Lovely childcare

[Children's Songs] Cute songs recommended for childcare. List of popular nursery rhymes.

20 years of experience as a nursery teacher / kindergarten teacherDr. Chick
I’m Hiyoko-sensei, a former nursery school teacher from Hyogo Prefecture. Ever since I was five, my dream was to become a childcare worker, and before I knew it, 20 years had passed since I achieved that dream. Through singing and playing with the children, I kept working with the spirit of someone in their twenties, even as I increasingly felt my physical limits year by year (haha). From here on, I’d like to share helpful information carefully and thoughtfully, drawing on my on-site experience.
9 years of experience as a nursery school teacherRisa Shibata
I am an active nursery school teacher with 9 years of experience. After graduating from university, I worked at a daycare center. The time I spent happily with children—playing piano, singing songs, and doing finger-play—are priceless memories to me. Currently, while raising three children of my own, I work at an after-school day service, engaging with children and providing individualized developmental support. Drawing on my diverse experiences as a childcare worker and as a mother, I hope to express and convey my thoughts through writing.

Kids love to sing!

Singing is a form of exercise, nurtures interest in language, and helps develop expressiveness and a sense of rhythm.

It’s also said that singing releases “happy hormones,” making it effective for relieving stress.

Bring plenty of music into daily life and sing freely together with your children.

This time, we’re introducing popular children’s songs we’d love you to sing and play with your kids!

We’ve collected everything from classic nursery rhymes passed down through the years to the latest hit songs.

You can search songs by category—animals, vehicles, food, and more—so you’re sure to find the perfect tune for your children.

If you add simple choreography or hand-play motions as well as singing, the kids will be thrilled!

Be sure to explore a variety of nursery rhymes and enjoy happy times with your children!

Fingerplay song (1–10)

Zuizui Zukkorobashi

Hand Play Song: Zuizuizukkorobashi

Zuizui Zukkorobashi

Many hand-play songs are for two people, but Zuizui Zukkorobashi is a hand-play song that can be played by two or more.

This song describes presenting tea to a shogun in the Edo period.

One person extends their index finger, while the others make tube shapes with both hands.

The finger is inserted into each “tube” in turn, and when the song ends, the hand that has the finger in it is pulled away.

The person who can pull away the fastest wins.

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Denderaryuba

Denderaryuuba [With Song] Children's Song/Hand Play

Denderaryuba

It’s a famous children’s song handed down in Nagasaki Prefecture.

Many people outside Nagasaki may also have learned it in kindergarten or elementary school.

The dialect heard in the lyrics leaves a strong impression and feels a bit like wordplay.

Even children who don’t yet understand words can enjoy it, and those who can speak well can have fun with it like a tongue twister! It’s even more enjoyable when combined with hand motions.

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Food Song (11–20)

A food song that makes mealtimes fun!

Many moms and dads may struggle during their children’s mealtime—like when kids can’t resist the urge to play and leave the table, or when picky eaters won’t eat much. In such moments, how about singing nursery rhymes that make mealtime more fun? Give it a try! Reference article:

The Food Song (1–10)

Ghost PancakesTokyo Heidi

Ghost Pancakes [Tokyo Heidi]

Ghost Pancakes Tokyo Heidi

There are many nursery rhymes about ghosts, but this one is interesting for its unique idea of ghosts making pancakes.

It starts off with a somewhat eerie tone, but turns cheerful partway through.

Listening to it makes you crave pancakes!

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My Mixed JuiceTakeshi Shibuya

Japanese Children’s Song – Doyo – My Mixed Juice – Boku no Mikkusu Juusu

My Mixed Juice Shibuya Takeshi

It’s a song that says if you put everything in a blender, make a mixed juice, and drink it, something wonderful might happen today.

The childlike imagination in the lyrics is very cute.

If we sing this song, we might even be able to sneak in a vegetable mixed juice and they’ll drink it!

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tomatoMegumi Oonaka

Tomato 🍅 (♪ “Tomato” is such a cute name~) by Sunflower 🌻 With Lyrics | Children’s Song | TOMATO

TOMATO DAICHUUON

There are quite a few children’s songs that feature tomatoes, and perhaps their popularity comes from the cuteness of the name and the fact that it reads the same from top to bottom and bottom to top.

This particular song has lyrics by Takeshi Shoji and music by Megumi Oonaka.

It’s a nursery rhyme that charmingly personifies tomatoes—for example, saying they wear blue clothes when they’re children, but change into red clothes when they grow up.

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Vegetable Song

Vegetable Song [With Singing] – Nursery Rhyme/Hand-Play Song

Vegetable Song

Vegetables that we tend to push to the edge of the plate without thinking.

Many kids don’t like vegetables, right? This one is also a fingerplay song, so try singing and playing along as you encourage them to take on those tricky veggies.

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five melon breads

♪ Five Melon Breads (with choreography)

five melon breads

This song lets you study math while singing a hand-play song.

There are five melon breads, and then the children buy one, then another.

You can have fun while thinking about how the five melon breads decrease in number.

It’s highly recommended because you can enjoy learning while singing.

This song might help children overcome their dislike of math.

Try singing it together with your child before they start elementary school.

It could also be a good review for children who are already in elementary school.

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