Nursery rhymes, folk songs, and children's songs about animals
We’ve put together a collection of children’s songs that almost everyone has heard at least once, like “Elephant,” “The Policeman Dog,” and “Aye-Aye.” Because they’re made for little kids, looking at the lyrics again really shows their pleasing sound, easy-to-follow stories, and skillful word choices.
Famous nursery rhymes that have been sung for generations are perfect for parents and children to sing together.
This time, we’ve also selected many songs that you can do hand motions with, so be sure to enjoy singing along together!
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Nursery Rhymes, Folk Songs, and Children's Songs about Animals (31–40)
KintaroSakushi: Ishihara Wasaburō / Sakkyoku: Tamura Torazō
This is a children’s song that depicts a sturdy boy wrestling a bear on Mount Ashigara.
Written by Wasaburō Ishihara and composed by Torazō Tamura, it was published in June 1900 in “Shōnen Shōka, First Edition, Upper Volume.” As a representative children’s song that sings about a folktale hero in words familiar to children, it remains beloved today.
The bold figure carrying a hatchet and practicing horse-riding is vividly expressed through a lively two-beat rhythm and spirited calls that make it easy to sing while moving the body.
Because it conveys strength and energy, it’s perfect for singing with children in childcare settings or at home who are starting to take an interest in animals and folktales.
Add handclaps and gestures while singing, and it’s sure to be even more exciting.
Horse’s tail, pig’s tail.Sakushi: Abe Hitomi / Sakkyoku: Yamamoto Naozumi
Broadcast on NHK’s Minna no Uta in August 1983, this song is a humorous children’s tune themed around the tails of a horse and a pig.
Written by Hitomi Abe and composed by Naosumi Yamamoto, it was selected as an outstanding piece in NHK’s Children’s Song Lyrics and Composition Contest.
The story charmingly likens a boy’s puppy-love—teasing the girl he likes—to animal tails, sweetly capturing that childish urge to tug on her pigtails.
Sung by Kyu Sakamoto and the NHK Tokyo Children’s Choir, it became well-loved and was rebroadcast in 2010 and 2015.
There are also covers by various artists, including Seiji Tanaka, and it is widely sung in kindergarten and nursery school choirs.
Its lively melody and catchy refrain make it perfect for parents and children to sing together.
Foal’s Rhythm PlayMonbushō shōka
This children’s song, which depicts a lively foal moving forward to the chant “Hai-shii, hai-shii,” was included in the Ministry of Education’s Shoka for the Elementary School Reader, edited in July 1910 (Meiji 43).
Its hallmark is the way it expresses the foal’s hoofbeats—pressing on along mountain paths and up steep slopes—through an even beat and rhythm.
Today it is used in early childhood education and eurhythmics as a “rhythm play” activity, ideal for children to walk, run, and stop in time with the piano.
Because changes in pitch and tempo can be expressed through body movement, it’s perfect for group movement play and parent–child bonding time.
By imitating a horse’s gait, it offers a fun way to foster a sense of rhythm.
All mothersamerika min’yō
This is a song arranged for Japanese audiences from a folk tune that originated in 19th-century America.
Tomoko Nakayama’s Japanese lyrics pose questions like why a horse goes clip-clop as it runs and why a piglet’s tail curls—“no one knows why.” Easy-to-remember onomatopoeia is repeated to the rhythm, making it appealing and well-suited for creating parody verses.
Sung on NHK’s children’s programs, this piece has reached many homes and childcare settings through performances by Yuko Kanzaki and Osamu Sakata.
Combined with fingerplay or marching movements, it’s a perfect nursery song for parents and children to enjoy together.
Adorable foalSakushi: Satō Hachirō / Sakkyoku: Niki Takio
This song warmly portrays the life of a foal and a child, while carrying a curious, poignant sense of the times quietly creeping in.
You dry the foal’s wet mane, run together, and eventually part ways.
Such scenes unfold alongside rhythmic calls and responses.
The lyricist, Hachirō Satō, was active across a wide range from children’s songs to popular music, and the composer, Takio Niki, was a seasoned talent also known for film scores.
The work was released in December 1940 and broadcast nationwide the following January 1941 on NHK’s “National Songs.” It is closely connected to the film “Uma” (Horse), and has long been loved, later even featured in animated films.
Singing it as a family invites reflections on life in earlier times, and in early childhood settings it can be enjoyed as a play activity by imitating a foal’s movements.
horse (childish/affectionate term)
Amid a relaxed tempo, the affectionate bond between a mother horse and her foal is depicted.
The unique onomatopoeia “pokkuri pokkuri,” mimicking the sound of their steps, sparks children’s imaginations.
First broadcast in 1964 on NHK’s “Minna no Uta,” it has long been beloved by many.
It’s perfect for parents and children to sing together and is recommended for animal-loving kids.
Through the tender relationship of the horse parent and child, this warm song conveys the importance of family bonds.
Mountain MusiciansDoitsu min’yō
An endearing, picture book-like piece in which the animals of the forest become musicians and hold a concert.
In this song, mountain friends like squirrels and little birds appear one after another, each showing off their favorite instrument.
With a structure that layers on words imitating the timbre of the instruments, it carries a lively joy that makes your body start moving all on its own.
It became widely known in Japan after being featured in April 1964 on NHK’s “Minna no Uta,” sung by Dark Ducks.
Since then, it has been sung for many years on educational programs and the like.
Part of its charm is that you can enjoy it with gestures and hand motions, too.
School of Medaka
The title makes you excited, wondering, “What kind of school is the medaka fish school?” It’s one of the famous children’s songs, first presented in 1951 on NHK’s radio program ‘Children’s Hour.’ What can you see when you peer into the water? Be sure to find out while singing along!
Jungle Pocket
It’s a fun song with unique lyrics where animals keep popping out of a pocket.
Kids who love animals will be thrilled and excited as one animal after another appears—how wonderful, right? You can also keep the fun going by playing imitation games with animal sounds afterward.
A Little Bear in the RainSakushi: Tsurumi Masao / Sakkyoku: Yuyama Akira
This song depicts an adorable bear cub observing its surroundings in the rain.
You can vividly picture the cub’s innocent curiosity as it delights in the rain, peers into a brook, and looks for fish.
First featured on NHK Television’s “Uta no Ehon” in June 1962, the song was later included in school textbooks and became widely beloved.
A picture book based on the song, “Amefuri Kumanoko” (The Little Bear in the Rain), has also been published, so it’s fun to enjoy it alongside the book.
It’s a heartwarming children’s song that will make you look forward to rainy days.