[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)
Playing bus (pretend bus play)Lyrics by: Yoshiko Kayama / Music by: Akira Yuyama
This lively children’s song by Yoshiko Kayama and Akira Yuyama captures the excitement of setting off on a trip in a big bus.
Set to a rhythmic melody, it gently portrays children enjoying pretend play with vehicles.
It’s a song you can sing while moving your hands and body, so it naturally brings smiles to children’s faces.
Long cherished in childcare and educational settings, it’s also used as a play song.
With spring outing season approaching, why not sing it together as a family before a walk or a day out? If everyone enjoys it while keeping the beat, it will surely create wonderful memories in children’s hearts.
Get on the busLyrics and Music: Kunihiro Taniguchi
Kunihiro Taniguchi’s rhythmic children’s song is brimming with charm, inviting listeners to vividly imagine the fun of riding in vehicles.
Set to a gently swaying melody, it’s a piece that lets you express with your whole body the bus’s rocking motion and the thrill of turning.
Released in May 2008 and later included in the September 2020 album “Teacher Ti’s Kids Love It! Play Songs,” the track has also been featured on NHK’s “Okaasan to Issho” and is frequently sung at nursery school and kindergarten events.
As a hand-play song that children can enjoy together, it’s a perfect choice for family bonding time and making memories.
[For 1-Year-Olds] Have Fun Together! Recommended Songs and Hand-Play Activities (31–40)
Vegetable SongSatoko Yamano
Welcome to the wonderful world of vegetables! This song, hugely popular with children, is full of clever ways to help them learn the names of vegetables in a fun, rhythmic way.
With sounds that express the names and characteristics of veggies like tomatoes and cabbage, just listening will fill you with excitement.
Accompanied by Satoko Yamano’s bright and gentle voice, the vegetables make their appearances one after another.
This piece is included in many children’s music albums.
It’s also recommended for nutrition education time or for singing together with kids who aren’t fond of vegetables.
If you sing while moving your body, it becomes even more fun!
The Puppy Police OfficerLyrics by Yoshimi Sato / Music by Onaka Megumi
This is a gentle, melodic song depicting the encounter between a lost kitten and a kind police officer.
Written by Yoshimi Sato and composed by Megumi Ohnaka, it was created between the 1950s and 1960s.
With its warm lyrics and rhythmic tune, it’s perfect for fostering children’s emotional development.
It has been broadcast on NHK programs such as “Minna no Uta” and “Okaasan to Issho,” and is beloved by many.
We recommend singing it together with your child while adding simple motions for extra fun.
The heartwarming, picture book–like story will nurture your child’s imagination.
Playful Love Ai AiYuichiro Hanada, Maya Nagata
Let me introduce a warm, cat-themed song featured on NHK’s “Okaasan to Issho.” Sung by Yuichiro Hanada and Maya Nagata, this piece charms with its bright, cheerful melody that depicts cats playfully frolicking together.
Since February 2025, it has been broadcast as the show’s “Song of the Month,” with the brother-and-sister singing duo transforming into cats and performing rhythmic choreography on the program.
Filled with the feelings of Hanada, a devoted cat lover who lives with five cats, this song is perfect for moving your body to the music together with your child!
Mr. ElephantLyrics: Michio Mado / Music: Ikuma Dan
Born from the collaboration of Michio Mado and Ikuma Dan, this song—portraying a warm bond between parent and child—was first broadcast on NHK Radio in May 1952.
Characterized by a gentle triple-time melody and heartwarming lyrics that cherish one’s individuality, it has been featured in many educational and children’s TV programs and is loved across generations.
The May 2007 version by Satoko Yamano and the Morinoki Children’s Choir remains one of the most beloved recordings.
With a melody that nestles close to the heart like a gentle spring breeze, it’s perfect for parents and children to hum together.
In the fresh green season, singing it while out for a walk will make for even more delightful memories.
What is your name?Indonesian folk song
This is a hand-play song rooted in a traditional Indonesian folk tune, widely beloved in early childhood education settings.
It helps children become familiar with their own names and those of their friends, fostering communication while they enjoy learning names.
The melody is bright and approachable, designed so children can sing along happily.
It is often sung at the start of activities or during morning gatherings and is used as a hand-play song in preschool environments.
The piece is included mainly in piano collections for educators, such as “Songs for Children: Easy Piano Accompaniment You Can Play—Perfect for Nursery Schools and Kindergartens.” Recommended for childcare settings, it has a warm atmosphere that eases anxiety in new environments and helps children build relationships with friends.