[Hand Play] Popular with kids! A collection of trendy hand-play songs and nostalgic traditional children’s songs

oteshi tebushi

Nursery rhyme play (Otebushi Tebushi)

It’s a game where, while singing a song, you hide a small doll in either your left or right hand and have the children guess which hand it’s in.

The lyrics might sound startling to adults, but “icchōbako” means a “cherished box,” and the phrase is understood as “I’ll give you a special box, so please put the yucky things away.” The game itself isn’t actually related to the nursery rhyme, but the hand-guessing game—where you figure out which hand the doll is hidden in—is something all children are likely to enjoy.

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Hane Keisuke

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Let’s clap our handssakushi: kobayashi jun’ichi/genkyoku: cheko minyō

Let's Clap Our Hands – Let's clap our hands, tan-tan-tan, tan-tan-tan~ [Hand Play / Children's Song]

This warm song expresses joy beginning with the simple act of clapping, naturally resonating with children’s hearts.

With Japanese lyrics by Junichi Kobayashi set to a Czech folk melody, it features an easy-to-remember tune and friendly words, and is often sung in nursery schools and kindergartens.

It has also been featured on NHK educational programs and in collections of children’s songs, remaining beloved across generations.

Because the clapping motion helps develop a sense of rhythm and motor skills, it serves not only as a tool for parent-child communication but is also an ideal piece for recreational activities in senior care facilities.

One, two, three, four, two, five

One, two, three, four, two, five

This traditional children’s song, beloved across generations, features a simple way to play: sing rhythmic number phrases while raising and bending your fingers.

It has been featured on NHK’s children’s program Nihongo de Asobo and is popular on video-sharing sites.

The piece has been carried forward in new forms by contemporary artists such as dmg’s “Ichi Ni San Shi” and Gen Hoshino’s “Ichi Ni San.” It’s a fun song you can enjoy with parents or friends while nurturing finger dexterity and a sense of rhythm.

Snack Song

[Children's Song] ♬ The Snack Song <with Choreography>

A hand-play song that makes snack time—something children always look forward to—an even more special moment.

Its short lyrics and rhythmic melody are full of charm that naturally invites clapping along.

Singing while doing the hand movements helps children learn the difference between the right and left hand and supports the development of their hands and fingertips.

This piece will bring a warm, cheerful mood not only to snack time at nurseries and kindergartens, but also at home.

It’s also recommended to sing it as part of a recreation activity on June 10, Time Day.

The fish jumps.

[Summer classic! Hand-play song] The Fish Jumps

“Sakana ga Hanete” is a classic hand-play song that children love.

In addition to moving their hands to the music, you can adapt it to use familiar items like hats, masks, and gloves to help check for forgotten belongings.

You could also change the items that “stick” to different parts of the body—for example, a ribbon, crown, or straw hat on the head, sunglasses or a telescope for the eyes, and on pool days, goggles would be fun too.

Incorporating seasonal items will make it even more exciting!

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hiyori

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Horsetail shoots are poking up.

Nursery rhyme: Tsukushi wa tsun-tsun

A masterpiece of children’s song that lets you feel the breath of nature.

Within its simple wordplay, it deftly weaves in the moment when plants sprout, offering the delight of a stroll through spring fields and hills.

More than lofty musical artistry, it’s the easy singability that has kept it beloved for many years.

It’s also enjoyed with hand motions and is widely used in early childhood education settings.

This work beautifully expresses the Japanese sense of the seasons and a heartfelt reverence for nature, making it enjoyable across generations, from children to adults.

Why not sing it together with family and friends, feeling the arrival of a nature-rich spring?

all over each other; stuck together; clingy

Keropons' “Ebi-Kanics” and “Hittsuki Mottsuki”

Hittsuki Mottsuki, created by Keropons, a music duo that delivers songs and exercises for children.

It’s a song themed on a Hiroshima dialect word that means “to stick together and not come apart.” A bright melody rides on a sprightly ukulele accompaniment.

Starting with choreography where you open both hands and move them side to side, you can enjoy a unique move where your heads end up sticking together.

The key is to really show the expression of “We got stuck together!” Try playing by sticking not only your heads but also various body parts like hands and backs.

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mutō

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