[For 3-year-olds] Songs to sing at nursery schools and kindergartens! Popular and recommended songs
Kids who love to sing! Around age three, children gradually start to match pitch and keep rhythm, and singing becomes more fun for them.
Let’s have everyone sing together so they can feel the joy and comfort of singing.
So this time, we’ve gathered lots of popular songs that three-year-olds will enjoy singing.
They’re perfect not only for daily childcare, but also for events like recitals and birthday parties! These are songs that energetic three-year-olds will want to sing—so try singing them together as a group.
Add clapping or simple choreography to the music, and it’ll be even more exciting!
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[Age 3] Songs to Sing at Nursery School or Kindergarten! Popular and Recommended Songs (101–110)
What color do you like?Sakushi: Sakata Osamu / Sakkyoku: Inui Yuki
With its bright, rhythmic melody and friendly lyrics, this heartwarming song helps nurture children’s sense of color.
The gentle voices of Osamu Sakata and Yuko Kanzaki lead listeners into a world of colors like red, blue, yellow, and green.
Released by Victor Entertainment in June 1992, it was featured as the Song of the Month for June and July on NHK’s “Okaasan to Issho.” Filled with a soothing melody and elements that make learning color names fun, it’s perfect for singing together with friends and family during walks or outdoor playtime.
It’s also a great pick for spring, when fresh greenery shines, as a way to spark interest in the colors all around us.
Friendship HymnSakushi: Sakata Hiroo / Sakkyoku: Amerika Min’yō
This is a bright, energetic song with the theme of the importance of friendship.
Set to the melody of an American folk tune with Japanese lyrics, it’s characterized by a lively rhythm and approachable words.
It spread from the 1970s to the 1980s and has been beloved as part of school education and choir repertoires.
It’s perfect for entrance ceremonies to ease the nerves of new students.
If everyone holds hands, forms a circle, and sings while dancing, smiles are sure to appear naturally.
I think it’s a wonderful song that creates a warm atmosphere to celebrate meeting new friends.
The Bento Box SongSakushi: Kayama Yoshiko / Sakkyoku: Kobayashi Akihiro
This is a fingerplay song, beloved by children, that cheerfully introduces the contents of a lunchbox.
Miyako Kayama’s warm lyrics perfectly match Akihiro Komori’s bright, friendly melody, resulting in an uplifting tune.
It’s fun to sing while doing the hand motions, and the lively storytelling is part of its charm.
Released as a single by Nippon Columbia in August 1978, the song was featured on NHK’s “Okaasan to Issho” and the Nippon TV network’s “Ohayō! Kodomo Show,” gaining widespread popularity.
It’s a delightful song that makes moments centered on food—like packing lunches or getting ready for a field trip—even more enjoyable.
Story FingerSakushi: Kayama Yoshiko / Sakkyoku: Yuyama Akira
This is a heartwarming children’s song that you can enjoy while doing hand play.
By imagining your fingers as cute family members, it unfolds like a conversation between characters, so it’s great fun to sing while moving your fingers together with your child! Created by Yoshiko Kayama and Akira Yuyama, the piece was first introduced in February 1962 on the NHK radio program “Toddler Time,” and has been included on many classic recordings, such as the album “Children’s Songs by Age (2) Ages 1–2.” Its simple lyrics and melody are charming and perfect for parent-child bonding.
Widely loved as a staple hand-play song that’s hugely popular in kindergartens and nursery schools, it has also been featured on NHK’s “Okaasan to Issho.” The bright, cheerful melody makes it easy to sing and is sure to bring a smile to your child’s face.
Playing bus (pretend bus play)Sakushi: Kayama Yoshiko / Sakkyoku: Yuyama Akira
This lively children’s song by Yoshiko Kayama and Akira Yuyama captures the excitement of setting off on a trip in a big bus.
Set to a rhythmic melody, it gently portrays children enjoying pretend play with vehicles.
It’s a song you can sing while moving your hands and body, so it naturally brings smiles to children’s faces.
Long cherished in childcare and educational settings, it’s also used as a play song.
With spring outing season approaching, why not sing it together as a family before a walk or a day out? If everyone enjoys it while keeping the beat, it will surely create wonderful memories in children’s hearts.
Banana Parent and ChildSakata Osamu
Lyrics and melodies that make children’s hearts skip a beat.
This song is an adorable piece depicting a banana parent and child living on a southern island.
The swaying bananas in the breeze are expressed through rhythmic lyrics.
Carried by Osamu Sakata’s gentle voice, the introduction of Papa Banana, Mama Banana, and Little Banana makes you want to hum along.
Broadcast on NHK’s “Okaasan to Issho,” it’s a hugely popular song among children.
Sing and dance together as a family, and you’re sure to have a wonderful time!
Song of CourageOno Atsuko
A wonderful song, harmonizing gentleness and strength, has been born as the film’s theme song.
Atsuko Ono’s warm singing voice eases the anxiety of taking that first step and gives you courage.
Centered on themes of bonds with friends and the importance of believing in yourself, the piece delivers a heartwarming message.
Written specifically for a film releasing in March 2025, it blends beautifully with the story.
Ono also takes on her first voice-acting role in the film, showcasing new charms beyond her singing.
It’s perfect not only for families to enjoy at the theater, but also for activities in preschools and kindergartens, and for singing and dancing together at home.
It’s a lovely song that stays close to children’s hearts and cheers them on as they take new steps.
Vegetable SongYamano Satoko
Welcome to the wonderful world of vegetables! This song, hugely popular with children, is full of clever ways to help them learn the names of vegetables in a fun, rhythmic way.
With sounds that express the names and characteristics of veggies like tomatoes and cabbage, just listening will fill you with excitement.
Accompanied by Satoko Yamano’s bright and gentle voice, the vegetables make their appearances one after another.
This piece is included in many children’s music albums.
It’s also recommended for nutrition education time or for singing together with kids who aren’t fond of vegetables.
If you sing while moving your body, it becomes even more fun!
Happy ChildrenYamano Satoko
This song is striking for its gentle, warm melody and lyrics that express the pure feelings of children.
It celebrates the children’s mysterious, almost magical power—the wonderful ability to bring smiles to those around them.
Satoko Yamano’s clear vocals blend beautifully with the lively voices of the Mori no Ki Children’s Choir.
Included on the album “Aozora SONGS,” released in April 2014, the song features lyrics by Toshihiko Shinzawa and music by Hirotaka Nakagawa.
It’s a tune that eases the nerves of children entering new environments, such as entrance or opening ceremonies, and invites everyone to sing along with joy.
Please give this heartwarming track a listen—perfect for preschool and kindergarten teachers and children to enjoy together.
Peep-peep, pao!Kimura Kaera
Kaela Kimura is in charge of the new opening theme for the anime Hanakappa, currently airing on NHK Educational TV (E-Tele).
This work, filled with happiness and fun, portrays the children’s stories set in Hanahana Land through an exciting melody and heartwarming lyrics.
Incorporating memorable melodies she created in her childhood, the song is packed with Kaela Kimura’s passion for music.
Beloved as the new opening theme for Hanakappa since November 2024, it is also slated to be included in Kaela Kimura’s 20th-anniversary album, “KAELA KIMURA 20th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL BOX.” It’s perfect for morning gatherings at nursery schools and kindergartens, as well as for singing and dancing together with children.