“Spiders Crawling Up Your Back” Rhyme: Full Lyrics & Variations

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Give your friends the shivers with this spooky children’s rhyme
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Trying to remember the classic playground rhyme that gave you goosebumps? “Spiders Crawling Up Your Back” (also called “Criss Cross Applesauce” or “X Marks the Spot”) is one of the most popular rhymes, but the version you heard may vary depending on where you’re from. Keep reading, and we’ll help you remember the most common lyrics (and popular variations), plus share more interesting facts about the rhyme!

“Spiders Crawling Up Your Back” Visual Guide

Spiders Crawling Up Your Back Summary

Criss cross (draw an X on their back)
Applesauce (tap your fist on their back with each syllable)
Spiders crawling up your back (walk your fingers up their back)
Tight squeeze (squeeze their shoulders)
Cool breeze (blow on their neck)
Now you’ve got the shiverees! (tickle up and down their back)

Section 1 of 3:

“Spiders Crawling Up Your Back” Lyrics & Hand Motions

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  1. These are the most well-known words and actions to the rhyme.
    Have a person sit with their back toward you, then begin reciting the lyrics out loud. As you speak each lyric, do the associated hand movements on their back. While the words and movements may vary a little depending on where you grew up, the most common lyrics are:
    • Criss cross (draw an X on the person’s back with your finger)
      Applesauce (tap their back with a fist to each syllable)
      Spiders crawling up your back (walk your fingers up their back)
      Tight squeeze (squeeze their shoulders)
      Cool breeze (lightly blow on the back of their neck)
      Now you’ve got the shiverees! (tickle up and down their back to give them goosebumps)
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Section 2 of 3:

Variations of the “Spiders Crawling Up Your Back” Rhyme

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  1. 1
    Criss cross (draw an X on the person’s back with your finger)
    Applesauce (tap their shoulders along to the syllables)
    Spiders crawling up your back (walk your fingers up the middle of their back)
    Rain falling down (drag your fingers down their entire back)
    Now you’ve got the shivers! (tickle them all over)[1]
  2. 2
    Dot, dot (lightly poke the person on the backs of their shoulders)
    Line, line (draw a line with your finger from each shoulder down their back)
    Spiders crawling up your spine (walk your fingers up their back)
    Tight squeeze (squeeze their shoulders or the base of their neck)
    Cool breeze (blow on the back of their neck)
    Now you’ve got the shiverees! (lightly tickle their back or sides)
  3. 3
    Criss cross (draw an X on the person’s back)
    Tomato sauce (gently slap their back like a high-5)
    Spiders crawling up your back (walk your fingers up the middle of their back)
    Tight squeeze (pinch the back of their neck)
    Cool breeze (blow a puff of air on their neck)
    Now you’ve got the shivers!
  4. 4
    Going on a treasure hunt (draw a circle on the person’s back with your finger)
    X marks the spot (draw an X on their back with your finger)
    Four big boulders (gently tap the 4 corners of their back with your fist)
    And one tiny rock (poke the center of their back)
    Spiders crawling up your spine, spiders crawling down (walk your fingers up and down)
    Slight breeze (blow on the back of their neck)
    Tight squeeze (squeeze their shoulders or base of their neck)
    Now you’ve got the chilly willies!
  5. 5
    Going on a treasure hunt (walk your fingers up the person’s back)
    X marks the spot (draw a large X on their back and poke the center)
    Snakes slithering up your back (run your fingers up their back in wavy lines)
    Bite you in the neck (quickly pinch the bottom of their neck)
    Cool breeze (blow on the back of their neck)
    Tight squeeze (hold onto their sides)
    Now you have the CHILLS! (grab onto their sides quickly to scare them)
  6. 6
    80 days around the world (draw a big circle on the person’s back with your finger)
    X marks the spot (draw an X on their back)
    Comma, comma, comma, comma, question mark (draw 4 commas and a question mark)
    Stab in the back, let the blood run down (tap between their shoulders, run your fingers down)
    Stab in the back, let the blood run down (tap between their shoulders, run your fingers down)
    Dog bite (pinch their shoulders)
    Cat scratch (gently scratch your fingers up their back)
    Cool breeze (blow on the back of their neck)
    Tight squeeze (squeeze the base of their neck)
    Now you’ve got the shiveries!
  7. 7
    Line, line (draw 2 vertical lines with your finger on the person’s back)
    Dot, dot (poke the person twice at the tops of the lines)
    Pull your hair (gently tug a piece of the person’s hair)
    Electric shock (quickly pinch the sides of their neck)
    Spiders crawling up your back (walk your fingers up their back)
    Egg crack down your back (tap their head with your fingers and run them down their back)
    Which finger was that? (poke them with a random finger and make them guess which one)
  8. 8
    Treasure Island, Treasure Island (draw a large circle on the person’s back with your finger)
    X marks the spot (draw a large X on their back with your finger)
    Dot, dash, dot, dash, question mark (poke and draw a line twice, then draw a question mark)
    Spider crawling up your back–gotcha! (walk your fingers up, squeeze the back of the neck)
    Dagger in the back–blood runs down (tap between their shoulders and run your fingers down their back)
    Cool breeze (blow on the back of their neck)
    Tight squeeze (firmly squeeze their shoulders)
    Now you’ve got the chills! (lightly tickle the person all over)
  9. 9
    Crack an egg on your head (put your fingers on their head and spread them apart)
    Let the yolk drip down, let the yolk drip down (run your fingers down their neck twice)
    Crack an egg on your head (put your fingers on their head and spread them apart)
    Let the yolk drip down, let the yolk drip down (run your fingers down their neck twice)
    Squeeze an orange on your shoulders (squeeze their shoulders tight)
    Let the juice drip down, let the juice drip down (run your fingers down their sides)
    Squeeze an orange on your shoulders (squeeze their shoulders tight)
    Let the juice drip down, let the juice drip down (run your fingers down their sides)
    Spiders crawling up your back, spiders crawling down (walk your fingers up and down)
    Spiders crawling up your back, spiders crawling down (walk your fingers up and down)
    With a pinch (gently pinch their shoulders)
    And a squeeze (gently squeeze the sides of their neck)
    And a cool ocean breeze! (blow lightly down their neck)[2]
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Section 3 of 3:

More About the “Spiders Crawling Up Your Back” Rhyme

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  1. Step 1 Why do you get goosebumps after hearing the rhyme?
    Goosebumps and chills can happen when you’re suddenly scared or shocked, so the quick hand motions at the end of the rhyme could give you chills. You may also be experiencing frisson, or musical chills, that happen to specific sounds or feelings, similar to how your body reacts to ASMR.[3]
    • Some common ASMR triggers include soft speaking voices, close personal attention, and light touches, and those all happen when someone is reciting the rhyme and doing the hand motions on your back.[4]
  2. 2
    What are the origins of the “spiders crawling up your back” rhyme? The origins of the nursery rhyme are unknown because there is no written record of it. The rhyme is mostly passed down orally and has many variations depending on where you’re from. Most people just remember hearing it from their parents or other kids from school.
  3. Step 3 Are there any benefits to the “spiders crawling up your back” rhyme?
    The rhyme is an example of a fingerplay, or a short, simple rhyme where certain words have hand movements associated with them. Fingerplays can help children increase their vocabulary, learn the sounds and rhythms of words, and improve their motor skills as they do the hand motions.[5]
    • Fingerplays are especially important for toddlers and younger children as they develop their language and fine motor skills.
  4. Step 4 What are similar rhyming games with hand motions?
    There are so many fingerplays, rhymes, and clapping games that you can try out after “Spiders Crawling Up Your Back.” Check out our pages to learn all of the lyrics and hand movements to some of these playground classics:
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References

  1. ↑ https://ecep.uark.edu/_resources/pdf_other/ccot/favorite_songs_and_fingerplays.pdf
  2. ↑ https://youtu.be/lTY7jksdZ3Q?t=47
  3. ↑ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-do-you-get-goosebumps
  4. ↑ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-is-asmr
  5. ↑ https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/fingerplays_and_songs_encourage_development_in_young_children

About This Article

Hunter Rising
Co-authored by:
Hunter Rising
wikiHow Staff Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Hunter Rising. Hunter Rising is a wikiHow Staff Writer based in Los Angeles. He has more than three years of experience writing for and working with wikiHow. Hunter holds a BFA in Entertainment Design from the University of Wisconsin - Stout and a Minor in English Writing.
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Co-authors: 8
Updated: September 6, 2025
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Categories: Fun Activities
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