[Children's Songs] Cute songs recommended for childcare. List of popular nursery rhymes.
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!
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- Lullabies: children's songs, folk songs, and nursery rhymes. Nostalgic songs for putting children to sleep.
Winter Songs (11–20)
Pechka (a type of Russian masonry stove)Composer: Kosaku Yamada
The lyrics are by Hakushu Kitahara.
It’s a song that came to Japan from Russia.
A pechka is a fireplace made of bricks, and this children’s song depicts waiting for the longed-for spring while warming up by the hearth in the cold winter.
You can almost hear the crackling of the coals burning in the fireplace.
Kantarō the North Wind KidComposer: Kazuko Fukuda
Kantarō the North Wind Kid, which was featured on NHK’s “Minna no Uta,” became a huge hit and continues to be sung by a wide audience.
The song was created when NHK director Yasuhiro Kondo, a lyricist, and a composer got together and discussed the idea that “it wouldn’t hurt to have enka for children.” It certainly has an enka flavor and is a song about “winter is coming,” yet for some reason its Western-style rhythm makes you feel upbeat.
Songs to stop crying / Lullabies (11–20)
Perfect for a baby lullaby!
There are many nursery songs that have long been loved as lullabies. I’ll carefully introduce selections ranging from gentle nursery tunes with soothing melodies that help babies relax to popular lullabies. I’ve gathered only famous songs that you’ll recognize as soon as you hear the melody. Reference article:Lullabies: children's songs, folk songs, and nursery rhymes. Nostalgic songs for putting children to sleep.
Songs to Stop Crying / Lullabies (1–10)
LullabyLyrics: Hakushū Kitahara / Music: Shin Kusakawa
Looking at the lyrics, there are descriptions like a canary singing, a mouse swaying a string, and loquats in bloom.
Perhaps in the past it was normal for children to take naps outside.
It’s perfect as a lullaby for when a baby falls asleep.
hometownTeiichi Okano
Composed in 1914 as an elementary school song for sixth-year students, this piece is likely known by nearly everyone in Japan.
Although it was not written as a lullaby, it would suit being sung as one.
Like Western lullabies, it is in triple meter.
Frequently heard in various contexts—such as train station melodies and commercials—this song could be considered a symbol of the Japanese spirit.
Singing it while savoring the lyrics might even bring tears to your eyes.
Edo Lullaby
This is a traditional Japanese lullaby that originated in Edo and spread across various regions, and is even said to be the root of many lullabies.
I’m sure many of you are familiar with it.
Its calm, whisper-like melody is enough to make you sleepy.
It’s a lullaby that even children can easily sing.
Schubert’s Lullaby
As its name suggests, this lullaby was composed by Schubert.
Remarkably, it is said he wrote it when he was 19, so reattribution would indeed be incorrect.
As for the German lyrics, it appears that the author is currently unknown.
Perhaps future research will reveal who wrote them.
Schubert himself lost his mother at the age of 15, so he may have composed it in fond remembrance of her.
In Japan, it is most often sung in translations by the French literature scholar Naito Atsushi or the lyricist Kondo Sakufu.
Mozart's Lullaby
This piece has long been known as “Mozart’s Lullaby” and was thought to have been written by Mozart.
However, recent research, drawing on materials found in a Hamburg library, has revealed that it was composed by Bernhard Flies, a physician and composer.
As a result, it is sometimes referred to as “Flies’s Lullaby.” The lyrics were written by Friedrich Wilhelm Gotter.
In Japan, the most widely known and sung Japanese translation is by Keizo Horiuchi.
It’s a lovely piece in a gentle triple meter.