[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!
- Get excited! A list of popular and fun hand games that captivate children
- Kids go wild! Popular hand games and fun sing-alongs
- [Parenting] Parent-child bonding! Hand-play songs and traditional nursery rhymes collection
- Japanese counting songs: nostalgic temari (handball) songs and children’s folk songs
- [For 1-year-olds] Fun Together! Recommended Songs and Hand Play Collection
- Baby massage song. A touch-and-play song that parents and children can enjoy together.
- December children's songs, folk songs, and nursery rhymes: fun winter hand-play songs
- Nursery rhymes to sing to your baby! Recommended songs enjoyable from 0 months
- [Children's Songs] Cute songs recommended for childcare. List of popular nursery rhymes.
- [February Songs] Introducing children's songs, folk songs, nursery rhymes, and hand-play songs about Setsubun and winter!
- Nostalgic Children’s Songs, Folk Songs, and Nursery Rhymes: The Heart of Japan Passed Down Through Song
- Useful for childcare! Today’s recommended recreational activities, including fingerplay and games!
- Popular hand games and hand game songs for toddlers and children! Full of ideas for childcare/early childhood education.
[Hand Games] Popular with kids! A collection of trendy hand-clapping songs and nostalgic traditional children’s songs (41–50)
Hand game ‘The Hill Where Mandarin Blossoms’
“Mikan no Hana Saku Oka” is cherished as one of Japan’s representative children’s songs.
Why not try a hand play activity themed on this warm, uplifting piece that encouraged Japan after the war? While singing lyrics that depict rich natural scenery, face each other and perform the hand play.
The choreography is distinctive for incorporating a variety of movements with both hands.
Move your hands calmly to the slow, three-beat rhythm.
Once you get used to it, it might be fun to gradually increase the speed of the hand play.
Try incorporating this song, which portrays relationships with loved ones, into childcare settings.
Let’s clap our hands
“Te o Tataki Mashou” (“Let’s Clap Our Hands”) is a song where children can enjoy various movements and expressions that match the lyrics.
Because it includes expressing emotions like laughing and getting angry, you’ll see a wide range of facial expressions from the kids! If the teacher goes all-in and exaggerates the expressions, the children will feel free to participate enthusiastically.
Watching them do their best with such cute faces is sure to warm your heart.
Once they get used to it, you can switch from clapping hands to using other body parts—like feet or head—to keep singing and having fun!
It fell, it fell.
This is the children’s hand-play song “Ochita Ochita” (“It fell, it fell”).
Two or more people form a circle and sing, “It fell, it fell—what fell?” Then one person says what fell.
If it’s an apple, you catch it with your hands; if it’s thunder, you cover your belly button; if it’s a fist, you cover your head.
It’s a game where you do different gestures depending on what is said to have fallen.
horse (childish/affectionate term)Sakushi: Hayashi Ryūha / Sakkyoku: Matsushima Tsune
This piece portrays a foal walking clip-clop alongside its mother, set to a gentle rhythm.
Lyricist Yanaha Hayashi is said to have written the words based on the scene of a mare and foal he saw at the Imperial Stock Farm in Chiba, weaving the affection between animal mother and child in simple language.
Composer Tsune Matsushima aimed for a vocal range and phrasing that are easy for lower elementary grades to sing, and created accompaniment that is easy to play on keyboard or harmonica.
After being included in the February 1941 national school textbook “Uta no Hon, Upper,” it continued to be adopted in textbooks by various publishers after the war, and in 2007 it was selected for the “100 Best Japanese Songs.” It fits naturally into kindergarten and preschool choruses, and it’s easy to incorporate into fingerplay or instrumental ensembles.
If parents and children sing it together, they can have fun imitating the sound of hoofbeats.
Gramps and Grannywarabeuta
Let’s introduce a perfect traditional children’s song for gentle playtime with your baby! This piece lets you softly touch and play with your baby’s face, so you can enjoy watching their expressions change together.
It’s included on the album “Mainichi Warabe-uta from 0 Years Old,” released by King Records in August 2022, featuring the warm vocals of Emiko Kobayashi.
It’s also used in the child-rearing support activities of “Hapimoto” in Hashimoto City, Wakayama Prefecture, and is loved by many parents.
Sit your child on your lap and sing while facing them gently.
By tuning in to your baby’s feelings and taking your time to connect through touch, you’ll create a fun, smile-filled time of communication.
Head, Shoulders, Knees—pon!
Have fun touching your own body with “Head, Shoulders, Knees—Pat.” It’s sung to the melody of the English nursery rhyme “London Bridge Is Falling Down.” As you sing, you play by touching the body parts mentioned in the lyrics.
If it says “head,” touch your head; for eyes or nose, you can also point to them.
After touching your knees, clap once.
First, show your child the gestures, then have them imitate you, or hold their hands and play together.
It’s also a great opportunity for them to learn the names of different parts of the body: “Oh, that’s what this is called!”
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands
“If You’re Happy and You Know It” is a song that expresses the feeling of happiness using your body.
As the title suggests, you clap along with the music to show you’re happy.
There are many variations—not just clapping your hands, but also stomping your feet, patting your shoulders, winking, and more.
You can also arrange it freely using different parts of your body.
Based on an American folk song, this piece became famous in 1964 when Kyu Sakamoto sang it.
When someone does something nice for you and you feel “I’m so happy!” try singing this song!