[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! A collection of trendy hand play songs and nostalgic traditional nursery rhymes (51–60)
Panda, rabbit, koala
It’s a simple song about calling animals over to you.
As the title suggests, it uses hand shapes to express memorable features of a panda, a rabbit, and a koala.
For the panda, you make a circle in front of your eyes; for the rabbit, you raise your hands like ears above your head; and for the koala, you form your hands as if cradling a hug.
Since the hand placements differ for each animal, speeding up the tempo makes it more challenging—and fun—to move your arms to the right position.
You can cherish the song as is and express the three animals, but it could also be exciting to have everyone think about how to use their hands to represent other animals.
men-men suu-suu
For example, this is a song you can use to play even with a baby who can’t sit up yet.
As you sing, gently touch around their eyes, down the bridge of their nose, and their ears to match the lyrics.
That experience of being touched helps your child’s development.
Since you’ll be close, it might be good to keep your singing voice soft so you don’t startle them.
Their little reactions are so cute—you’ll be completely smitten.
Spring came pop-pop-popsakushi: kozue hikari / sakkyoku: sako shinichirō
Why not sing together a refreshing song that evokes the arrival of spring? Created by Mr.
Komichi Hikari and Mr.
Shinichiro Sako, this piece features lyrics that make rhythmic hand-play fun.
The spring-themed lyrics spark children’s imaginations, and the bright melody naturally makes you want to hum along.
Since it incorporates clapping motions, it’s perfect for developing a sense of rhythm and teamwork.
Singing it at entrance ceremonies or spring events can help ease the nerves of children who are anxious about a new environment.
Be sure to sing it with your child and enjoy the coming of spring!
Yakiimo goo-choki-pa
A game that’s often played in winter and during lunchtime recreation is “Yakiimo Goo-Choki-Paa.” It’s a hand-clapping song themed around roasted sweet potatoes.
With gestures similar to rock-paper-scissors, a fist (goo) shows being hungry, scissors (choki) shows how hot the roasted sweet potato is, and an open hand (paa) shows having finished eating it.
Once you get used to it, speeding up little by little makes it even more fun.
It can also be used as a lead-in to rock-paper-scissors.
It might be more exciting than playing regular rock-paper-scissors.
Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Clap
The hand-play song “Atama, Kata, Hiza, Pon” involves touching different parts of the body.
It’s sung to the melody of the English nursery rhyme “London Bridge Is Falling Down.” There’s also an English counterpart called “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes,” so if you’d like to try singing it in English, give it a go! The moves are very simple—just touch each body part as it’s mentioned in the song.
In the second half, you also touch parts of the face, not just the body.
Even very young children can enjoy playing along!
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Hand play with a song everyone knows! Let’s introduce “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” It’s also one of the songs often sung as a lullaby.
How about incorporating it into your activities as a hand play this time? Imagine your palms as stars and express the sparkling, shining stars.
The choreography is easy to understand and doesn’t have any complex movements, so it seems enjoyable from infant to preschool classes.
Try adding “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” to eurhythmics, morning meetings, or closing circles.
Let’s clap our handssakushi: kobayashi jun’ichi/genkyoku: cheko minyō
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.
Close It, Open It
The hand-play song “Musunde Hiraite,” where you play by clenching your hands into fists and then opening them wide, is based on a tune composed by the French philosopher and writer Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
Over time, various lyrics were set to it, and it even became a military song and a hymn, eventually taking the form we know today.
You clench your hands, open them, then clap; after that, you place your hands on different spots like on top of your head or on your knees.
For the latter part where you move your hands to different places, it’s fun to customize and pick various locations!
Snack Song
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.
oteshi 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.
