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 (41–50)
Mr. Ant on an errandsakushi: Sekine Eiichi / sakkyoku: Dan Ikuma
“Otsukai Ari-san” is a delightful song featuring a playful scene where two little ants bump into each other with a “gottsun.” The bouncy accompaniment mimics the ants’ walking, and children are sure to sing along with sparkling eyes.
It’s also adorable to have them pretend to walk like ants, as in eurhythmics! If you depict the moment the ants collide using a sketchbook theater or paper puppets, children can sing with richer imagery, so it’s highly recommended.
It can also be enjoyed as an introduction to teach that bumping into friends can hurt.
Children’s songs, folk songs, and nursery rhymes about animals (51–60)
The Puppy Police OfficerSakushi: Satō Yoshimi / Sakkyoku: Ōnaka Megumi
This work, which portrays a heartwarming story of a police dog gently trying to help a lost kitten, is one of Japan’s representative children’s songs, where Yoshimi Sato’s warm lyrics and Megumi Ohnaka’s familiar melody blend beautifully.
While empathizing with the kitten mewing “nyan, nyan, nyan” in distress, the police dog also seeks help from a crow and a sparrow, and his kindness and efforts warmly touch listeners’ hearts.
Composed in the 1950s to 1960s, the song became beloved through educational programs such as NHK’s “Minna no Uta” and “Okaasan to Issho,” and continues to be cherished by many children.
carp in a pond
This is a familiar children’s song about feeding koi swimming in a pond.
It’s interesting how the lyrics use rhyme.
The hornwort that appears in the first verse is a type of aquatic plant found in many places across Japan and is also known as water milfoil.
Little Sumo Bear
The little sumo bear and the bear cub are having a sumo match.
It looks like they’re competing to see who’s stronger.
Don’t you think children will want to try sumo themselves after hearing this song? It’s a gentle nursery rhyme that’s suitable even for babies.
A tadpole is the child of a frog.
It’s a children’s song based on the American folk tune “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Doesn’t the melody sound familiar? In fact, Yodobashi Camera’s commercial jingle uses the same melody.
There are also several other parody songs that use this tune.
Come, firefly
The children’s song “Hotaru Koi,” with its memorable calls that evoke the gentle glow of fireflies, allows entrances at any timing—one beat late, half a measure late, a full measure late, and so on—so you can enjoy the many ways the lyrics overlap.
However, the tricky part of this round is that when the “ho, ho” calls overlap, it’s easy to lose track of your own timing.
Start by entering at a point where the calls don’t overlap, and as you get used to it, gradually bring your entrance closer.
With a bit of creativity, have fun challenging yourself with the round.
bug-catching game
Even if you feel like you could never touch bugs now, many people probably enjoyed catching them as a matter of course when they were kids.
This song, “Mushitori Asobi,” is a recommended summer tune that lets children—and adults, too—enjoy bug-catching within the song and recapture a childlike spirit.
It was used on the popular TV program “Okaasan to Issho,” but since it’s an older song, you might try looking for the CD at a rental shop.
Only three bugs appear—dragonflies, butterflies, and a praying mantis—so it’s easy to remember, and as long as you can mimic gestures like searching for bugs and react when you spot and catch them, you can have fun dancing to it!
