Criss Cross Applesause, and other healthy touch games

I just taught my son "Criss Cross Applesauce" and how to give someone an Indian Rose Garden.. I'm a good mommy AND a good daddy, too!! =)

Remember thiose?? Criss Cross Applesauce- Spiders crawling up your back. Spiders here, spiders there, spiders crawling everywhere. Tight Squeeze, Cool breeze.. now you've got the shiveries!!

These are great little "touch" exercises to play with the kids- and that the kids can play with their friend, once they learn how to administer them without hurting each other, of course. Very fun games.

How it's done:
Criss Cross applesauce (make a giant X on the person's back with your fingertips, and then, as you say applesauce, give a little pound to the center of the X.
Spiders crawling up your back (make your fingertips like spider creepers, jogging up the back, with two hands... and by the way, this whole exercise is only like five seconds of touching, so it needs to go rather quickly) Spiders here, spiders there (just give them little spider crawlers on various areas of the back) Spiders crawling everywhere (the spiders are all over the place, for a second) Tight squeeze (give a little pinch to the back of the person's neck) Cool breeze (just blow cool air on the back of the neck while saying the word "Cool") Now you've got the shiveries- Just an ULTRALIGHT feather touch to the back, all over, very briefly.. use two hands throughout. Very cool little chant and touching game for kids- and it really gives them a shivery sensation. Better than playing doctor, too. =)

How to give an Indian Rose Garden:
The receiving friend gives you their hand, palm side up, and rolls up their sleeve to the elbow. On that inner forearm area, the part that is exposed to the giver, the indian starts his work. He "hoes" the ground to make it soft (rubs skin up and down, like in flower rows) "rakes" the ground, to prepare (gentle scratching) then he digs holes to plant the flowers (spot scratching- like digging in four or five spots along two lines- gentle though- dont hurt your friend) and then he plants the flowers, by little pinches. Then, lastly, he waters the flowers (licks his hand and wipes it on the arm) and VOILA! An Indian Rose Garden, right on the receiver's arm!!

Oh and it's even better if you catch someone by surprise with the Criss Cross Applesauce one, as long as they like it, lol.. At the pool, especially, because their skin is bare, so you get better results.
I am really close to getting licensed as a massage therapist, so I will be posting little updates on touch therapy exercises that are fun, and will hopefully bring the joy of touch back into the lives of the otherwise un-touched.

There are some other ones, too-
"Round and Round the Garden"
This is more for babies and toddlers, and is really short, and simple to learn.
You get the child's hand in yours, palm side up. You start drawing little circles on their palm, saying "Round and round the garden I lost my teddy bear.." Then you start "sneaking" up their arm.. "one step, two steps".. just walk your fingers up, in two steps. Babies and tots have tiny arms, so this is easy.. Then you say "I found it under there!", as you tickle them under the armpit! Toddlers and babies will keep handing you their hands, if they really like it. They might even want to do the same for you. Very healthy touching for caregivers and little babes.

Oh and there is a variation of this called "round and round the garden" It starts with the circles on the tummy, while the giver says "Round about round about, in a little house.." Then take steps up the chest area, saying "up the stairs up the stairs, to catch a little mouse!!" ending in tickling them under their chin.

Just good fun healthy excuses to touch and be touched, and bond with your child or friends.. Touch is essential to survival, so we should really be incorporating fun and healthy touch into our daily routines. These little games take seconds to do- but think about doing "kiss the baby push ups", if you want to incorporate the little one a little more into your life, and bond with them all at the same time. <3