[Hand Play] Popular with kids! A collection of trendy hand-play songs and nostalgic traditional children’s songs
Hand-play songs that you can sing and play are hugely popular with children, aren’t they?
As times change, lots of new hand-play songs have appeared, and through these songs you can really feel children’s interests and curiosity.
Trendy songs are fun, but we also want to cherish the traditional warabe-uta that have been sung for generations.
Their melodies are warm, the back-and-forth of the words is amusing, and the fact that you can sing them without a piano is also very appealing.
This time, we’ll introduce plenty of hand-play songs that are favorites with kids!
From trending hits popular in childcare settings to traditional warabe-uta, we’ve got a full lineup of hand-play games that will bring smiles to children’s faces.
Be sure to join in and play along!
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[Hand Play] Popular with kids! Trendy hand play songs & nostalgic traditional children's songs collection (11–20)
peach, apple, pear, pineapple
This hand-clapping song, where fruits pop up rhythmically, is a big hit with kids! It’s so much fun to tap different body parts as you sing, and it naturally brings out smiles.
The lyrics are simple, so children can learn them right away.
It’s great not only for learning fruit names but also for learning body parts at the same time.
It’s highly recommended for nursery and kindergarten teachers to use as an autumn activity.
Wearing colorful fruit costumes would be super cute, too!
Thunder God has arrived.
Rumble, rumble—oh no, the very scary Thunder Ogre has arrived! “The Thunder Ogre Is Coming” is a fingerplay song that’s a little scary, where the Thunder Ogre threatens to take your belly button and all sorts of other parts.
But if you quickly cover the named spot with your hands, you’ll be safe.
When the Thunder Ogre is coming, make drumming motions like beating a drum, or form horns like an ogre to show his arrival.
After that, the song tells you which place to hide, so be sure to cover that spot firmly with both hands.
And it’s not just your belly button, so watch out!
kakeru kakeruSakushi: Fukuda Sho / Sakkyoku: Suzuki Tsubasa
When it comes to hand-clapping songs that kids absolutely love, this is the one! With its fun, upbeat lyrics and choreography, you can’t help but move your body.
The way the song applies the action “kakeru” to various things is really unique and sparks children’s imagination.
Featured on the album “Shō-kun & Tsū-kun’s Tangled—Tehe!”, the song was created by childcare professionals Sho Fukuda and Tsubasa Suzuki, so it’s a big hit in childcare settings, too! There’s also a choreography video available on YouTube, so parents and guardians can enjoy it together.
It’s perfect for morning circle, end-of-day circle, or any small pockets of free time.
It’s starting.
This hand-play song, “Hajimaruyo” (“It’s Starting”), is perfect for gathering children together—for example, before reading a book aloud or before lunch.
It also works as a counting game: with both hands, children make the numbers from 1 to 5 using their fingers.
Then they use those numbers to act out things like ninja, cat whiskers, and bird wings.
Try to draw the children in by the time the bird appears—teachers and moms and dads, give it your most fun, energetic vibe! Of course, you can do it together with the kids once they’ve gathered, too.
It will make the story time or mealtime that follows even more enjoyable!
Two children got into a fight.warabeuta
Let me introduce a nursery rhyme that’s extremely popular with children.
This song is themed around a quarrel between kids, with lyrics that are humorous and easy to relate to.
It portrays a scuffle that keeps going even though the pharmacist tries to stop it, cheerfully reflecting everyday moments in children’s lives.
The way you play involves touching or matching fingers in sequence, which makes it enjoyable for a wide range of ages—from babies to preschoolers.
It’s perfect not only for nursery and kindergarten teachers, but also for bonding time with parents and guardians.
Singing and playing together as a family makes for wonderful memories.
Which child is a good child?warabeuta
When children get together to play, do you ever wonder how to decide who’s “it” or who goes next? That’s exactly when this traditional children’s rhyme comes in handy.
You point to each child in turn in time with the rhythm, and the one chosen at the end becomes the next role—or gets a big hug—so everyone can enjoy both the thrill and the comfort it brings! It was also included on the album “NHK Nihongo de Asobo: Warabe-uta,” released in February 2007, and became widely known after being featured in segments of an educational TV program.
In dazzlingly green May, try forming a circle at a park on your walk or indoors, and enjoy the pleasant rhythm together with friends or as a parent and child.
[Hand Games] Popular with Kids! Trendy Hand-Play Songs & Nostalgic Traditional Children's Songs Collection (21–30)
tea kettle lid stand (chatsubo)
A hand-clapping song featuring a tea caddy (chatsubo), appropriately called “Chatsubo.” This chatsubo has a bit of a problem—it has no lid! So the idea is to use the bottom of the caddy as a makeshift lid.
The song expresses this using both hands.
While alternately moving your hands, you form the lid, the body of the caddy, and then the bottom in sequence.
It seems like a simple hand game, but it’s actually quite tricky! Once your hands get tangled, it’s hard to get back on track.
But when you nail it, it feels great—so give it a try!