Children’s Song Medley: A playlist of classic and popular hits everyone knows
Nursery songs that have been sung for generations.
Many of you may have had your grandmother or mother sing them to you when you were little, or sung them yourselves with gestures at kindergarten, daycare, or school.
In this article, we’ve picked out classic nursery songs, focusing on those that children still love today.
From timeless favorites that evoke nostalgia to relatively new songs that have recently become popular in early childhood settings, we’ll introduce a wide range.
Please enjoy this playlist of nursery songs that will bring back memories of your early years.
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[Children’s Song Medley] A Classic & Popular Hit Playlist Everyone Knows (1–10)
Picnic MarchNEW!Lyrics: Takao Ide / Music: Nobuyoshi Koshibe
A lively, energetic march that makes you look forward to walks and picnics! This piece, created by the golden duo of lyricist Takao Ide and composer Nobuyoshi Koshibe, is a beloved classic from NHK’s puppet show “Nikoniko, Pun.” The lyrics gently speak to your own feet, turning simple walking time into a special adventure that sparks children’s imaginations.
When you hear the buoyant marching rhythm, it feels like you’re parading across a field with everyone, doesn’t it? It’s the perfect track for pre-outing background music or for parent-child playtime.
Playing bus (pretend bus play)NEW!Lyrics by: Yoshiko Kayama / Music by: Akira Yuyama
You can just picture everyone pretending to be the driver or passengers and having fun going out on the bus together.
In time with the lyrics, kids naturally move from simply singing to pretend play—handing over imaginary tickets, swaying side to side as if looking at the scenery, and more.
This song has been passed down by various singers, including Miyuki Mori, and is included on the album “Nakayoshi Asobi Uta: Songs Sung in Nursery Schools and Kindergartens.” It’s perfect not only for making bus rides more enjoyable, but also as a play song for indoor activities.
rabbitNEW!
Many children have probably heard the story that on the night of the harvest moon, there’s a little rabbit pounding rice cakes up on the moon.
This folk song depicts the shining moon in the sky and a rabbit hopping as it gazes at it.
Said to have been sung since the Edo period, this work features a melody imbued with uniquely Japanese sentiment, and its lyrics were shaped into their current form from a 1941 school textbook.
Just as people rejoice at the beautiful full moon, the rabbit, too, must be brimming with happiness.
It’s also lovely to listen while gazing at the autumn night sky, with a plate of dumplings set out beside you.
[Children’s Song Medley] A Playlist of Classic and Popular Favorites Everyone Knows (11–20)
I accidentally broke the clarinet.NEW!
This song conjures up an endearing scene of a child troubled because the instrument they got from their dad won’t make a sound—a familiar classic among children’s songs, isn’t it? It’s based on a French children’s tune and depicts a situation where the instrument “doesn’t make a sound,” rather than being “broken.” Even the famous chorus phrase is actually a gentle encouragement in French meaning “Let’s keep in step together.” This version was broadcast on NHK’s “Minna no Uta” in February 1963, and became widely loved through Yoshiko Ishii’s Japanese lyrics and the vocals of Dark Ducks.
It’s perfect for singing together as a family, and if you listen with a child just starting to practice an instrument, it’s sure to encourage them not to fear making mistakes!
PicnicNEW!
A classic song with an upbeat melody that livens up your trip on the go! It portrays heading out for a picnic, whistling as you go over the hills, and conveys the excitement you feel before the fun times to come.
The piece is based on songs like the African American folk tune “She’ll Be Coming ’Round the Mountain,” and became widely known in Japan after it was broadcast on NHK’s “Minna no Uta” in April 1962.
The part where animals appear and you imitate their sounds is also great fun to sing together like a call-and-response!
Mysterious PocketNEW!Lyrics by Michio Mado / Music by Shigeru Watanabe
This song tells a dreamlike story in which biscuits multiply every time you pat your pocket.
You may have heard it as a child and tried patting your own pocket over and over.
Written by the poet Michio Mado and composed by Shigeru Watanabe, it was introduced in a childcare magazine in September 1954 and has been cherished across generations ever since.
The cute choreography of patting your pocket with a pop-pop motion is part of its charm, and there are even stories of children actually putting biscuits in their pockets and crushing them to crumbs.
It’s an early childhood song that has been loved for many years.
Ho! Ho! Ho!NEW!Lyrics: Akira Ito / Music: Nobuyoshi Koshibe
A piece marked by cheerful chants that make you want to join in without thinking.
The swaying, rocking rhythm is so much fun, isn’t it? This song has become a beloved staple of NHK’s “Okaasan to Issho,” with a recorded vocal version by Kurumi Kobato in August 1999.
It was also included on the album released in December of the same year, “NHK ‘Okaasan to Issho: 40 Years, 300 Songs.
’” It’s a playful song that values the sound of the words more than their meaning.
Be sure to move your bodies together as a parent and child!