Cookie Jar Name Song

Name and Purpose

• Cookie Jar Name Song is a fun, musical way to help young participants learn each other’s names.
• The call-and-response format keeps everyone engaged even when it is not their turn.

a.k.a.

• Who Stole the Cookies, Cookie Jar Game

Age / Group / Time / Space

• Ages 5-9 | 6-25 players | 10-15 minutes | Circle formation; works indoors, outdoors, or on a bus

Materials

• No materials required
• Optional: a simple rhythm (clap-pat pattern) to carry the song

Quick-Run Card

1. Teach the group the song using a staff member’s name first.
2. The named person responds and names someone new.
3. Keep going around until all names have been sung.
4. If a player does not know a name, they ask and the group helps.
5. Close with a short debrief.

Setup and Boundaries

• Arrange the group in a circle so everyone can see each other.
• Signal: one raised hand from staff means pause the song; two claps means stop and listen.
• Works on a bus by going row by row.
• No trip hazards; this is a stationary activity.

How to Play

1. Staff teach the song using their own name as the example.
2. Group sings: “Who stole the cookies from the cookie jar?”
3. Staff member: “[Name] stole the cookies from the cookie jar!”
4. That person: “Who, me?!”
5. Group: “Yes, you!”
6. Person: “Couldn’t be!”
7. Group: “Then who?”
8. Person names another participant: “[Name] stole the cookies from the cookie jar!”
9. Continue until every participant’s name has been included.
10. Note: if a player does not yet know their neighbour’s name, they can ask out loud and the group helps; this is a teaching moment built right into the song.

I-OPt Options

• A (Active): Sing loudly, add clapping rhythm, help cue others on the words.
• S (Support): Whisper the lyrics to a neighbour who is unsure; keep the rhythm going with claps.
• Q (Quiet): Hum along or do the clap-pat pattern without full singing.
• O (Observer): Listen and learn names for the first round; join the singing as soon as comfortable.

Inclusion Adaptations

• Players who are non-verbal or very shy can point to the next person instead of saying their name; staff sings the name for them.
• For groups with mixed language backgrounds, show a simple lyric card with the words for new participants.

Stewardship Moment

• No materials, no waste. This activity lives entirely in the group.
• Reflection (simplified for younger ages): “Everyone in our circle has a name. What does it feel like when someone uses your name?”

Consent

• Pre-brief: “We are going to sing a silly song with everyone’s name in it. For those who would rather listen on the first round, that is totally fine. When you are ready, jump in!”
• Mid-game check: Staff watches for players who look uncomfortable being singled out; move quickly through their name turn and keep the tone light.
• Opt-out/re-entry: A player who is shy can point to the next person instead of saying a name. They can sing their own response when they feel ready.

Risks and Mitigation

• A player blanking on who to name next: staff prompt quietly with a whispered name suggestion.
• Song becoming repetitive and losing energy: add the optional clap-pat rhythm, or allow the group to make silly voices.
• Younger players not yet able to read: do not use lyric cards as a dependency; teach by call-and-response only.

Warm-Up Suggestions

• Name Echo: staff says a name and the group echoes it back before the song starts.
• Clap-Pat Rhythm: teach the clap-pat pattern separately for 30 seconds so it is ready when the song begins.

Debrief Questions

• What? “Whose name do you remember best from the song?”
• So What? “How did it feel when everyone sang your name?”
• Now What? “Who is one person here you want to learn more about this week?”

Cleanup and Reset

• No cleanup required.
• Optional: end with one final clap together as a group close.