Hand games toddlers and infants can do. Popular hand play songs in childcare
Here’s an introduction to recommended finger-play songs for babies and toddlers.
Finger-play songs are a popular way to communicate with babies who can’t speak yet and a favorite play activity for toddlers.
Once you start a finger-play song, kids get super interested—many will try to imitate you!
Beyond building a sense of rhythm, finger-play songs also help develop the body by encouraging children to move their hands and fingers as they intend.
They’re almost always incorporated in childcare settings.
We’ve gathered finger-play songs that are popular with toddlers, as well as ones that babies can enjoy just by listening, so be sure to give them a try!
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Hand games toddlers and babies can do: Popular hand-play songs in childcare (1–10)
Mr. Raccoon Dog of Genkotsu Mountain
“Genkotsuyama no Tanukisan” features a baby raccoon dog living on a mountain called Genkotsuyama.
This is a classic hand-play song where you act out the baby’s actions with your hands as you sing.
First, to express the “genkotsu” (fist) in the mountain’s name, stack your fists on top of each other, alternating up and down.
Then, follow the lyrics to show the baby getting milk from its mother, sleeping, and being cuddled by its mother, all using hand motions.
It ends with a game of rock-paper-scissors.
If rock-paper-scissors is still too hard for the baby, it’s fine to just have them open their hands at the end!
Close It, Open It
A classic hand-play song, “Musunde Hiraite.” Children play by clenching their hands into fists, opening them flat, and clapping in time with the lyrics.
Then they raise their hands above their heads or place them on their knees.
It was composed by a French thinker and composer, and the lyrics were reportedly revised many times.
After being sung as a hymn and as a military song, it eventually took the form we know today as “Musunde Hiraite.” For the final part where you move your hands, it’s fine to arrange it so they go to places other than those described in the lyrics!
Atama Kata Hisa Pon
This song, which is also recommended for baby massage, is called “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Clap.” It’s sung to the melody of the well-known nursery rhyme “London Bridge Is Falling Down,” which has been sung in England for ages and is also famous in Japan.
As the lyrics mention different parts of the body, gently touch or stroke your baby in those places.
You can not only touch but also hold that part and move it—both are fine! For the parts of the lyrics that don’t refer to a body part, give a cheerful clap.
You can even clap together using your baby’s hands.
It’s a hand-play song that moms, dads, and babies can all enjoy together.
spool (of thread); winding thread; Itomaki (traditional toy spinning top), depending on context
This song is said to be based on the Danish folk tune “The Shoemaker’s Polka.” Because similar types of songs can be found not only in Japan but also in other countries, it is believed that the melody was brought to Japan.
The Japanese lyrics were written by Miyoko Kayama, who is also a picture book author in children’s literature.
In addition, the song “Yuki no Kobōzu” shares the same melody but has different lyrics, and is a popular children’s song.
When a melody is used for various sets of lyrics, it shows just how appealing that melody is.
The Bento Box Song
Obentō-bako no Uta is a delightful, exciting song about packing all sorts of things into a lunchbox.
It’s both a fingerplay song and a counting song, where you use your hands to show the foods being packed in, matching the lyrics.
The foods placed in the lunchbox sound like the numbers, so you also fold your fingers to show how many items go in.
As times change, the contents of lunchboxes change too, so it’s fun to adjust the lyrics and adapt the fingerplay accordingly! Even babies who can’t eat many foods yet can sing and play along while looking forward to the day they can enjoy their lunchboxes.