Known as:
“Banks of the Hanky Panky”
“Quack Diddly Oso”
A group, circle singing game activity, published by the Pulaski Area Community Education organisation, Wisconsin, United States. However, judging by the comments this one is quite popular, particularly within the Girl Guide movement.
Everybody playing sits in a circle close enough together so that they can hold their hands out palms up so their right hand rests on the left hand of the person next to them. All then sing:
“All go down by the banks of the hanky panky,
where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky,
singing; hip, hop, soda-pop, we all go down with a finger pop.”
At the start of the singing, one person commences by bringing their right hand over to slap the right hand of the person to the left of them, so the hand tapping moves quickly clockwise around the circle. The person who was slapped last at the end of the rhyme, when the word ‘pop’ is sung, is out (A. Wise on the comments to PACE’s posts states that “…when we played in 80s if the last hand slap lands on you you’re out but if you pull your hand away before the last hand slap and they slap their own hand instead then they are out.”). So it’s in the interests of everybody playing to move the slap around quickly.
The player who is out, moves out the circle and circle closes up so that all players can touch each others hands as before. Keep playing rounds until either one person left or a set number.
Pulaski Area Community Education’s video of the singing game.
Like many (most?) singing games, the words can change over time as well as differ from region to region. The following variations have taken from the comments made in June 2025 on the Pulaski Area Community Education’s video.
It’s also notable that this game is played to different rhymes.
“Down by the banks of the hanky panky, where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky singin’; ee-uh papa, eye-uh papa, oh-uh papa POW”
E. Leivan, K. Kroeger, J. Doolan-Nelson
“Down by the banks of the hanky panky, where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky, with an eeps, opps, hippity hop, east side, west side, you’re out!”
S. Caraveo
“Down by the banks of the hanky panky, where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
With a hip, hop, hippity, hop,”
also
“Down by the banks of the hanky panky, where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
With a hip, hop, belly flop.”
K. Steinko Walsh
“Down by the banks of the hanky panky, where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
Singing A, E, I, O, U.”
T. Watkin
“Down by the banks of the hanky panky, where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky with an eeps, opps, oops opps, eeps, opps, oops, opps, kerplunk, SPLAT!”
K. Crain-Armstrong
“Down by the banks of the hanky panky, where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky with an eeps, oops, opps, oops, skittle diddle kurtle plop,” [Count to 10]
E. Pohl
“Down by the banks of the hanky panky where the bull frogs jump from bank to banky with a hip hop flipity flipity flop miss the banky and he went kerplop”
O. Cromwell
“Down by the banks of the hanky panky where the bull frogs jump from bank to banky with the eaps ipes ops ooops down by the Lilly pad curve ball splat”
E. Leivan
“Down by the River on the hanky pank where the bullfrogs jump from than to bank singing a e i o u bamboo”
F. Vincent
“Down by the banks of the hanky panky where the bull frogs jumped from bank to banky with an eeps ieps opse oops ope-floppy-a-dilly and an ope-flop- flop Pepsi cola ginger-ale, ginger ale ginger ale ginger ale Pepsi cola gingerale 7up 7up 7up you’re out”
D. Walton
Down by the banks of the hanky panky where the bull frogs jumped from bank to banky “….a.e.i.o.u. big. fat. bullfrog. pledge allegiance to the flag, michael jackson made me mad. 7up has no caffeine, no caffeine is gasoline. gasoline is way too far, now you’re eating a candy bar. candy bar is like a duck, now you got run over by a truck. that. means. you. are. out!”
M. Raymond
“Down by the banks of the hanky panky where the bull frogs jumped from bank to banky singin’ eep, opp, eep opp opp skittle diddle diddle and a kernel pop”
K. Green
“Down by the riverside hanky-panky east side west of hanky-panky east meast sun sheesh Bow Wow ding dong.”
A. Lynne
“Down by the banks of the hanky panky, where the bull frogs jump from bank to banky, with an eeps, ipes, opes, opps, ee-sloppa-dilly and a ker-plop!”
R. Reed
“Down by the banks of the Hanky Panky, where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky, with a hip, hop, hippity hop, he jumped so high he went KERPLOP!”
J. N. Jones
“Down by the banks of the hanky panky where the bull frogs jump from bank to banky with an eeps ipes opes op (something something) ker plop.”
T. Doran, M. Gander,
Down by the banks of the hanky panky where the bull frogs jump from bank to banky with an “eeeeeps, ippppps, oppppps, umpssss, slide down the lily pad lad, ker plunk.”
J. Reisinger Sands
“All go down by the banks of the hanky panky, where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky, singing; hip, hop, soda-pop, this little froggy goes Kerr-plop.”
K. Chouinard
“my foggy memeory says yours sounds familiar with the end being ‘jumped in river with a big kerplunk‘”
C. Winkelmann
… “jumps off the lilypad. Kerplonk”
T. Doran
“Down by the bank of the hanky panky where the bullfrog jumps from bank to banky with an eeps eyeps ohps oops and oop-flop-iditily oop flop flop. Pepsi, cola, ginger ale, ginger ale, ginger ale, ginger ale, ginger ale, Pepsi cola ginger ale, 7-up 7-up 7-up you’re out.”
K. A. Brandenburg, R J Bogan
“Down by the bank of the hanky panky where the bullfrog jumps from bank to banky with an eeps eyeps ohps oops and eek psychadilly oop flop flop. Pepsi, cola, ginger ale, ginger ale, ginger ale, ginger ale, ginger ale, Pepsi cola ginger ale, 7-up 7-up 7-up you’re out.”
A. Gooden
“Down in the jungle where nobody goes, There’s a big fat gorilla, picking his nose, When he picks it and he flicks it, where does it go? Who’s gonna get that, who’s gonna get that, who’s gonna get that slimy snot?”
G. Sims, S. Osenton Welch, H. Maxwell [This appears to be a UK variant.]
“Down by the bank of the hanky pank where the bull frogs jump from bank to bank singin’ ees iis oos uus listen to the chilly willy ding dang dong”
F. Roebuck
Down by the bank of the hanky pank where the bull frogs jump from bank to bank singin “Ees. Iis. Oos. Ouus. aas. And it all goes down with a splish splash PLOP”
A. Hammer
“Down by the banks by hanky panky where the bullfrog jumps from bank to bank with an eeps ips ops oops over to the fritter oh flops flops pepsi cola ginger ale ginger ale ginger ale ginger ale ginger ale pepsi cola ginger ale 7ups 7ups 7ups your out”
D. Mason
“Down by the banks of the hanky panky where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky with a hip hop flip flop and you dont stop til you go kerplop”
M. Zavala
“Down by the banks of the hanky panky where the bull frogs jump from bank to banky with a hip hop soda pop hey there’s Mr Willy he just went ker plop”
M. Marcrum
“Down by the bank the hanky panky where the bull frogs jumped from bank to bank say east side west side ding dang dong”
L. McCallister-Alvey
“Down by the bank where the hanky panky where the bullfrog jump from bank to bank singing eep Bop eep bopbop skittle frittle kernel pop”
K. Cromo, N. Chabre Perry
“Down by the bank with the hanky panky where the bull frog jumps from bank to bank with a hip hop flipoty flop watch the bull frog go ker plop”
D. Brock
“Down by the banks of the hanky panky where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky singing fi fy foe, from who’s got the diddly in the kerplunk”
C. Mark
“Down by the river in the hanky Panky Where the bull frogs jump bank to bank said A. E. I. O. U. BAM-boo.”
D. Dennull Partridge
“Down by the banks with a hanky panky, where bullfrogs jump from banks to banks with a Fee Fi Fo Fum chili Willy ding dong your mama spells like King Kong, let’s play a game of ping pong then count to 10”
S. Picard
“Way down south to the hanky panky where the bull frogs jump from bank to bank, with a hip hop hippity hop shooby dooby do ker plop”
A. Bourn
“Down by the banks of the hanky panky where the bullfrog jumps from bank to bank saying ei papa oa papa ia papa pow”
M. Massey
Down by the banks of the hanky panky where the bullfrog jumps from bank to bank saying “eeps ipes opes opps. Here comes the lily with the big ker plop”
Q. Luka Rose
“Down by the riverside hanky panky bullfrogs jump from bank to banky. East meets sun street. Pow wow ding DONG.”
J. Katich
All go down by the banks of the hanky panky, where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky, singing; “… e ah papa o ah papa I ah papa pow”
R. M. Vest
“Down by the banks of the hanky panky, where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky. With the eeps, ipes, ops, ums. Jump from the lily pad, ker-plunk!”
H. Harris
“Down by the banks of the hanky panky, where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky. With the eeps, ipes, ops, oops. Jump off the lily pad, ker-plunk!”
J. Wilson
“Down by the banks of the hanky panky, where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky. With the eeps, ipes, ops, ums. He missed the Lilly and he went ker-plunk”
L. Renee Friesen
“Down by banks of the hanky panty were bull frogs jump from bank to banky with a ee, Aa oo um down lily pad cur plunk”
J. Powers
“Down by the banks of the hanky pinky where the bullfrog jumped from bank to bank with a oooooh ahh split splat said the big fat cat.”
J. Snyder
“Down by the banks of the hanky panky where the bull frogs jump from bank to banky with an eeps, opps, soda pops, hey Mr. Willy and it went kerplop!”
J. Gordon
Alternative Songs
Same game, but mentioned as being played to an alternative song:
“Ooooh skoeli skoeli kwak kwak kwak avinti la la, oh skoeli skoeli kwak…, miek…, mak!”
S. De Rocker
“You gotta fee fi fo fum, Scooby doobie doobie doobie doo, Clink clank!”
L. Stevenson Vigil
“Hey that’s crocodile morray! Crocodile morray, Croc, Croc, Croc, Eh Cinco seeno Cinco Cinco sock sock, Eh Cinco seeno, Mallow mallow mallow mallow! 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10”
N. DeClue
“Eenie meenie miney moe, catch a tiger by his toe. If he hollers, let him go. Eenie meenie miney moe”
also “Ink. Pink. Pepper stink. Booty. Fart. Out”
M. Hoffman
Quack Diddly Oso
Mentioned by B. Lazarus as being Quack Dilly Oso, which is described on Wikipedia as similar actions being sung to the tune of
“Stella Ella Ola,
Clap, clap, clap
Singing es, chico, chico
Chico, chico, clap, clap
Es chico, chico
Bologna, bologna
Cheese and macaroni
So 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!”
“Stella Ella Ola, clap clap clap, singing es chico chico, chico chico clap clap, es chico chico, bologna, bologna, cheese and macaroni, say 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!”
From comments to the PACE post by R. Comeau and also reported as similar to theirs by J. Johrendt and C. Crouch.
“Stella Ella Ola chop chop chop singin es tigo tigo tigo tigo chop chop es tigo tigo blow blow blow your nose singing one two three four five you’re out”
From comments to the PACE post by P. Altman-Smith
