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!

Playlist

Nursery rhymes, folk songs, and children's songs about animals
	Title	Playlist	Review
1	skylark skylarkwarabeuta asobi		A children’s hand-clapping game/song themed around spring birds
2	Elephant’s hat		The song about animals going into the elephant’s hat
3	Sparrows Samba		A samba piece where sparrows dance
4	Tanuki of Fist Mountain		Tanuki of Fist Mountain
5	Crocodile family		Daily life of a crocodile family, a human-like household
6	Zebra SwirlSakushi: Endou Kouzou / Sakkyoku: Inui Hiroki		A hand-clapping song about taking a zebra’s stripes off and turning it into another animal
7	Panda Rabbit Koalasakushi: takada hiroo / sakkyoku: inui hiroki		Introduction to songs featuring animals
8	Dog Policeman		The lost kitten and the troubled police dog
9	Song of a little bird		A lullaby of little birds, a nursery rhyme filled with love
10	Seagull Sailor		An adorable nursery rhyme about a white seagull and a sailor
11	Old MacDonald Had a Farm		A children's song that sings animal sounds
12	Shirokuma’s Jenka Dance		Shirokuma’s Jenka, a fun children’s song
13	Piglet-raccoon dog-fox-cat		Kobuta, Tanuki, Kitsune, Neko is a hand game song by Naosumi Yamamoto.
14	Animal Exercises 1-2-3		Get energized with fun exercises with the animals
15	aye-aye		Song of the rare creature aye-aye of Madagascar
16	I Stepped on the Cat		A unique cat song popular with children
17	The Song of Konkonshyan		A song about animals catching colds
18	Goat Mail		A strange story where a goat eats letters
19	gluttonous gorilla		A fun song about a gorilla eating food
20	Mr. Elephant		A song about a mother and her baby elephant
21	The Bear of the Forest		A children's song depicting the kindness of a bear
22	Black Cat Tango		A children’s song in the style of tango, born in Italy
23	little fox		Fox-san’s stylish autumn outfit
24	Goosey, Goosey, Gander		Mother Goose, rhythmic play song
25	Spring MeadowSakushi: Sakata Hiroo Sakkyoku: Ichikawa Toshiharu		A children's song about a spring pasture where foals gallop.
26	HAPPY HONEY HORSENo-zan Ho-su Pa-ku		Parents and children have fun bonding with a horse-themed hand play song
27	Playable on easy piano! KusakeibaSakkyoku: Sutiibun Fositā		A delightful classic that captures the lightness of a horse
28	The little cowboy has arrived.Sakkyoku: Sakata Hiroo / Sakushi: Arekisu Sakkyoku Tom Tirilin Tom		Song of a Little Cowboy Galloping Across the West
29	Song of the Resounding GrasslandsSakushi: Kubota Yuzuru Sakkyoku: Maruyama Aki		A children's song from Mongolian folklore, Melody of Light and Wind
30	horse (childish/affectionate term)Sakushi: Hayashi Ryūha / Sakkyoku: Matsushima Tsune		A song story depicting the affection between a foal and its mother horse
31	KintaroSakushi: Ishihara Wasaburō / Sakkyoku: Tamura Torazō		A valiant child of Mount Ashigara’s song, with lively lyrics
32	Horse’s tail, pig’s tail.Sakushi: Abe Hitomi / Sakkyoku: Yamamoto Naozumi		An adorable nursery rhyme about a horse and a pig’s tails
33	Foal’s Rhythm PlayMonbushō shōka		A playful rhythmic chant that expresses the hoofbeats of a foal
34	All mothersamerika min’yō		The Mysterious Song of the Horse and the Piglet, a Japanese Children's Song
35	Adorable foalSakushi: Satō Hachirō / Sakkyoku: Niki Takio		A classic that warmly portrays a scene of a foal and a child
36	horse (childish/affectionate term)		A heartwarming song about the affectionate bond between a horse and its foal
37	Mountain MusiciansDoitsu min’yō		A Fun Concert by the Forest Animals
38	School of Medaka		Medaka School: Wonders Underwater
39	Jungle Pocket		A fun song with lyrics about animals
40	A Little Bear in the RainSakushi: Tsurumi Masao / Sakkyoku: Yuyama Akira		An innocent tale of a cub enjoying the rain
41	snail		Enjoying the rainy season with children through a snail song
42	A little leaf boat		A nursery rhyme about swallows returning south on a boat made of tree leaves
43	The Bear of the Forest		Let's enjoy learning the bear song
44	Cute Hide and SeekSakushi: Satou Hachirou／Sakkyoku: Nakata Yoshinao		A nursery rhyme about animals playing hide-and-seek
45	I Stepped on the CatSakushi / Sakkyoku: Fushou		I Stepped on the Cat: a fun song loved around the world
46	All mothers		A folk song singing about the wonders of horses and animals
47	Frog Chorus		A fun round-singing experience with the Frog Song!
48	Seven-year-old child		A masterpiece that sings about why crows cry
49	O Bureneli		A beautiful melody from Swiss folk music
50	The Puppy Police OfficerSakushi: Satō Yoshimi / Sakkyoku: Ōnaka Megumi		A police dog helping a lost kitten
51	Piglet-raccoon dog-fox-catsakushi sakkyoku/yamamoto naozumi		A hand-play song with animals using shiritori, hugely popular with children
52	Mountain Musicianssakushi: mizuta shisen / sakkyoku: doitsu min’yō		A picture book about animals enjoying music by playing instruments
53	A Rainy Day on the Ranch		A cheerful song of animals on a rainy ranch
54	carp in a pond		A scene of a pond where people feed koi
55	Little Sumo Bear		Sumo Bear-chan’s Sumo Play
56	A tadpole is the child of a frog.		A parody song whose melody is widely known
57	Come, firefly		A captivating round with the chant of 'Hotaru koi' (Come, fireflies)
58	bug-catching game		A nostalgic bug-catching song that takes you back to your childhood
59	Dona Dona		A sad song of a calf, a timeless classic across generations
60	Panda, rabbit, koala		A fun hand-play song that expresses animal characteristics
61	Mr. ElephantSakushi: Mado Michio / Sakkyoku: Dan Ikuma		A heartwarming nursery rhyme that sings of the love between parent and child
62	Hey, Kaba-kun!sakushi: nakagawa itsuko / sakkyoku: nakagawa hirotaka		The charm of animals for children through hippopotamus songs
63	Dog PolicemanSakushi: Satō Yoshimi / Sakkyoku: Ōnaka Megumi		The song of the police dog who helps a lost kitten
64	Rabbit Dance		A fun nursery rhyme with the rhythm of a hopping rabbit
65	The monkey rowed a boat.		A fun nursery rhyme about a monkey drawing a picture of a ship
66	Giraffe		A cute song that sings about the giraffe’s characteristics
67	Whale Clock		The Song of Clocks of Various Animals
68	Zuizui Zukkorobashi		An old Japanese children’s play song featuring a mouse
69	The Turtles’ Excursion		Sing rhythmically about a turtle’s slow field trip
70	The Gorilla’s Concert		A song about a gorilla holding a concert with musical instruments
71	Draneko Rock ’n’ Roll		A fun nursery rhyme singing the boasts of a stray cat
72	Red sky at dusk		Yuyake Koyake is a representative Japanese children's song.
73	Goldfish’s Nap		The goldfish’s red tail fin looks like a kimono.
74	pigeon		The Song of the Pigeon and the Beans, a nursery rhyme loved by children
75	Zebra Swirl		A world imagined through zebra patterns
76	Squirrel squirrel little squirrel		A squirrel nursery rhyme, a nostalgic Japanese classic
77	Nanbu Cattle Drover’s Song		A folk song of Iwate, singing the spirit of Nanbu
78	Mr. Ant on an errandsakushi: Sekine Eiichi / sakkyoku: Dan Ikuma		A fun nursery rhyme depicting an ant’s walk and collisions
79	Five ducks		Learning with a song that counts ducks
80	Five Little Pigs and Charleston		Song of the Piglet Dancing the Charleston
81	Dolphins are Zambraco		Introduction to the nursery rhyme “Jumping Creatures”
82	Boing-Boing Kangaroo		A fun kangaroo nursery rhyme—let’s all sing together!
83	A wild mouse		A mouse hand-play song, fun for everyone
84	Sparrows’ School		A cute children's song about a school of sparrows
85	Hey, Kaba-kun!		There are also picture books with cute hippo lyrics.
86	Let’s go to the zoo.		A family’s song enjoying the zoo
87	Picnic		A fun nursery rhyme sung with animals
88	Mountain Waltz		Waltz of the Animals at the Mountain Kindergarten
89	Mountain Musicians		A fun nursery rhyme where animals play musical instruments