[For 1-year-olds] Fun Together! Recommended Songs and Hand Play Collection
One-year-olds are starting to move their hands and bodies and show interest in all sorts of things around them.
When you sing to them, they happily clap along to the rhythm and sway their bodies as they enjoy the music.
So this time, we’ll introduce recommended songs and popular hand-play activities for one-year-olds.
We’ve gathered plenty of hand-play songs that one-year-olds can enjoy singing, including songs with fun repeated words and songs that introduce colors and numbers as you sing.
They’ll surely keep asking, “One more time!”
These are perfect for filling small gaps between activities or as a warm-up!
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[For 1-year-olds] Fun to enjoy together! Recommended songs and hand play collection (21–30)
anpan, shokupan
Let’s enjoy the hand-play song “Anpan Shokupan” with one-year-olds.
The song uses hand motions to represent all kinds of breads that everyone loves.
During the sandwich part, you gently press your cheeks with your hands, which will likely bring out the adorable expressions of the one-year-olds.
It’s fun to try different tempos, like a slow version or a slightly faster version, when you do it.
It’s also recommended as an introduction to activities, such as before free play.
It’s nice to end by having everyone say “Itadakimasu!” and pretend to eat the breads they made together.
apple, mandarin orange, bananaLyrics/Composition: Seiji Tanaka
This is a fun song with a fruit-themed, lively tune and a rhythmic melody.
It invites playful activities with children—clapping hands, swaying bodies, and pretending to eat fruit along with the song.
Sung by Kentaro Hayami and Ayumi Shigemori, it was broadcast on “Okaasan to Issho” starting in 1994 and was also included on the VHS “Super Hit 16.” It’s perfect not only for family bonding time at home but also for group fun in early childhood settings.
Enjoy playing with children while helping them learn the names of different fruits.
March of the RoadYuichiro Hanada, Maya Nagata
A lively marching tune has arrived! Introducing the January 2025 “Song of the Month” from Okaasan to Issho, sung by Yuichiro Hanada and Maya Nagata.
Set to bright brass and snappy drum rhythms, this cheerful piece expresses the feeling of facing forward and moving ahead.
You can clap along to the rhythmic beat and move your body with a big smile.
It’s also included on the album “NHK Okaasan to Issho Latest Best: Hyu-rara Bun-bun!” so it can be enjoyed both at home and in childcare settings.
It’s a wonderful piece for the start of a new year, perfect for sharing the feeling of walking toward the future together with parents and children.
peach-colored cheeksLyrics/Composition: Yamamoto Sho
The new song that began airing in March 2025 on NHK Educational TV’s “Okaasan to Issho” is a cheerful and fun piece created by Sho Yamamoto.
It features an appealing, idol-style melody and lyrics that are easy to enjoy.
With lively choreography designed to bring out children’s smiles, the piece has a heartwarming finish.
Sung joyfully by singer Nagata Maya, exercise leader Anzu Akimoto, and the new character Mimomo-chan, this song is delightful for everyone from babies to young children.
It’s a wonderful tune that families can enjoy together, moving their bodies to the rhythm.
a cat’s child; a kittenLyrics/Music: Chikara Deguchi
Blending a gentle, adorable rhythm with hand-play movements, this piece is perfect for interactive play with babies from 0 years old.
Its cat-themed, charming world broadens children’s imaginations.
Satoko Yamano’s clear, transparent vocals combined with Masashi Wakamatsu’s tender arrangement weave a heartwarming melody.
Included on the album “Columbia Kids: Parent and Child Nursery Songs—Enjoy the Rhythm and Words of Songs,” released in June 2018, it is also cherished in early childhood education settings.
By making eye contact with your child and moving hands and fingers together, the circle of communication naturally grows.
It’s recommended for morning meeting time, end-of-day gatherings, and family bonding time at home.
Friend Ponkurton
The song that brings a heart-thumping time with lively music was born in March 2016.
Featured on the soundtrack of the film “Shimajiro and the Book Kingdom,” it stands out for Naomi Minami’s bright voice and its rhythmic melody.
With themes of friendship and bonds with companions, it has a fun structure where the tempo gradually changes.
It’s included on the album “Shimajiro no Wow! The Movie: Shimajiro and the Book Kingdom + TV Version ‘Shimajiro no Wow! Original Soundtrack’,” and has been used in both the movie and the TV show.
It’s perfect for singing and dancing together at nursery and kindergarten parent-child events, and it’s a track that children who watch “Shimajiro no Wow!” will enjoy.
Five melon breads at the bakery.Lyrics: Hirotaka Nakagawa / Music: Traditional English nursery rhyme
Shall we sing a fun fingerplay song themed around a bakery’s melon bread together with the children? It’s an adaptation of a traditional English nursery rhyme, arranged to be familiar and appealing to Japanese kids.
The fingerplay involves counting with fingers in time with lyrics that show the bread being sold, nurturing children’s imagination.
It’s often used in early childhood settings, and this work—through which you can enjoy playful counting with children via song—is sure to be a big hit both at home and in nursery or kindergarten!