Lovely childcare

Fun to dance! A roundup of recommended dance songs for young children, perfect for daycare and sports days

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
Nursery Teacher Mom Writertsukada moe
After working for five years at an after-school childcare club and three years at a nursery school, I began working as a freelance writer. I’m a mother of two children. Inspired by playing the flute in the school wind ensemble in elementary school, I joined a jazz club at university. I’ve also incorporated ukulele and piano performance into childcare. Playing, laughing, feeling sad, feeling frustrated—through all kinds of experiences, I want children to grow.

Dance activities in daycare and at sports festivals are very important times for children!By moving their bodies to music, they can learn a sense of fun and rhythm.Choosing a special dance for the upcoming sports festival is one of the exciting parts, too.Here, we introduce recommended dance songs for young children that are perfect for daycare and sports festivals.Kids who are tuned into trends will also enjoy dancing to more mature-sounding songs.Choose dances and exercises that match the children’s preferences, and have both kids and adults get excited together!

Fun to dance! Recommended toddler dance songs for daycare and sports days (111–120)

Happiness Is HereTōkyō Dizunī Rizōto

Dance “Happiness Is Here” [05] · 2016 LAZONA Kawasaki

Happiness Is HereTōkyō Dizunī Rizōto

From 2013 to 2018, the main song played in Tokyo Disneyland’s daytime parade was “Happiness Is Here.” Centered on this track, the parade featured a Disney medley including titles like “Dumbo” and “Snow White.” As an aside, the previous parade, “Jubilation!,” was great too.

“Happiness Is Here” is very dance-friendly and easy to choreograph, allowing you to include lots of fun clapping and jumping sections.

Please also check out the choreography by various dance teams uploaded on video sites for reference.

It’s a highly recommended song that can be widely used from preschoolers to elementary school students.

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Fun to Dance! Recommended Preschool Dance Songs for Daycare and Sports Day (121–130)

Dynamite

[Full Song Version] [For Kindergarteners] BTS - Dynamite | Easy Choreography [For Elementary School, Nursery, Toddlers, Sports Day, Recital]

Dynamite

Isn’t it likely that even kids have heard BTS’s massive hit “Dynamite” at least once? It’s such a fun, feel-good dance track that makes your body move naturally! The official choreography might be tough for preschoolers, but because the song was such a hit, tons of dance videos have been uploaded, including “I tried dancing” covers.

Some of them even introduce kid-friendly choreography, so check those out for reference! If it’s a familiar song, it might be easier to memorize the moves, too.

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Disney exercises

Former Nursery Teacher Sings and Dances: Disney Exercise Routine (for Daycare and Kindergarten)

Disney exercises

Let’s have fun exercising to Disney music that kids love! We’ll do exercises to a medley of Disney songs like “Mickey Mouse March,” “Yo Ho,” “The Ballad of Davy Crockett,” and “It’s a Small World.” Since many of the tunes are familiar, you can sing along while you move! The movements are simple, like Radio Calisthenics—stretching, jumping, and so on.

Cute, Disney-style motions are mixed in, so you’ll enjoy moving your body all the way to the end.

Even kids who get bored with regular exercises are sure to feel more motivated when Disney songs start playing!

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Sign of Love

[Sign of Love] PUFFY 'Easy Dance' — A simple arranged dance you can do at recitals or sports days!

Sign of Love

PUFFY’s “Ai no Shirushi,” which had a resurgence on TikTok in 2022.

Released in 1998, the song was written and composed by Masamune Kusano of Spitz, with arrangement by Tamio Okuda.

It’s been featured in commercials and in films like “Waterboys,” and continues to be loved across generations.

Both the original PUFFY choreography and the version that went viral on TikTok aren’t very difficult, so even kids can dance along easily! If mom or dad are from the PUFFY generation, it’d be fun to dance together!

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Yo-kai Exercise No. 1Dream5

Yo-kai Watch: Yokai Exercise No. 1

Yo-kai Exercise No. 1Dream5

The ending theme of a TV anime, sung by Dream5 and beloved by both children and adults, is creating a buzz.

This work charms listeners with its fun, upbeat style that portrays everyday little happenings—like oversleeping or being picky about food—as the doings of yokai.

Their 12th single, released in April 2014, was a tie-in with a TV Tokyo anime, and with choreography by Lucky Ikeda, it became a huge topic among children.

It’s a song that kids can enjoy moving their bodies to together, with easy-to-learn choreography that makes it a hit at nursery and kindergarten events.

It’s also recommended for parent-child recreation and as a dance for sports days.

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Insect Tai Chi

[Gymnastics Choreography] Insect Tai Chi / Mitsuru & Ryota

Insect Tai Chi

Highly recommended for toddlers who love insects! Mitsuru and Ryota’s popular exercise song “Insect Tai Chi.” It starts with slow movements, then everyone copies the poses of four well-known insects, following the chants.

With the fun of a quiz-like feel and a gradually faster tempo, it’s a song kids can dance to while laughing.

There’s also a version with eight insects, “Advanced: Insect Tai Chi,” so older kindergarten classes should definitely give it a try.

If you can dance the “Advanced: Insect Tai Chi,” you’ve mastered it!

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OrangeSPYAIR

Orange 🏐🫱‍🫲 / SPYAIR Haikyu!! The Movie Theme Song [Original Choreography] Usable in kindergartens and nurseries!

OrangeSPYAIR

This song depicts the bittersweet memories of youth and the importance of bonds that never change.

Set to a powerful rock sound, it conveys the courage to move forward and a gentle acceptance of the end of an era.

It was featured as the theme song for the film Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle and included on SPYAIR’s EP released in February 2024.

This is their first work in about three years, showcasing the distinctive character of their new vocalist, YOSUKE.

Its fresh, energetic melody is perfect for morning PE classes or dances at school sports days.

As a theme song from a well-known anime, it’s a track kids can easily groove to and enjoy dancing along with.

It’s a song you’ll want to listen to while picturing lively kindergarten seniors dancing with big smiles.

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