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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Children’s songs, folk songs, and nursery rhymes about animals (81–90)
Dolphins are Zambraco
This is a nursery rhyme featuring creatures that jump.
Even if you haven’t heard it before, it might evoke a sense of nostalgia.
The composer is Masashi Wakamatsu, a musician from Keio University, and the lyrics were written by Tatsuo Higashi, also known for penning the choral piece “Riding a Balloon to Anywhere.”
Boing-Boing Kangaroo
It’s a slightly unusual nursery rhyme that sings about kangaroos.
The lively melody makes it fun just to listen to, which is great.
The animation in the video is cute, too.
It’s an animal song that makes you want everyone to listen, sing along, and dance to the music.
A wild mouse
This is an animal song beloved as a hand-play song in kindergartens and nursery schools.
As the song progresses, the number of mice increases one by one, and by the end there’s a big commotion with five mice.
You can watch a video for a hand-play demo, but it might be fun to try your own arrangement as well.
Sparrows’ School
This song was created by composer Ryutaro Hirota from Kochi Prefecture and poet Katsura Shimizu.
It was published in 1922 in the children’s magazine “Shōjo-gō” and became widely known.
The song describes scenes from a school for sparrows.
The lyrics imitating their chirping are quite charming.
Hey, Kaba-kun!
The pastoral melody is lovely.
The song expresses curiosity about what a hippo’s body is like and a desire to play hide-and-seek together.
It gives you a relaxed, laid-back feeling.
There’s also a picture book with the same title, so it’s perfect for families with young children.
Let’s go to the zoo.
This is a song about having fun at the zoo.
It became popular after being broadcast on “Minna no Uta” and “Okaasan to Issho.” Many animals appear, including elephants, bears, and sea lions.
You can easily picture a family enjoying their day at the zoo.
Picnic
Even in this very familiar children’s song, animals make an appearance.
It is said to have originally been composed in the United States.
In Japan, it was broadcast on the TV program “Minna no Uta” in 1962 and quickly became popular.
How about singing it while taking a walk on a sunny day?
Mountain Waltz
It’s a song about animals gathering at a mountain kindergarten.
As the title suggests, it’s a waltz-style piece that makes you want to listen at a leisurely pace.
You can watch the choreography in the video, so be sure to give it a try.
It was composed by Akira Yuyama, a composer from Kanagawa Prefecture.
Mountain Musicians
Born as a German folk song, “Mountain Musicians” was broadcast on the TV program “Minna no Uta” in 1964 and became beloved throughout Japan.
The song features animals playing musical instruments.
Many people likely sang it in kindergarten or elementary school.
In conclusion
We introduced many animal songs. Did you find any you liked? Each song is made for children, so they’re easy to sing and remember. I think they help you feel closer to animals. Once you learn various songs, it’s also fun to see the real animals at the zoo!