Hokey Pokey

Hokey Pokey

Hokey Pokey
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You put your right foot in,
You put your right foot out;
You put your right foot in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey-Pokey,
And you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about!

You put your left foot in,
You put your left foot out;
You put your left foot in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey-Pokey,
And you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about!

You put your right hand in,
You put your right hand out;
You put your right hand in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey-Pokey,
And you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about!

You put your left hand in,
You put your left hand out;
You put your left hand in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey-Pokey,
And you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about!

You put your right side in,
You put your right side out;
You put your right side in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey-Pokey,
And you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about!

You put your left side in,
You put your left side out;
You put your left side in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey-Pokey,
And you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about!

You put your nose in,
You put your nose out;
You put your nose in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey-Pokey,
And you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about!

You put your backside in,
You put your backside out;
You put your backside in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey-Pokey,
And you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about!

You put your head in,
You put your head out;
You put your head in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey-Pokey,
And you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about!

You put your whole self in,
You put your whole self out;
You put your whole self in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey-Pokey,
And you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about.


Written by Roland Lawrence LaPrise, who concocted the song along with two fellow musicians in the late 1940s for the ski crowd in Sun Valley, Idaho. The group, the Ram Trio (with Charles Macak and Tafit Baker), recorded the song in 1949, and they were awarded U.S. copyright in 1950, Acuff-Rose Music Inc.

Kids at dance class
For Parents

Rise to the challenge! You and your family (kids age 6 and older) can take part in the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award challenge. Motivate each other to stick to goals related to exercise and healthy eating. Document what you do and earn a personalized digital badge. Interested? Check out the program guidelines and sign up for a healthier lifestyle.

How Much Physical Activity Do Children Need
Find out about the amount and kinds of physical activity that children and adolescents should be doing.

For Kids

Let’s see—you could do the hokey‐pokey about 100 times in a row. You would get 60 minutes of exercise, but it could get pretty boring. Better yet— try some of the fun activities in the BAM! Activity Cards. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed the cards to suggest fun ways to get exercise.

For Teachers

BAM! Body and Mind is a resource for you to incorporate health, safety, and science topics into your classroom. The site, from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, also offers your students interactive content to investigate topics for school or for a personal interest.