A collection of classic nursery rhymes and hand-play songs for September! Enjoy autumn with your child through songs.

A Bug’s MurmurYoko Oginome

Yoko Oginome “Whispers of Insects” (Short Music Video)

A work by Yoko Oginome that sings from the feelings of insects, carried by a charming ukulele sound.

The lyrics, told from the perspectives of various bugs like mantises and spiders, tickle children’s curiosity.

Released in August 2020 and featured on NHK’s “Minna no Uta,” this warm song is filled with Oginome’s experiences as a mother and her love of nature.

In the autumn season when bug-hunting is especially fun, why not sing it together with friends at nursery school or kindergarten to deepen understanding of these little creatures?

Here you go, sweet potato!Lyrics by Katsumasa Mine / Music by Rikio Okada

[Childcare] Katsuriki sing-and-play 'Hore Hore Satsumaimo' ♪ [Featured in PriPri November 2017 issue]

The play song “Horehore Satsuma-imo,” featured in the childcare magazine PriPri, is a tune that lets you fully enjoy the flavors of autumn: digging up sweet potatoes, pretending to be sweet potatoes, and eating sweet potatoes.

Many preschools and kindergartens hold sweet potato digging in the fall, so it’s also recommended to sing this song before the event to build excitement! Kids will probably pick it up quickly and have fun playing along with this song.

Mushi-Mushi FestivalLyrics and Music: Tetsu Kashiwa

Mushimushi Festival / Cute! A clay animation! / cover: Otōsan mo Issho, Yoko Ueno

A delightful children’s song by Tetsu Kashiwa with the theme of a festival where autumn insects gather to have fun.

Various bugs like praying mantises and stag beetles make appearances, and their unique traits and movements are expressed vividly.

Broadcast as the Monthly Song on NHK E-TV’s “Okaasan to Issho” in June 2023, this piece became popular with kids.

It’s crafted so that not only children who love insects but also those who are less fond of them can enjoy it.

If you sing and dance when you spot bugs, you might naturally feel closer to nature.

It’s a perfect song for autumn nature observation or insect-hunting walks.

sports dayLyrics and Music: Akihiko Noritake

[Children’s Song] Sports Day (with Lyrics) / Lyrics and Music by Akihiko Noritake / Sports Day, School Events, October, Autumn / Piano, Sing-and-Play

The song written and composed by Akihiko Noritake wonderfully captures the excitement of a sports day.

The lyrics include events like the ball toss and footraces that children can enjoy, conveying how they work hard while cooperating with friends.

With its bright, light melody that makes you want to hum along, the song is widely used at kindergarten and nursery school sports days, becoming a special piece that lets children feel growth and a sense of achievement.

Through the autumn event of the sports day, it may also help you feel the changing of the seasons.

Let's draw a picture in the blue sky.Lyrics by Kazumi Itsuki / Music by Hajime Kamishiba

♪Let’s draw a picture in the blue sky [with gestures] Let’s draw a picture in the blue sky, a big, big ship 〜♪ [Children’s song / nursery rhyme]

This piece is cherished as a song that nurtures children’s dreams and sense of adventure.

It depicts a large ship drawn against the blue sky and sings of setting off on a new journey aboard that ship.

The repeated, spirited calls express children’s energy and anticipation, adding a lively vibe to the song.

Also used as an insert song on NHK Educational TV’s “One-Two-Don,” it is often sung at sports days and at nursery school and kindergarten events.

It’s a recommended song for times when you want to convey the importance of having dreams and hopes, or when you want to enjoy singing together with children.

Mochi pounding on the night of the full harvest moon

Big Sister Chico’s Hand Play: “Mochi Pounding on the Night of the Harvest Moon”

A full, round moon shines beautifully on the night of the mid-autumn festival.

This is a song for making moon-viewing dumplings to go with it.

It’s a hand-clapping game for pairs, so try it with a friend or with your mom or dad! One person spreads their hands up and down and claps like pounding rice cakes with a mallet: pon, pon.

The other person kneads and pinches the mochi, making sure not to get hit by the “mallet” hands.

In the second half the movements get faster and trickier, so be extra careful not to bump into the mallet hands! It’s harder than you’d think!

Tanuki of Fist MountainLyrics by: Yoshiko Kayama / Music by: Akihiro Komori

Kids Song | Genkotsuyama no Tanuki-san | Nursery Rhyme | Children's Song | Red Cat Reading

As everyone knows, it’s a classic hand-play song.

Children’s author Yoshiko Kayama wrote the story-rich lyrics, and composer Akihiro Komori set them to an easy-to-love melody.

This play song not only features the cute figure of a tanuki, but also conjures up gentle, idyllic autumn scenes—like the white butterfly and red flowers depicted in the lyrics.

The song and its story come together as one, enriching the listener’s imagination.

After it was featured on the TV program “Tobe Tobe Panpororin” in 1973, it spread across Japan.

The motions—like stacking clenched hands—and the lively choreography that matches the lyrics are great fun too.

Become tanuki together as parent and child, and give it a try!