A collection of cheerful nursery rhymes—songs that make you feel happy when you sing them.
There are so many nursery rhymes that are popular with children!
There are songs about animals, songs about food, songs about the seasons—the themes are varied, and each song has its own mood.
In this article, we’ll introduce a selection of especially cheerful songs from among the most popular nursery rhymes all at once!
We’ve gathered lots of songs that will put you in a happy mood whether you listen to them or sing along.
Please sample the songs we introduce below, and be sure to enjoy listening to and singing your favorites!
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A collection of cheerful children's songs: tunes that make you feel happy when you sing them (41–50)
A caterpillar
May is also the season when fresh green leaves are beautiful.
Many children probably get absorbed in observing insects in parks and nature, don’t they? “One Little Caterpillar” is an adorable song that depicts a caterpillar dancing and hopping with friends, then getting tired and falling asleep! You can enjoy a fingerplay by wiggling your raised finger like a caterpillar.
Numbers appear in the lyrics, making it perfect for practicing counting! For indoor play, singing while looking at picture books or field guides may make it easier to imagine.
Good morning!Sho Fukuda
This song captivates with a bright melody and an energetic vibe, like morning light streaming in.
Created by Sho Fukuda, drawing on his experience in early childhood education, it features playful exchanges between animals and cheerful calls that make it great fun.
It was broadcast in February 2018 as the “Song of the Month” on NHK E-TV’s Okaasan to Issho and included on the album Tomodachi no Hana.
When sung together at morning gatherings, entrance ceremonies, and other occasions where children take their first steps forward, it brings hearts together and naturally fills everyone with smiles—a truly wonderful piece.
What is your name?Lyrics: Unknown / Music: Indonesian folk song
It’s a bright, lively song that makes your heart flutter with happiness.
Based on an Indonesian folk tune, the melody is gentle on children’s ears.
With its repeated lyrics, it’s perfect for learning self-introductions and remembering friends’ names.
Adding hand motions while singing makes it even more fun and easier to learn.
It’s recommended for moments of new encounters, such as entrance ceremonies or moving up ceremonies.
It’s a lovely song that eases children’s nerves, lets everyone sing together happily, and helps deepen bonds with new friends.
Churippu sharippunursery rhyme
Simple yet profound, this nursery rhyme captivates children’s hearts.
The part where everyone stands in a circle and calls each other’s names is perfect for nurturing communication skills and social development.
Its rhythmic lyrics and melody are fun and easy to memorize.
In preschools and kindergartens, it’s also used as an icebreaker to ease the nerves of new children.
At home, singing and playing it together as a family can make for a delightful time.
It can be enjoyed from infancy.
When the spring weather invites you outdoors, why not form a circle and sing it together?
Found you!
Written and composed by Tortoise Matsumoto, this song was used on the NHK program “Miitsuketa!” But regardless of that, it’s a great song for adults to listen to and sing as well.
Both the melody and the lyrics grab your heart the first time you hear it.
Ho! Ho! Ho!Lyrics: Akira Ito / Music: Nobuyoshi Koshibe
Despite its simple lyrics, “Ho! Ho! Ho!” is a delightful song with a bouncy melody and a smoothly flowing chorus.
In everyday life, children can feel down or sad at times.
But listening to this song somehow lifts their spirits.
The chorus is especially catchy and makes you want to sing along, so it’s highly recommended.
It’s also fun to sing and dance with simple gestures! Please enjoy it together with the children so they can have fun singing, too.
It's fun.Lyrics: Kazuko Yamauchi / Music: Takahiko Terashima
When you sing it, you naturally want to clap your hands and sway your body to the rhythm—That’s Fun! Its theme—that clapping and singing together with everyone is so much fun!—is perfect for children’s choir.
It encourages kids to notice the unique joys of group singing, like comparing the sound of clapping your own right and left hands with the sound of clapping your hands together with a friend, and listening closely to the voices around you as you sing.
Let’s look at one another—friends and teachers alike—add some movements, and enjoy singing together.