Nursery rhymes and play songs to enjoy with your baby. Gentle children's songs.

Gonbe-san’s Baby

[Hand Play] Gombei’s Baby♪

Gonbe-san’s Baby was created based on an American folk song.

It’s a song featuring a character named Gonbe-san—who covers his head with a tenugui and ties it under his chin—and a baby.

It depicts a scene where the baby catches a cold, and you use your hands to show actions like holding the baby and having a bright idea.

You can enjoy a unique move where, in a fluster, you end up putting a cold compress on yourself by mistake.

Once you’re used to it, try picking up the tempo.

Give this hand play a try and make the most of this familiar melody that everyone has heard at least once.

butterfly

[Children's Song] Butterfly / Daisuke Yokoyama

We’d like to introduce “Chōchō,” a hand-play song with delightfully gentle, floating hand movements.

Based on a Spanish folk tune and arranged by Akiashi Nomura, this song has long been beloved by many children.

The lyrics depict a butterfly fluttering about, moving from flower to flower.

Matching the words, you form a butterfly shape with both hands to express it dancing.

The mesmerizing motions and soothing melody are sure to comfort babies.

What color do you like?

What Colors Do You Like? Fun Characters and the 9-Color Long Version / Popular Song from Okaasan to Issho / Lyrics & Music: Osamu Sakata / Cover: Otousan mo Issho

“What’s the name of my favorite color?” With the song “Which Color Do You Like?” kids can have fun singing while learning color names.

Children, who are naturally curious about the world around them, are likely feeling, even without saying it out loud, “I like this color” as they see many colors every day.

It’s great to tell them each time, “This is [color],” but learning through a song might make it easier to match the names with the colors.

As you sing, find the same colors in the things around you and in the clothes you’re wearing, and enjoy learning the names of colors.

a round egg

Round Little Egg [Fingerplay Song]

“Maarui Tamago” is a hand-play song themed around eggs, and the hand movements that match the onomatopoeia and mimetic words give a delightfully fun impression.

First, you put your hands together to represent a round egg.

Then you act out the egg cracking and a chick emerging from inside.

Since it features many onomatopoeic and mimetic expressions that children tend to love, it’s likely to capture their interest even more.

Another fun point is that sometimes a creature that doesn’t exist in real life hatches from the egg.

Rolling Eggs

[Hand play] Rolling Egg (Marika)

The hand-play song “Korokoro Tamago,” which repeats the same motions, is also recommended.

It depicts an egg rolling, a chick that hatches and walks, and a grown chicken crowing.

You show the egg by making a fist and rolling your arms, the chick by moving your index finger up and down, and the chicken by flapping your hands.

All the motions are simple, so it’s considered easy for children to imitate from an early stage.

Another appeal is that kids can enjoy moving their bodies in big, dynamic ways.

Panda, rabbit, koala

Panda, Bunny, Koala ♪

How about “Panda, Rabbit, Koala,” a hand-play song that became widely popular thanks to the NHK educational program Okaasan to Issho (With Mother)? The song is known for having lyrics written by Hiroo Takada.

It invites children to imitate the movements of the panda, rabbit, and koala that appear in the lyrics.

Its appeal also lies in the built-in variations and game-like elements, such as the tempo gradually speeding up.

Adding brief explanations between verses—like “Let’s line them up!”—might make it even more enjoyable.

a big drum

[Children's Song] Big Drum ♪ With Mother (Okaasan to Issho) Covered by UtaSuta

“Ookina Taiko” (The Big Drum) is a children’s song you can enjoy while sensing dynamics in sound.

The lyrics were written by Junichi Kobayashi, one of the lyricists who adapted “Jingle Bells” into Japanese, and the music was composed by Yoshinao Nakata, known for children’s songs like “Medaka no Gakkō.” The lyrics describe how striking a big drum makes a loud sound, while striking a small drum makes a soft sound.

When you sing it, match your voice to the lyrics: use a big voice for the big drum parts and a small voice for the small drum parts.

This helps children feel the contrast between big and small, and enjoy those changes.

Don’t forget the drumming gestures—try singing it with the motions, too!