Collection of winter nursery rhymes, folk songs, and children's songs. Includes fun winter hand-play songs too.
Do you like winter?
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!
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- Children’s songs, folk songs, and nursery rhymes for March: fun spring hand-play songs.
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Collection of Winter Nursery Rhymes, Folk Songs, and Children's Songs: Fun Winter Hand-Play Songs Too (51–60)
Lou the SnowmanComposed by Masaki Kurihara
It’s one of the monthly songs from NHK’s “Okaasan to Issho,” sung by Daisuke Yokoyama and Takumi Mitani.
When winter comes and it snows, you’ll often see snowmen made by children here and there.
This is a cute song about a pair of snowman siblings.
KodANUKI Ponpo
The children’s song “Kodanuki Pompo,” with its uniquely pleasant sense of rhythm, has been airing on NHK’s Minna no Uta since 1983, so some of you may have heard it.
Listen closely to the poignant lyrics about Kodanuki Pompo faithfully waiting for the girl who lent him her red gloves last winter.
The steady, even rhythm flows comfortably into your body, and together with the gentle, deeply expressive melody, it’s sure to strengthen the bond between parents and children.
Christmas tree
How about a hand play song that incorporates onomatopoeia kids love? Words associated with Christmas, like “candle” and “Santa,” heighten the sense of excitement, and actions like blowing with a “fwooo” or smiling with a “niko” naturally draw children in.
At the same time, it can also deepen their understanding of words for numbers, such as “first” and “second.” A slow tempo helps create a calm atmosphere, making it easy to enjoy the hand play song with a gentle feeling.
When Santa goes out
“When Santa Goes Out” is a Christmas song that sets Santa-themed lyrics to the familiar phrase from the nursery rhyme “Gonbei-san no Akachan.” With a catchy melody you can remember after just one listen, it’s delightful even for little children.
Santa brings the gifts everyone eagerly awaits—so sing and dance while letting your imagination run wild: “How is he getting everything ready?” “What kind of presents will he bring?”
Collection of winter nursery rhymes, folk songs, and children's songs. Fun winter hand-play songs too (61–70)
Ogre PantsLyrics: Unknown / Music: Luigi Denza
The original song is the Italian popular tune “Funiculì, Funiculà.” Despite its grand, resonant melody, it actually has lyrics about ogres’ underpants.
The surreal lyrics say the ogre’s underpants are strong, and kids absolutely love it.
Strike a strong-arm pose to show strength, pretend to put on pants, and have fun together.
Even children who aren’t fond of Setsubun events will likely enjoy “Ogre’s Underpants.” Singing and dancing to it is pretty intense, so it’ll warm you up even in the cold season!
The Snow PainterLyrics by Akihiko Noritake / Music by Takashi Ando
“The Snow Painter” expresses falling white snow by likening it to paint.
The lyrics were written by Akihiko Noritake and the music composed by Takashi Ando.
It’s perfect for winter recreation to add simple finger-pointing and hand-clapping actions that match the lyrics describing snow falling on rooftops and fences.
The piece is just under a minute long, so learn the repeating melody and enjoy singing and dancing with the children.
It’s a children’s song ideal for winter listening, evoking beautiful natural scenery covered in snow.
The wind and the snow are my friends.Lyrics by Junichi Kobayashi / Music by Nelson & Rollins
“Kaze mo Yuki mo Tomodachi da” (The Wind and Snow Are Our Friends) was created based on the American children’s song “Frosty the Snowman.” Composed by Nelson & Rollins with Japanese lyrics by Junichi Kobayashi of the Department of Children’s Literature, it depicts children energetically playing amid scenes of blowing wind and falling snow.
With its lively rhythm and cheerful melody, it’s perfect for hand-play activities accompanied by piano.
The warm sound of the piece seems to blow away the chill of winter.
Why not listen to it alongside the original song, which tells the poignant story of a snowman?