[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!
- Recommended for preschool recitals! Choral songs that 3-year-olds can adorably sing
- A big hit with kids! A collection of songs that gets everyone pumped for childcare and recreation
- [For 3-year-olds] Recommended for recital and performance days! Skits, songs, and other program ideas
- [Childcare] Fun Songs for 2-Year-Olds to Sing! Recommended Song Collection
- Popular Songs Ranking for Toddlers
- Get pumped with kids’ favorite songs! A memorable collection of classics that will make you want to sing along
- Get pumped with popular songs from “Okaasan to Issho”! A collection of timeless tunes everyone will want to sing together
- Choral songs that captivate 4-year-olds! A collection of heartfelt song ideas for junior kindergarten recitals
- [Children's Songs] Cute songs recommended for childcare. List of popular nursery rhymes.
- [For 4-year-olds] Popular and classic songs to sing at recitals and seasonal events
- [Preschool] Great Dance Songs for Sports Day: Perfect for Younger Children
- Childcare: Today's recommended fun songs
- [Preschool] Brighten Up the Sports Day for Little Ones! A Collection of Cute Dance Song Ideas
[Age 3] Songs to Sing at Nursery School or Kindergarten! Popular and Recommended Songs (21–30)
Good morning, crayonSakushi / Sakkyoku: Taniyama Hiroko
This is a charming song where colorful crayons, awakened from their box, leap out with energy and, as if by magic, bring the breakfast table to life.
Just imagining the reds and greens turning one after another into delicious-looking foods is enough to make your stomach rumble.
Its lively, rhythmic wordplay is so fun that once you hear it, your child will want to imitate it right away! It aired on NHK’s “Minna no Uta” in June 1987, and has been beloved by many for Hiroko Taniyama’s gentle singing voice and the delightful animation.
The song was also included on the album “Shippo no Kimochi,” released in May 1988, and continues to be cherished across generations.
Even children who aren’t morning people might perk right up if they hum along to this piece.
Gather around a delicious breakfast table and sing it together as a family!
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.
[For 3-year-olds] Songs to Sing at Nursery School or Kindergarten! Popular and Recommended Songs (31–40)
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.
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.
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!
Zebra SwirlSakushi: Endou Kouzou / Sakkyoku: Inui Hiroki
With the balmy weather in May, it’s the perfect season for a fun trip to the zoo! A great recommendation for times like these is a delightful hand-play song themed around zebra stripes.
Written by Kozo Endo and composed by Hiroki Inui, this piece is full of unique wordplay in which you whirl and peel off the zebra’s stripes and transform it into another animal.
The song began being featured around 1982 on NHK’s children’s program “Okaasan to Issho,” and it was also included on a CD released in March 2000, making it a long-loved favorite across generations.
It’s great fun to mimic the motions of taking off and putting on the stripes to the lively rhythm! Whether on the bus ride to the zoo or during time at home, singing it together as a parent and child and laughing yourselves silly could be just the thing!
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.