Nursery rhymes, folk songs, and children's songs about animals
We’ve put together a collection of children’s songs that almost everyone has heard at least once, like “Elephant,” “The Policeman Dog,” and “Aye-Aye.” Because they’re made for little kids, looking at the lyrics again really shows their pleasing sound, easy-to-follow stories, and skillful word choices.
Famous nursery rhymes that have been sung for generations are perfect for parents and children to sing together.
This time, we’ve also selected many songs that you can do hand motions with, so be sure to enjoy singing along together!
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Animals in Nursery Rhymes, Folk Songs, and Children's Songs (1–10)
Crocodile family
What kind of family are crocodiles, anyway? This song features a crocodile family.
The crocodile father is shaving his beard, the mother is putting on makeup, and the older brother seems to be doing some strength training.
They don’t seem all that different from a human family, do they? With this song, you can pretend to be the crocodile family and have fun adding hand motions.
If you move your body energetically and express things humorously, it’s even more enjoyable.
Grown-ups, be sure to try the hand-play along with the children!
Seagull Sailor
It’s a children’s song released in 1937.
Its straightforward melody really feels perfect for kids.
The lyrics compare a white seagull to a sailor.
The song has been translated and is beloved around the world.
It has also been included in music textbooks.
Animal Exercises 1-2-3
It’s fun to imagine animals doing calisthenics every day to stay healthy, isn’t it? In “Animal Exercises,” you can move your body following the workout styles of many different animals.
From elephants and snakes to ducks, you’ll use your whole body, so you can expect quite a bit of exercise throughout a single song.
Best of all, by fully pretending to be the animals and moving with gusto, smiles come naturally, and you can enjoy it together with children! It seems like a great way to get your body moving energetically at the start of the day and kick off with a strong start.
Nursery rhymes, folk songs, and children's songs about animals (11–20)
Dog Policeman
“The Dog Policeman” is a classic Japanese children’s song loved by kids since 1960.
Many of you may already know it.
It evokes the image of a dog policeman who is flustered by a lost kitten.
It’s a heartwarming tune.
gluttonous gorilla
Here is a song that turns hand play into a story about a gluttonous gorilla eating various foods.
It often starts with a banana, but if you freely make parody versions and have the gorilla eat different things, the possibilities expand and it becomes a very fun song.
By the way, the punchline is that when the gorilla tries to peel and eat an onion, it disappears.
aye-aye
It’s a song about the aye-aye, a species of lemur that lives in Madagascar, and since it was released in 1962, it’s older than I expected.
The lyricist, Hiromi Aida, was asked to create a song about a cute animal and chose this one because its name sounded cute.
In Madagascar, however, this animal is considered a servant of the devil, so its image changes quite a bit depending on how you look at it.
Goat Mail
“Yagi-san Yubin” (Goat Mail) is a children’s song whose humorous back-and-forth between two goats is sure to bring a smile.
One day, a letter arrives from the White Goat to the Black Goat.
But the Black Goat ends up eating the precious letter.
Then the Black Goat sends a reply to the White Goat asking what the letter said.
In the song, this exchange repeats several times.
Just imagining it makes you want to chime in, but the cute interaction also warms the heart.
Some say goats really do eat paper, but it can upset their stomachs, so it’s best to tell children not to feed them paper.
Let’s sing along and have fun, letting our imaginations roam through a day in the goats’ lives.