Children’s songs, folk songs, and nursery rhymes for March: fun spring hand-play songs.
In this article, we introduce children’s songs, folk songs, and traditional nursery rhymes perfect for March.
We’ve gathered tunes that are easy for kids to listen to and simple to sing along with!
If you’re looking for children’s songs that suit spring, songs you can sing while doing hand-play motions, or something you can sing to your child, be sure to check these out.
As the weather warms up, you’ll likely have more chances to go on walks with your child.
If you take a stroll while singing March songs, it’s sure to be even more fun than usual!
We’ve also picked out famous graduation and school entrance songs, so feel free to use them as references for songs to sing at graduation or entrance ceremonies.
- [Children’s Songs] Let’s Sing of Spring! A Fun Collection of Nursery Rhymes, Folk Songs, and Children’s Songs
- Children’s songs, folk songs, and nursery rhymes for Hinamatsuri (Girls’ Day)
- [February Songs] Introducing children's songs, folk songs, nursery rhymes, and hand-play songs about Setsubun and winter!
- [For Children] Recommended Nursery Rhymes and Traditional Children’s Songs to Sing in April
- Collection of winter nursery rhymes, folk songs, and children's songs. Includes fun winter hand-play songs too.
- [Preschool] Recommended choral pieces for 3-year-olds
- [Snow Songs for Winter] Children's Snow Nursery Rhymes and Hand-Play Songs
- [For 3-year-olds] Songs to sing at nursery schools and kindergartens! Popular and recommended songs
- Nursery rhymes and fingerplay songs to enjoy in May! Songs perfect for the fresh green season
- [Spring is coming soon] A collection of Vocaloid songs to listen to in March
- [Childcare] Songs we want 6-year-old kindergarten seniors to sing! Perfect songs for recitals and graduation ceremonies.
- I want to sing it at the senior class recital! A choral piece that 5-year-olds can sing with all their heart
- A collection of cheerful nursery rhymes—songs that make you feel happy when you sing them.
Children’s songs, folk songs, and nursery rhymes for March. Fun spring hand-play songs (41–50)
Rice Cake Pounding on March 3children’s song
This is a traditional Japanese children’s hand-play song (warabe-uta) themed around Hinamatsuri, the Girl’s Day festival held annually.
Speaking of the mochi eaten on March 3 for Hinamatsuri, the classic is hishimochi—diamond-shaped Japanese confectionery in three colors: red, white, and green.
It is said that hishimochi’s colors carry meanings: red honors ancestors and wards off misfortune; white signifies purity and lingering snow; and green, the color of young grass and new buds, expresses a wish for healthy growth.
Children’s songs, folk songs, and nursery rhymes for March: Fun spring hand-play songs (51–60)
From inside the cabbage
“Cabbage Patch” is a classic hand game that’s often played at children’s centers and parenting support centers.
It’s fun to watch the little caterpillars keep multiplying one after another.
Start singing slowly at first, and once everyone gets the hang of it, speed up bit by bit—the difficulty rises and the excitement builds.
If it gets too fast, even adults might struggle! Kids also love it when you change your voice for the “Daddy Caterpillar” and “Mommy Caterpillar.” It’s a hand game that both adults and children can enjoy, so give it a try.
Mukkuri Kuma-sanLyrics and composition: Swedish folk song
Bears that hibernate through the winter wake up and become active when warm spring arrives.
The children’s song “Mukkuri Kuma-san,” which lets you feel a bear’s springtime, can be enjoyed as a hand-play song or a game.
In the hand-play, you use your hands to act out the bear sleeping and then waking up in time with the lyrics.
For the game, you choose someone to be the bear and others to be the ones who run away from the bear.
In the song, when the bear wakes up, it’s hungry and eats whatever is around.
Following those lyrics, when the song ends and the person playing the bear “wakes up,” they chase the runners like a game of tag.
Give it a try outdoors in the warm spring!
Thump-thump, boom! First GradersLyrics by Akira Ito / Music by Jun Sakurai
After graduating from kindergarten or nursery school, it’s finally time for first grade! This song expresses the mixed feelings of excitement and anxiety as children face a year full of many firsts that are different from anything before.
But even while holding onto those jitters, that’s okay—let’s take a step forward together with this song!
Happy HinamatsuriJunko Kawamura
This song that heralds the arrival of spring beautifully portrays traditional Japanese events.
You can almost see the Hina dolls surrounded by peach blossoms and paper lanterns.
It’s perfect not only for Girls’ Day, but also whenever you want to feel the coming of spring.
Sing it with family and friends, and it’s sure to become a delightful memory!
First Grader MarchLyrics and Music by Toshihiko Shinzawa
As the title “March” suggests, this is a very bright piece that vividly evokes graduates, about to become first graders, holding their heads high as they set off on a new path.
It sings about how, as they enter elementary school, the scenery of the town they see appears to sparkle in their eyes.
If the graduates sing this cheerfully at the graduation ceremony, both teachers and parents will feel reassured!
cuckooLyrics by Junichi Kobayashi / Music by German folk song
We used to sing this a lot when we were kids, didn’t we? It’s a melody that just makes you want to sing along.
This is “Kakkō,” a German folk song with Japanese lyrics.
The cuckoo is said to be a bird that heralds the arrival of spring.
When you go out for a walk, try looking for cuckoos too.