[Children’s Song] A Collection of Hand Play Songs Perfect for Christmas
Santa is coming—what a fun Christmas!
As the day approaches, many families may be noticing their children getting more and more excited.
To build even more anticipation for this once-a-year big event, this article introduces hand-play songs themed around Christmas.
Each of these hand-play songs is simple and easy to try right away.
They’re perfect for playtime at daycare or kindergarten, too.
Be sure to dive in with energy and have fun with these hand-play songs to make it a wonderful Christmas!
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[Children’s Songs] A Collection of Hand-Clapping/Action Songs Perfect for Christmas (21–30)
A fun Christmas with everyone
This song introduces the joy of Christmas along with its classic motifs.
Three essential Christmas motifs—reindeer, Santa, and snowman—appear throughout the song and are expressed through movements.
The reindeer’s antlers, Santa’s presents, and the snowman’s round shape make for simple, easy-to-imitate actions, which is a key point.
It’s fun to follow the example as shown, but it might also be interesting to think of other motifs associated with Christmas and consider how to express them through movement.
Santa is busy.
Santa Is Busy is a cute song about a bustling, hurried Santa Claus, much like the famous children’s song Awatenbō no Santa Claus (The Hasty Santa Claus).
The hand motions for this song use the whole body—such as gestures for Santa carrying presents and polishing his sleigh—so it might be fun for adults to try it with children as a way to get some exercise.
Also, the song is relatively short, making it perfect for performances like recitals when time is limited.
Smiling Santa
Let me introduce a fingerplay song called “Nikoniko Santa” (Smiley Santa)! The title alone conjures up an image of a cheerful Santa, and it seems like children will be excited to sing along.
Since numbers are woven into the lyrics, it should be easy to remember, right? Another fun point is that the lyrics tell you what Santa is doing at Christmastime.
Plus, the numbers from 1 to 10 appear, so it’s great for learning to count! It’s best to start at a slow tempo.
Merry Christmas
Perfect for getting a feel for meter! Let’s all clap along to “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” Even though both the intro and the verse are in 3/4 time, the way you feel the rhythm changes once the singing begins.
In fact, keeping the sense of “1, 2, 3” while changing your clapping pattern is trickier than it sounds.
In the latter half, loosen up freely and take a brief pause.
Repeating this makes for a fun practice to build a solid sense of rhythm.
Once they’re comfortable clapping while singing in Japanese, it’s also great to let them try the English version!
Let's decorate with holly.
Let’s make big movements with our hands to the song “Deck the Halls.” Flutter your hands like sparkling stars, flip your hands over and extend them forward, and cross them in front of your chest.
Between these three moves, insert a gesture where you raise an index finger like a conductor and wave it side to side.
All four moves are super easy! You don’t have to worry about right or left, and the pattern repeats the same from verses 1 to 3, so it’s easy to remember.
Move your hands and arms wide and dance with lots of energy!
Jingle Bells
“Jingle Bells” is a classic Christmas song that everyone—from children to adults—knows.
The hand motions that go along with Jingle Bells, expressing the sound of bells, a sleigh running, and children singing, look adorable, making it perfect to perform with little ones at a school recital.
Also, since it’s almost always included on Christmas song compilation CDs, it’s nice that you don’t have to go out of your way to buy a CD during the busy holiday event season.
When Santa goes out
“When Santa Goes Out” is a Christmas song that sets Santa-themed lyrics to the familiar phrase from the nursery rhyme “Gonbei-san no Akachan.” With a catchy melody you can remember after just one listen, it’s delightful even for little children.
Santa brings the gifts everyone eagerly awaits—so sing and dance while letting your imagination run wild: “How is he getting everything ready?” “What kind of presents will he bring?”