[Childcare] Recommended songs and nursery rhymes for November: Fun autumn fingerplay songs
November is late autumn—the season of falling leaves—and a time when we start to feel winter approaching.
This time, we’ve gathered children’s songs and fingerplay songs with a November theme.
From pieces that evoke autumn scenery to songs that hint at the coming of winter, we’ll introduce plenty of sing-and-play fingerplay tunes!
They’re perfect for play at home, daycare, or kindergarten, so be sure to give them a try.
We’ve provided movement examples, but it’s also fun to arrange them in your own style!
Before the real cold sets in, let’s all sing and play together on these autumn days!
- [Children’s Songs of Autumn] Autumn songs, school songs, and traditional children’s rhymes. A collection of classic pieces to sing in autumn.
- Recommended children's songs and hand play songs for October! Music time in childcare that feels like autumn.
- Song of the Maple Leaves. An autumn children’s song/nursery rhyme/folk song
- December children's songs, folk songs, and nursery rhymes: fun winter hand-play songs
- Songs for January: Nursery rhymes and fingerplay songs we want children to grow familiar with
- A collection of classic nursery rhymes and hand-play songs for September! Enjoy autumn with your child through songs.
- Collection of winter nursery rhymes, folk songs, and children's songs. Includes fun winter hand-play songs too.
- [Snow Songs for Winter] Children's Snow Nursery Rhymes and Hand-Play Songs
- Autumn anime songs: iconic tracks for the deepening fall
- [For 0-year-olds] Recommended songs for babies: A special feature on bonding play and traditional nursery rhymes
- Children’s songs, folk songs, and nursery rhymes about insects
- Children’s songs and nursery rhymes about the moon
- Nursery rhymes, folk songs, and children's songs about food
[Childcare] Recommended songs and nursery rhymes for November: Fun autumn fingerplay songs (1–10)
campfireLyrics: Seika Tatsumi / Music: Shigeru Watanabe
“Takibi” (Bonfire) is a song that spread to kindergartens, nursery schools, and elementary schools nationwide after it was broadcast on the program Uta no Obasan in 1949.
Depicting the biting cold wind and people warming themselves by a bonfire, it’s one of those children’s songs that just about everyone knows.
It’s the kind of tune you find yourself humming when you feel the signs of winter.
As temperatures drop in November and we head into the heart of winter, be sure to give it a listen.
autumn sky
It’s a very short piece, but as the title suggests, it’s a memorable song that evokes the clear autumn sky.
There’s a call-and-response part where you shout toward the sky, so if adults sing it, kids will surely enjoy copying them.
Even children who are too young to sing can have fun with this song.
If you go for a walk in the pleasant autumn weather, be sure to try singing it.
Mountain Musicians
Based on a German folk song, The Mountain Musicians is a piece loved by people of all ages, both now and in the past.
As the title suggests, adorable animals living in the forest play various instruments to make music.
It’s a delightful song that sparks children’s imaginations just by listening.
If you take a walk in the woods in November, you’ll want to stroll along while singing this tune!
[Childcare] Recommended songs and nursery rhymes for November: Fun autumn finger-play songs (11–20)
Bright Red AutumnLyrics by Tada Satsuma / Music by Hideo Kobayashi
This song, vividly depicting the colors of autumn, expresses the season’s beauty through the eyes of children.
Scenes of nature turning red—ivy, maple leaves, and snake gourds—appear one after another, conveying the pure joy of children who discover them.
First introduced in October 1963 on NHK’s “Tanoshii Uta,” it has since remained beloved through “Minna no Uta.” The lyrics, which fully embody Tadashi Satsuma’s poetic worldview, allow children to feel the beauty and vitality of autumn’s nature.
It’s a perfect piece for autumn events at nurseries and kindergartens, or for family strolls.
Why not sing it together and joyfully welcome the arrival of autumn?
The Hungry Tummy SongLyrics by Hiroo Sakata / Music by Megumi Oonaka
Speaking of songs that cutely and comically sing about “being hungry,” this “Onaka no Heru Uta” comes to mind.
It was broadcast on NHK’s “Minna no Uta,” among others, and remains a favorite among children today.
It sings about the simple fact that you get hungry no matter when, but the choice of words used to describe hunger is really amusing.
After the song ends, kids might just beg you for a snack (lol).
dragonfly glassesLyrics by Seishi Nukaga / Music by Kozaburo Hirai
When you think of autumn creatures, dragonflies come to mind.
Catching a glimpse of one in flight makes you think, “Ah, autumn…” doesn’t it? With that, how about the song ‘Dragonfly’s Glasses’? This tune gradually spread nationwide from around 1950, and once summer passes, you just can’t help wanting to sing it.
You make two circles with your hands for the glasses—so simple, yet it brings the feeling of autumn.
It’s also great to sing it outdoors while actually watching dragonflies.
Let’s make the most of the cool season!
Donguri KorokoroLyrics by Aoki Sonetsugi / Music by Yanada Tei
“Donguri Korokoro” is a song composed in the Taisho era, yet it’s still a favorite among children and is sung in nursery schools and kindergartens today! Its simple, cute melody is easy to listen to, and the lyrics featuring children’s beloved acorns are adorable, too.
Just listening to it is fun, and it’s also known as a hand-play song.
The motions are very easy, so be sure to give it a try!