How do you play "Hickety Pickety Bumblebee"?

As a name game. The group sings the opening line and invites one child to say their name; everyone repeats it back. Then they play with the name's syllables — clapping them, snapping them, whispering them, and finally mouthing them silently — before moving on to the next child.

What is "Hickety Pickety Bumblebee" good for?

Learning names and hearing syllables. It is a favourite at the start of a school year because it helps a group learn everyone's name, and clapping and whispering the syllables gives an early feel for how words break into beats.

Who wrote "Hickety Pickety Bumblebee"?

No author is recorded. It is a traditional classroom and circle-time name game, passed on among teachers with many small variations.

United States · sung in English

Hickety Pickety Bumblebee

"Hickety Pickety Bumblebee" is a name game for groups: each child says their name in turn, and the class echoes it back — clapping, snapping, whispering and finally mouthing the syllables silently.

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Lyrics

Hickety pickety bumblebee, Who can say their name for me?

(Each child says their name. Class repeats it.)

Clap it! (Clap the syllables.) Snap it! (Snap the syllables.) Whisper it! (Whisper the name.) No sound! (Mouth the name silently.)

Country of origin: 🇺🇸 United States
Sung in: English
Words by: Traditional
First known: traditional classroom name game; author unknown
Best for ages: 2–7
Mood: playful, traditional
Last updated: 25 July 2026

How to sing it

Sing "Hickety pickety bumblebee, who can say their name for me?" then point to one child.
The child says their name; the whole group repeats it back.
Play with the syllables of the name: clap them, snap them, whisper them, then mouth them with no sound.

Meaning and origin

This is a name game dressed up as a song, and it is a classroom staple for a very practical reason: it learns everyone’s name. The group sings the buzzing opening — Hickety pickety bumblebee, who can say their name for me? — invites one child to say theirs, and echoes it back together. Then comes the play: the name’s syllables are clapped, snapped, whispered, and finally mouthed with no sound at all, before the bee buzzes on to the next child.

Underneath the fun, it is quietly teaching. Repeating each name helps a new group bond and remember one another, and breaking names into claps and snaps gives young children an early feel for syllables — the beats that make up words. No author is recorded; it is a traditional circle-time game passed among teachers, endlessly varied, and reliably one of the friendliest ways to begin a year together.

Common questions

How do you play "Hickety Pickety Bumblebee"?: As a name game. The group sings the opening line and invites one child to say their name; everyone repeats it back. Then they play with the name's syllables — clapping them, snapping them, whispering them, and finally mouthing them silently — before moving on to the next child.
What is "Hickety Pickety Bumblebee" good for?: Learning names and hearing syllables. It is a favourite at the start of a school year because it helps a group learn everyone's name, and clapping and whispering the syllables gives an early feel for how words break into beats.
Who wrote "Hickety Pickety Bumblebee"?: No author is recorded. It is a traditional classroom and circle-time name game, passed on among teachers with many small variations.

Lyrics