December children's songs, folk songs, and nursery rhymes: fun winter hand-play songs
When it comes to December, it’s the season that makes you excited and a little restless, with Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and preparations for the New Year.
Especially as kids, there was so much to look forward to—not just Christmas, but winter break and playing in the snow when it fell.
In this article, we’ll introduce children’s songs perfect for this wonderful month of December, along with playful songs everyone can enjoy and traditional nursery rhymes that have long been popular.
Most of these are for children, but there are also moving masterpieces that resonate deeply with adults.
Try listening while feeling the crisp air outside, or while staying cozy and warm indoors.
- Collection of winter nursery rhymes, folk songs, and children's songs. Includes fun winter hand-play songs too.
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- [Children’s Songs of Autumn] Autumn songs, school songs, and traditional children’s rhymes. A collection of classic pieces to sing in autumn.
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- Nursery rhymes, folk songs, and children's songs about food
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December nursery rhymes, folk songs, and children’s songs: Fun winter hand-play songs (31–40)
oshikura manju (a children’s pushing game)
This song is charming for its friendly melody and playful lyrics that use the image of manju buns.
Born from the wisdom of keeping warm, it has been passed down across generations as a game that shares warmth and smiles.
Beyond its value as a play song, it is deeply rooted in Japanese culture, even appearing in haiku as a winter season word.
On a cold winter day, if you sing it while actually doing oshikura manju—huddling and gently pushing each other—children will surely feel not only the warmth of skin, but also the joy of time spent with friends and family.
I wonder if the rice crackers are done.
I can’t help buying and eating those rice crackers they grill right in front of the shop—they look so delicious.
Senbei are said to be at their tastiest in autumn and winter, after harvesting non-glutinous and glutinous rice.
Speaking of senbei, the hand-play song “Osenbe Yaketa Kana” is a fun tune as well.
Everyone stands in a circle, sings “Osenbe Yaketa Kana,” and flips their palms—as if they were senbei—in the game.
Video games are great, but sometimes these simple, old-fashioned games are nice too.
If you speed up the song as you go, it gets really exciting!
oden (Japanese simmered hot pot dish)
I’ve heard that some convenience stores sell oden all year round, but even so, oden is still a classic symbol of winter, isn’t it? The song “Oden” is perfect for hand-play activities, and I imagine many childcare facilities incorporate it into their programs.
It’s also fun to assign shapes to the ingredients—circles for daikon radish, squares for hanpen, and so on.
Perhaps nursery rhymes and oden are a good match, because besides this song there are plenty of other cheerful tunes like “Oishii Oden,” “Oden-ya-san,” and “Oden Gutsu-Gutsu Taiso.” If you have time, be sure to check them out!
Snow MonkLyrics by Toshiko Murayama
“Yuki no Kobōzu” is sung to the same melody as the children’s song “The Itomaki Song.” It describes snow falling from the sky onto roofs, ponds, and grass, only to melt away immediately.
Despite the melody’s sprightly feel, the story is a little bittersweet.
This melody—shared with “The Itomaki Song”—originally comes from the Danish folk tune “The Shoemaker’s Polka,” and around the world it’s been used for many different lyrics.
Watching the snowfall while reflecting on the fleeting nature of snow depicted in this song can be quite moving.
Winter ConstellationLyrics: Keizo Horiuchi
Published in a junior high school music textbook in 1947 and selected as one of Japan’s 100 best songs, “Fuyu no Seiza” (Winter Constellations) uses the melody of “Mollie Darling” composed by American composer William Hayes, with lyrics written by Keizo Horiuchi.
The lyrics depict constellations shining in the winter night sky, intertwined with a clear, crystalline melody that evokes the cold season.
It’s a winter song best enjoyed on a quiet winter night while gazing up at the sky.
Children’s songs, folk songs, and nursery rhymes for December: Fun winter hand-play songs (41–50)
Wish Upon a StarLyrics by Ned Washington / Music by Leigh Harline
The original title is “When You Wish upon a Star.” It’s famous as the theme song of Disney’s 1940 film Pinocchio.
Sung by Cliff Edwards, who played Jiminy Cricket, it won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
In Sweden and Norway, it’s a Christmas song about the Star of Bethlehem.
A small nutLyrics by Yoji Umino / Music by Bizet
“Chiisana Ki no Mi” (Little Nut) is a song about a child who gathers nuts that have fallen along the roadside in autumn and winter, and the memories of doing so with their father.
It was first broadcast on NHK’s “Minna no Uta” in 1971, and has been covered by artists such as Peggy Hayama and Shiina Ringo.
The song is based on “Sérénade,” an aria from the opera “La jolie fille de Perth,” composed by Georges Bizet in 1866.
Holding the nuts once collected together with her father, the protagonist recalls something her father once told her.
Now left to pick up the nuts alone, she feels a quiet loneliness, yet the song conveys her resolve to keep living and doing her best.