![[February Songs] Introducing children's songs, folk songs, nursery rhymes, and hand-play songs about Setsubun and winter!](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/z99ajcyaeyo/maxresdefault.webp)
[February Songs] Introducing children's songs, folk songs, nursery rhymes, and hand-play songs about Setsubun and winter!
February brings Setsubun and the chant “Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi!” In nurseries and kindergartens, there are likely many chances to sing songs related to Setsubun.
But in fact, there are plenty of songs perfect for February beyond just Setsubun tunes! In this article, we introduce songs connected to February and children’s songs that are perfect for the harshly cold season.
Many of them can be sung with hand-play motions, so children are sure to enjoy them.
Please make use of them on days when it’s too cold to play outside or during music time.
[Songs for February] Introducing children's songs, folk songs, nursery rhymes, and hand-play songs related to Setsubun and winter! (1–10)
Ogre Pants (Original Song: Funiculi Funicula)Composition: Luigi Denza
Perfect for February, when Setsubun takes place, is the song “Oni no Pantsu” (The Ogre’s Underpants)! This tune is based on the Italian popular song “Funiculì, Funiculà,” which is sometimes called the world’s oldest commercial jingle.
In Japan, versions that translated the original lyrics as well as versions with completely different lyrics and titles from “Oni no Pantsu” have also been broadcast.
Among them, the most famous is this song that praises the greatness of the ogre’s underpants! No matter how long you wear them, the ogre’s underpants stay sturdy.
For Setsubun, it might be fun to put on similar tiger-striped shorts and try playing the role of an oni yourself!
Bear Cub in FebruaryComposed by Toshiharu Ichikawa
Bears hibernate in winter and wait for warm spring to arrive.
It’s the same for bear cubs, but the little bear Pooh in this song wakes up from hibernation in the middle of winter—in February! Of course, it’s still far too cold to feel like doing anything, so Pooh fills his belly, dreams of the warm spring, and goes back to sleep.
This song depicts Pooh’s slightly blundered February.
It’s very short and easy to sing, yet it’s packed with a clear story, so you can enjoy singing it while letting your imagination run.
Bean-throwing (Mamemaki)Monbushō Shōka (Ministry of Education Songs)
When it comes to Setsubun in February, it’s all about the bean-throwing to drive away demons and invite good fortune! There’s even a song all about bean-throwing, aptly titled “Mamemaki.” The lyrics depict demons fleeing and the god of good fortune being summoned through the act of throwing beans.
Choreography matching the lyrics is available on video sites, so it’s also recommended to dance along to the song while you throw beans! The song portrays playful, pop images like beans scattering and falling, making it easy for young children to get into it.
Kantarō the North Wind KidComposer: Kazuko Fukuda
It’s a song that has been broadcast on NHK’s children’s program Minna no Uta since 1974.
The performers at the time were Masakazu Sakai and the Tokyo Broadcasting Children’s Chorus.
Lyricist Takao Ide is said to have written it while thinking about the story of the drama Kogarashi Monjirō and the winter scenery of Nagano Prefecture, where he spent his childhood.
It’s a winter children’s song that has been loved for many years, so even people in the parent generation today probably know it, don’t they? The wind sounds in the lyrics and the animation of multiple Kantaro figures flying in were quite striking, weren’t they?
Moku-moku fuyuunComposed by: Beautiful Hummingbird
This is a song that gently conveys a soft winter atmosphere.
Its melody is calm, and together with lyrics that evoke winter scenery, it creates a heartwarming world.
Broadcast as the monthly song for January 2018 on NHK Educational TV’s “Okaasan to Issho,” it features a tender, acoustic sound.
It’s perfect not only for singing at preschool, but also for cozy family time during the cold season or for basking in a warm feeling while watching the falling snow.
You’ll sense both the quiet and the warmth of winter.
Bean bean bean throwingComposed by: Boku to Kimi.
Songs that celebrate the fun of bean-throwing bring back memories of Setsubun at nurseries and kindergartens, don’t they? Since its release in January 2018, this piece has been used in many childcare settings, and its lyrics include the chant “Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi” (“Demons out, fortune in”), which instantly conjures up images of children earnestly tossing beans.
There are other songs themed around Setsubun, but this one just warms your heart when you hear it.
As a song that caregivers and parents and children can enjoy together, it will surely be loved for a long time.
Mukkuri Kuma-sanSwedish folk song
This cheerful play song, based on a traditional Swedish folk tune, is themed around a bear’s hibernation.
You can just picture children holding hands in a circle, singing excitedly until the bear in the center wakes up.
With its simple melody and lyrics, it’s easy even for young children to remember and can be enjoyed together with hand games or tag.
It’s widely loved in nurseries and kindergartens and is often included on CDs and in songbooks.
It’s a perfect choice for playing indoors on cold winter days.
If everyone sings and moves together, they’ll warm up in no time.