Winter is very cold, but you can enjoy the beautiful silvery world created by pure white snow and feel the special warmth unique to winter—like hot pot dishes and igloos.
There are so many ways to have fun that you can only experience in winter.
Winter also brings lots of fun events, such as Christmas and New Year’s!
Children are probably looking forward to making snowmen, having snowball fights, and enjoying Christmas presents and cake.
In this article, we’ll introduce nursery rhymes, folk songs, traditional children’s songs, and hand-play songs with various winter themes.
There are many songs that can turn a winter that’s just cold into wonderful memories, so be sure to give them a listen!
Collection of winter children’s songs, folk songs, and nursery rhymes. Fun winter hand-play songs too (1–10)
campfireComposer: Shigeru Watanabe
Bonfire – Taki Bi | By the hedge, by the hedge, around the corner—it's a bonfire, it's a bonfire, burning fallen leaves [Japanese Song / Shoka]
When we were children, you might remember seeing neighbors making small bonfires in their yards as summer faded into autumn.
In recent years, such scenes have become rare, but on chilly days, there’s still something about gathering around a fire with a few people.
It might be nice to sing this song while recalling those nostalgic memories.
I’m sure it will wrap your heart in a gentle warmth!
winter sceneryMonbushō Shōka (Ministry of Education Songs)
Ministry of Education School Song: Winter Scenery
A set of lyrics in classical Japanese titled “Winter Scenery.” You might expect a stern winter song, yet its light triple meter and the 3-3-5 syllabic pattern make it a strangely soothing piece.
Unraveling the lyrics reveals early-winter scenes—mist, frost, and even mugi-fumi (the traditional practice of treading young wheat).
It is a song filled with a gentle beauty, as if timeless, nostalgic Japanese landscapes unfold before your eyes.
Pechka (a type of Russian masonry stove)Composer: Kosaku Yamada
Pechka (a type of Russian masonry stove)
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.
Silent Night (Holy Night) Christmas Song - Vocal: numa chan
Silent Night is one of the Christmas carols loved by many people.
Known as “Silent Night” in English, this song features lyrics celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.
It was hastily composed as a piece that could be played on guitar after the organ broke, even though carols had been planned to be sung with the organ on Christmas Eve.
That song went on to become a quintessential Christmas classic, passed down and sung for centuries.
Its gentle melody feels soothing, as if it purifies the heart when you listen.
It’s easy to sing not only in Japanese but also in English, so give it a try!
The Snow PainterLyrics by Akihiko Noritake / Music by Takashi Ando
[Children’s Song] The Snow Painter (or The Snow Paint Shop)
This is a charming winter song that describes the way the snow piles up and the world outside gradually turns white by calling it a “house painter.” Hedges, fields, and farms are sights we’re not so familiar with these days, but listening to the song brings to mind nostalgic scenes of Japan’s traditional landscape.
We don’t see vast silver-white worlds much anymore either, but it’s a song you’ll want to sing while letting your imagination roam.
Winter nightMonbushō Shōka (Ministry of Education Songs)
Ministry of Education Song: Winter Night
This is a Ministry of Education song published in the Third-Year Edition of Elementary School Songs.
The lyricist and composer are unknown.
It depicts a harsh winter with blizzards raging and everything covered in snow.
In an era when there wasn’t even radio, let alone television, it portrays the scene of a family gathering closely around the hearth, enjoying time together.
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.
