[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 (21–30)
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.
Let’s go to the park.Sakushi/Sakkyoku: Sakata Osamu
Osamu Sakata, affectionately known as a former “Uta no Onii-san” (Singer on the show), has created many songs, and one of his most popular is “Let’s Go to the Park.” After it was performed on the NHK program “Okaasan to Issho,” it has been sung at kindergartens and nursery schools across Japan.
The song expresses the excitement of going out to the park.
There’s a call-and-response section in the middle, so it’s sure to get lively when everyone sings together.
It’s also fun to sing before heading out to the park.
Toy Cha-Cha-ChaSakushi: Nozaka Akiyuki-shi / Sakkyoku: Koshibe Nobuyoshi
“Omocha no Cha Cha Cha” is a delightful song about toys coming to life at night.
With its playful expressions and vivid, imagination-sparking onomatopoeia, it’s perfect for three-year-olds who love to picture things in their minds.
Another hallmark of this song is how the story progresses from the first verse to the second.
By taking time with it, each child can become immersed in the world of toys.
It’s a fun piece, so it’s also great for recitals.
Try ringing bells or castanets and singing “cha cha cha”—it makes it even more enjoyable!
Being human is niceSakushi: Yamaguchi Akari/Sakkyoku: Kobayashi Asei
As a heartwarming song that’s fun to sing, “Ningen tte Ii na” is a great recommendation.
It’s known as the ending theme of the anime “Manga Nihon Mukashibanashi.” In recent years, it has been gaining renewed attention thanks to reruns and DVD releases.
The lyrics, which depict human life from the perspective of animals, are not only comforting but also a chance to rediscover the happiness in everyday life.
When singing it as a chorus, try getting everyone excited by focusing on the final phrase.
Banana Parent and ChildSakushi: Seki Kazuo / Sakkyoku: Fukuda Wakako
“Banana no Oyako” is a fun song with elements of tongue twisters and wordplay.
Once you’ve learned the simple lyrics, be sure to enjoy playing with the words.
As you get used to it, speed it up little by little and see how far you can go—it’ll be a big hit! It would be great if both kids who are good at tongue twisters and those who find them a bit tricky can enjoy it together.
Even adults sometimes find it hard to say, so it’s helpful for the teacher to take the lead in “failing” on purpose or modeling how to take on a challenge.
The key is to give kids lots of chances to encounter and enjoy playful language.
your smileHanada Yuuichirou, Nagata Maya
“Kimi no Egao” first appeared as the theme song for NHK’s “Okaasan to Issho,” broadcast in September 1985.
The song was written by Kazuki Takase (lyrics) and Yoshinori Tanaka (music).
It celebrates the brightness and happiness brought by children’s smiles, featuring a simple, warm melody.
With heartwarming lyrics perfect for a children’s program, it evokes the bond between parents and children.
It gently conveys a kindness that helps smiles spread naturally in everyday life.
Even today, it remains beloved by both children and adults.
The railroad tracks go on forever.Sakushi: Saki Satoshi / Sakkyoku: Amerika min’yō
It’s a children’s song that has been loved by people of all ages for a long time, with lyrics brimming with dreams and hope and a soaring, beautiful melody that lifts your spirits.
Its march-like rhythm, reminiscent of a locomotive charging ahead, makes it easy for train-loving kids to enjoy and sing with energy.
The song originally comes from the American folk tune “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad,” to which lyricist Saki Satoshi added Japanese lyrics.
It’s also fun to sing while lining up and moving forward like you’re playing train together!
Mysterious PocketSakushi: Mado Michio / Sakkyoku: Watanabe Shigeru
“Fushigi na Pocket” is a fun song where biscuits increase every time you pat the pocket.
It’s perfect for imaginative three-year-olds.
It’s also recommended to sing while actually patting a pocket.
You can even stage it as an apron theater where the biscuits really seem to multiply.
Conversations with the children, like “What would you do if lots of biscuits came out?” will surely liven up.
They’ll also naturally learn how to count—“one, two,” and so on.
It’s a song full of dreams.
aye-ayeSakushi: Aida Hiromi / Sakkyoku: Uno Seiichirō
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.”
There’s no such thing as ghosts.Sakushi: Maki Minori / Sakkyoku: Mine Akira
How about singing “Obake Nante Nai sa,” a song with delightfully imaginative lyrics? The words were written by Minori Maki and the music composed by Akira Mine.
Since it was broadcast in 1966 on an NHK educational program, it has been loved by many.
The lyrics tell a story of what might happen if a ghost were to appear.
Although ghosts are often seen as scary, in this song they show up as cute, endearing beings.
Enjoy singing it while savoring the song’s whimsical, fantastical world.