Youth Activity Archive

A song to get out the wiggles that predates the Hokey Pokey.

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This song has movements – see recordings to learn the traditional movements.

Printable Music

• See pg. 42 of The Brownie Book for the notes to sing.

Recordings

• YouTube – Jack Hartmann
• YouTube – Super Simple Songs

Lyrics

Chorus:
Here we go looby loo, <skip, dance, and sway to the music>
Here we go looby light,
Here we go looby loo,
All on a Saturday night,

Sing each Verse followed by the Chorus:

You put your right hand in, <follow the directions of the song>
You take your right hand out,
You give your hand a shake, shake, shake,
And turn yourself about!

You put your left hand in, <follow the directions of the song>
You take your left hand out,
You give your left hand a shake, shake, shake,
And turn yourself about!

You put your right foot in, <follow the directions of the song>
You take your right foot out.
You give your right foot a shake, shake, shake,
And turn yourself about!

You put your left foot in, <follow the directions of the song>
You take your left foot out,
You give your left foot a shake, shake, shake,
And turn yourself about!

You put your whole self in, <follow the directions of the song>
You take your whole self out,
You give your whole self a shake, shake, shake,
And turn yourself about!

Variations

Chorus:
Here we dance looby loo, <skip, dance, and sway to the music>
Here we dance looby light,
Here we dance looby loo,
All on a Saturday night.

History

“Looby Loo” has been around as early as 1892 in England. Hokey Pokey was only first recorded in 1949. “Looby Loo” (sometimes called “Lubin Loo”) is a traditional English singing game.

While often associated with a Saturday night bath ritual (where children would pantomime washing different parts of their bodies) it was officially documented as a common schoolyard game by folk song collector Lady Alice Gomme in her 1894 work, Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland. In 1922, the song was featured in the original Brownie Book for Girl Scout leaders as a tool for teaching coordination and group cooperation.

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For More Fun Ideas and Plans

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Click Here -> To see information References:

Disclaimer: The information published on Youth Activity Archive and The Badge Archive is built from the references listed below. These sources demonstrate that our content is grounded in facts and research, not opinion or speculation. Readers may consult them directly when looking for additional material.

• The Brownie Book: A Manual for Leaders of Junior Girl Scouts. United States of America, Girl Scouts, Inc., 1922. pp. 42-43.
• Gomme, Alice Bertha. The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Vol. 1, David Nutt, 1894.
• “The Hokey Pokey by Ray Anthony.” Songfacts.com, Songfacts, 2020, https://www.songfacts.com/facts/ray-anthony/the-hokey-pokey. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
• “Looby Loo Nursery Rhyme Music and Lyrics.” Words for Life, 2025, https://wordsforlife.org.uk/activities/looby-loo/. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.

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