[Preschool] Recommended choral pieces for 3-year-olds
In nursery schools and kindergartens, there are plenty of opportunities for everyone to sing together—not just during daily activities, but also at events like recitals and music festivals.
Choral singing is a wonderful activity: children can feel the joy of singing, strengthen their sense of unity with friends, and deepen their interest in seasons and events.
We’d like to incorporate a variety of songs so that children grow fond of music and come to love singing.
So this time, we’re introducing recommended choral songs for 3-year-olds (the youngest class).
We’ve gathered lots of lively, energetic pieces that suit 3-year-olds, along with many cute songs.
Find a lovely piece that matches your class’s character, and have fun singing together!
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- Get pumped with kids’ favorite songs! A memorable collection of classics that will make you want to sing along
- [For 4-year-olds] Popular and classic songs to sing at recitals and seasonal events
- Childcare: Today's recommended fun songs
- Children’s Song Rankings [2026]
[Childcare] Recommended choral pieces for 3-year-olds (21–30)
Mysterious PocketSakushi: Mado Michio / Sakkyoku: Watanabe Shigeru
“Fushigi na Pocket” is a song about a dreamlike pocket that makes biscuits multiply every time you pat it.
Many people may have heard it in childhood and tried patting their own pockets over and over.
You can enjoy it together with the choreography—patting your pocket with a light pop-pop, or gently swaying as you imagine having such a pocket.
It’s a beloved children’s song that has been cherished for many years, with adorable anecdotes like kids actually putting biscuits in their pockets, patting them, and ending up crumbling them to bits.
Toy Cha-Cha-ChaSakushi: Nosaka Akiyuki / Sakkyoku:
Composed in 1959 as an insert song for a skit about toys in an adult variety show, “Omocha no Cha-Cha-Cha” is a fun tune that kids love, the kind that makes you want to clap along instinctively to the “cha-cha-cha” chant.
Just imagining children wondering, “What are the toys doing after we fall asleep?” is enough to make your heart flutter.
If you sing while chatting about their favorite toys and things they love, it might capture their interest and make the song even more enjoyable.
Donsukapanpan Cheer SquadSakushi: Yamada Hiroshi / Sakkyoku: Nishiwaki Tatsuya
Don-Ska Pan-Pan Cheer Squad leaves a strong impression with its high-energy vibe.
It’s a song created for the NHK program “Okaasan to Issho,” first performed by Daisuke Yokoyama and Takumi Mitani.
The lyrics are packed with onomatopoeia and send encouragement to people who are doing their best.
Thanks to its message and its strangely catchy words, it spread by word of mouth and climbed high on the music charts.
Its unique choreography—like standing on one leg or folding your arms midway through—is another part of its charm.
aye-ayeSakushi: Aida Hiromi / Sakkyoku: Uno Seiichirou
Ai Ai is a song about a little monkey, a character that often appears in children’s favorite picture books.
Lyricist Hiromi Aida wrote the lyrics after being asked to create a cute animal song and coming across the aye-aye, which lives on Madagascar, in an illustrated encyclopedia.
It’s perfect not only as a choral piece but also for school plays where a monkey character appears! To help children enjoy singing it even more with choreography, it might be nice to show them photos or illustrations and say, “This is the kind of monkey the song is about.”
After a fightSakushi: Araki Toyohisa / Sakkyoku: Miki Takashi
I’d like to introduce “Kenka no Ato” as a heartwarming song with a strong message.
It gained attention after being chosen as a theme song for the children’s program Hirake! Ponkikki.
Many people may also know it from Tsuyoshi Tsuruno’s later cover version.
The song depicts making up after a quarrel.
It’s not only fun to sing, but also perfect for reaffirming the importance of reconciling and cherishing friends.
Ho-re!Hanada Yuuichirou, Nagata Maya
A lively, fun song that feels like a vegetable party, with lots of root vegetables bursting out—carrots, beets, daikon radishes, potatoes, burdock, lotus root, and more.
This is “Ho-Re!” from NHK’s Okaasan to Issho, which debuted in October 2022.
The shout “Hore!” playfully blends “hore!” meaning “dig!” with the flamenco cry “olé,” creating a rhythm full of fun that makes you want to dance along, ho-re ho-re! The lyrics are by copywriter and children’s song writer Nagae Kuwabara, and the music is by guitarist and arranger Harumitsu Ishikawa.
In a video that mixes animation and live action, you can enjoy a make-believe farm feel—an upbeat track bursting with smiles and energy.
Children all over the world
Why not dance energetically to the song “Sekai-jū no Kodomo-tachi ga,” whose lyrics wishing happiness for children around the world are truly moving? You can have fun with simple choreography—march in place while swinging both arms, or hold hands with your friends.
Choreography using sign language is also popular, so this is a great chance to try a sign-language dance.
If you slow the tempo a little, it also works well for a chorus.
Please feel free to use it for a variety of recreational activities.
