![[Children’s Songs of Autumn] Autumn songs, school songs, and traditional children’s rhymes. A collection of classic pieces to sing in autumn.](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/St1kFEFvEaw/maxresdefault.webp)
[Children’s Songs of Autumn] Autumn songs, school songs, and traditional children’s rhymes. A collection of classic pieces to sing in autumn.
We’d like to introduce autumn nursery rhymes, songs, and traditional children’s songs that can be enjoyed by both kids and adults.
When you think of autumn, what comes to mind?
Pine cones, acorns, autumn leaves, moon-viewing… The more you think about it, the more images pop up, don’t they?
In this article, we’ve gathered wonderful classics that make autumn scenery unfold right before your eyes.
From gentle, soothing pieces unique to autumn that sink into the heart, to hand-play songs and traditional children’s tunes you can play and sing along with—these are all famous songs that let you experience autumn in many ways.
Be sure to listen together, sing along, and immerse yourselves in “autumn.”
[Autumn Children's Songs] Autumn songs, school songs, and nursery rhymes. A collection of famous songs to sing in autumn (1–10)
Voices of InsectsSakushi sakkyoku: Monbushō shōka
When we think of autumn’s pleasures, maple leaves and the harvest moon certainly come to mind, but isn’t the chorus of insects that colors the long autumn nights one of them as well? It’s also the season when the songs of many autumn insects—like crickets and katydids—are at their most beautiful.
This is a delightful children’s song that sets those insects’ voices to lyrics, doubling the joy of autumn.
pine coneSakushi: Hirota Takao / Sakkyoku: Kobayashi Tsuyae
Pine Cones was created in 1936.
The lyricist, Takao Hirota, was a first-grader at the time, and his teacher, Tsuyae Kobayashi, set his poem to music.
With simple lyrics about animals in the mountains eating nuts, it’s appealing because even young children can sing it.
Many of you may know it from NHK’s popular children’s program, With Mother.
Many nursery schools and kindergartens enjoy using this song for hand-play and rhythm activities, so be sure to sing it for indoor autumn play.
Bright Red Autumnsakushi: satsuma tadashi / sakkyoku: kobayashi hideo
In addition to composing set pieces for the NHK National School Music Competition, Hideo Kobayashi has created a wide range of choral works.
“Makkana Aki” (“Deep-Red Autumn”) is one of his children’s songs about autumn.
It has been broadcast on NHK’s Minna no Uta and sometimes appears in music textbooks.
Set to a very charming melody, the song features many red-colored things you see in autumn.
It portrays two people enjoying the season as they search for red things, which makes children want to imitate them.
It’s a highly recommended classic that lets you fully feel the spirit of autumn.
red dragonflySakushi: Miki Rofū / Sakkyoku: Yamada Kōsaku
Among autumn children’s songs, this nursery rhyme is especially well known.
Mr.
Miki first wrote the lyrics in 1921, and in 1927 Mr.
Yamada set them to music.
It is said that Miki wrote it with thoughts of Tatsuno City in Hyogo Prefecture, where he spent his childhood, and it is filled with a sense of nostalgia.
It has been used as an insert song in films such as “Koko ni Izumi Ari” and “Yuyake Koyake no Akatombo,” and has been covered by well-known artists, making it very familiar to the Japanese people.
Yakiimo goo-choki-pasakushi: sakata hiroo / sakkyoku: yamamoto naozumi
Perfect for autumn, when roasted sweet potatoes are at their tastiest, is “Yakiimo Goo Chaa Paa,” a song you can also enjoy as a hand-play game.
It’s the ideal tune for the season of hearty appetites, depicting roasting sweet potatoes and savoring them.
Try acting out with your hands how hot the potatoes are and the motions of eating, in time with the lyrics.
There’s even a rock-paper-scissors part at the end of the song.
While you’re waiting for the sweet potatoes to finish roasting, sing and play along with friends or family! The more you sing, the hungrier you’ll get…
Donguri KorokoroSakushi: Aoki Sonoyoshi / Sakkyoku: Yanada Tadashi
In autumn, you can find lots of little acorns scattered along the paths, right? The song “Donguri Korokoro” tells a charming story about such acorns.
It begins with a lightweight acorn that rolls and rolls until it falls into a pond.
At first, it has fun playing in the water with a kind loach, but gradually it becomes homesick and wants to return to the mountain where it came from.
The lyrics are a bit bittersweet, but when you sing it, sing cheerfully—and make sure to collect lots of acorns!
mushroomSakushi: Mado Michio / Sakkyoku: Kurakake Shōji
Mushrooms are an essential taste of autumn.
This song describes mushrooms growing hard and strong while receiving blessings from the heavens.
We tend to forget about them because they don’t move, but in fact mushrooms grow just like we do! Listening to this song helps you see mushrooms as living beings, so even kids who don’t like the taste might grow fond of them.
It’s also great as a play song for nursery schools and kindergartens.
Children aged 1–2 dancing in mushroom costumes would be absolutely adorable.