[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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Children’s Songs: Popular Nursery Rhymes (21–30)
Hyurara boon-boon!Yuichiro Hanada, Maya Nagata
Let me introduce a song that gets everyone from kids to adults pumped up: “Hyura Love Boom Boom!” It’s a pop, happy track that’s perfect for shaking off morning drowsiness or lifting your spirits when you’re feeling low.
First performed in March 2024, the song was written and composed by Nobuhiro Mitomo.
From the intro to the very end, it stays consistently rhythmic, and with many repeated lyrics, it’s easy for children to remember.
Plus, dancing along with the energetic choreography is sure to boost your mood!
MomotaroLyrics by Unknown / Music by Teiichi Okano
This song, themed around a traditional Japanese folktale, is a lively march that instantly captivates children.
The lyrics, centered on courage and friendship, depict Momotaro and his companions joining forces to defeat the ogres.
The way they gain new allies through kibi dango (millet dumplings) teaches the importance of cooperation.
It’s perfect for everyone to sing together in classrooms or at sports festivals.
If you sing while moving energetically, it’s sure to bring out plenty of smiles from the children!
Ho! Ho! Ho!Lyrics: Akira Ito / Music: Nobuyoshi Koshibe
Despite its simple lyrics, “Ho! Ho! Ho!” is a delightful song with a bouncy melody and a smoothly flowing chorus.
In everyday life, children can feel down or sad at times.
But listening to this song somehow lifts their spirits.
The chorus is especially catchy and makes you want to sing along, so it’s highly recommended.
It’s also fun to sing and dance with simple gestures! Please enjoy it together with the children so they can have fun singing, too.
It's fun.Lyrics: Kazuko Yamauchi / Music: Takahiko Terashima
When you sing it, you naturally want to clap your hands and sway your body to the rhythm—That’s Fun! Its theme—that clapping and singing together with everyone is so much fun!—is perfect for children’s choir.
It encourages kids to notice the unique joys of group singing, like comparing the sound of clapping your own right and left hands with the sound of clapping your hands together with a friend, and listening closely to the voices around you as you sing.
Let’s look at one another—friends and teachers alike—add some movements, and enjoy singing together.
There's no such thing as ghosts.Lyrics by Minori Maki / Music by Akira Mine
This is a cute song recommended for children who are at the age where they start getting scared of ghosts.
Despite being a ghost-themed song, its cheerful lyrics brighten kids’ spirits.
It’s also very handy for soothing frightened children.
Since it’s an upbeat tune, it’s fun to sing along!
Surely a miracleYuichiro Hanada, Maya Nagata
Perfect for spring, new beginnings, and the new school term—here’s an introduction to “Kitto Kiseki,” a song parents and children will want to listen to together.
Some listeners may find courage and hope in the message woven into the lyrics.
The song is being presented as the Song of April 2025.
Of course it suits the season of new encounters in spring, but it’s also a great listen when you’re feeling down or after a quarrel with a friend—it may help you feel gratitude for the people you meet and a sense of destiny.
It might even turn your attention to encounters with animals and nature beyond humans.
What a wonderful song.
Under the big chestnut tree
The children’s song “Under the Spreading Chestnut Tree,” based on a British folk tune, was selected in 2007 as one of Japan’s Top 100 Songs and enjoys nationwide recognition.
Its repeated phrases make it easy for children to memorize.
It’s also nice to sing while moving your body, combining the lyrics with matching choreography.
Varying the tempo or adding choreographic arrangements can make it even more exciting.
This nursery rhyme works well both as a hand-play song and as a choral piece.
Why not try singing it with a real tree or an illustration as the backdrop?