Chap at the Door Lyrics
A face game for babies in four tiny lines: knock on the forehead, peep in the eyes, lift the nose and walk into the mouth.
Chap at the Door
Chap at the door,
Keek in,
Lift the sneck,
Walk in.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/chap-at-the-door/
- Type
- Action Songs
- Tune
- Spoken face game
- Best for ages
- Babies to 3 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Chap at the door | Tap gently on the baby's forehead. |
| Keek in | Peep into the baby's eyes. |
| Lift the sneck | Lift the tip of the nose gently. |
| Walk in | Walk two fingers to the mouth, or tickle the chin. |
What Does Chap at the Door Mean?
The rhyme is in Scots. Chap means knock, keek means peep, and the sneck is the latch of a door. The baby's face becomes a little house: the forehead is the door, the eyes are the windows, the nose is the latch, and the mouth is the way in.
History and Origin
Robert Ford prints the rhyme in Children's Rhymes, Children's Games, Children's Songs, Children's Stories (1904) among the games Scottish parents played with babies on their knee. The same game is known in English as "Knock at the door, peep in, lift up the latch, walk in".
Learning Activities
- Face game: do the moves slowly, then faster, and finish with a tickle.
- Name the parts: point to forehead, eyes, nose and mouth as you go.
- Doll turn: let the child play the game on a teddy or doll.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does chap at the door mean?
Knock at the door, in Scots.
What is a sneck?
The latch of a door, in Scots.