Gym exercises and a book I have read) that I am so excited about trying with Matthew using your song!!
Matthew is significantly developmentally delayed. He is not able to stand up and do the movements due to balance issues. He can sit down but he doesn't understand what to do and he isn't able to keep up with the movements in the song. He is also not able to do the movements on his own yet so I am going to have him either sit down in a chair or lie down on the floor and I will do the movements for him while playing your song. With a little modification, he will reap the benefits of crossing midline, be learning new moves, making new connections AND listening to a cool song that will reinforce each movement with music. You are the greatest!! Thank you for this song.
Please advise how or where I can listen to this song? Am very keen to teach it to my 3 yr old dot. Thanks.
Hi, Usha! You can download the song here:
http://listenandlearn.bandcamp.com/track/body-cross-apple-sauce
Hope your little one enjoys it!