[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)
Vegetable SongYamano Satoko
Welcome to the wonderful world of vegetables! This song, hugely popular with children, is full of clever ways to help them learn the names of vegetables in a fun, rhythmic way.
With sounds that express the names and characteristics of veggies like tomatoes and cabbage, just listening will fill you with excitement.
Accompanied by Satoko Yamano’s bright and gentle voice, the vegetables make their appearances one after another.
This piece is included in many children’s music albums.
It’s also recommended for nutrition education time or for singing together with kids who aren’t fond of vegetables.
If you sing while moving your body, it becomes even more fun!
one bamboo shootwarabe uta
Perfect for the spring season, this song is a traditional children’s rhyme that has been loved for generations.
It features simple lyrics and a catchy melody, and its charm lies in the way children split into “oni” (tagger) and “takenoko” (bamboo shoot) roles to play.
Because kids move their bodies while singing, it’s great for developing a sense of rhythm and cooperation.
It’s also used in early childhood education, and there are videos on YouTube explaining how to play.
Sing and play energetically outdoors with family and friends, and you’re sure to enjoy the spring atmosphere even more.
Why not raise your voices together and feel the arrival of spring?
Opened, openedwarabe uta
Long beloved as a traditional Japanese children’s song, this piece enchants with lyrics that evoke the arrival of spring.
Children enjoy joining hands to form a circle and act out flowers opening and closing.
Despite its simple words and melody, it embodies Japanese views of nature and impermanence, giving it profound appeal.
It is often sung in kindergartens and nursery schools, contributing to children’s emotional development.
Passed down since the Edo period, this song is recommended for those who want to feel the spring season or experience traditional Japanese culture.
Why not sing it with your child and enjoy the coming of spring together?
Shopping at the bakery
While playing both the customer and the baker, you can enjoy a fun hand-play activity set in a bakery—perhaps a relatively new song in the hand-play repertoire.
As you rhythmically act it out, you express different types of bread through gestures.
It might also be fun to come up with new kinds of bread yourselves and add corresponding gestures.
[Hand Games] Popular with Kids! Trending Hand-Play Songs & Nostalgic Traditional Nursery Rhymes (61–70)
Gonbe-san’s Baby
“Gonbe-san’s Baby” is a song based on an American folk tune.
It features a character named Gonbe-san, who covers his head with a tenugui and ties it under his chin, and a baby.
The song depicts a scene where the baby catches a cold, and you use your hands to act out holding the baby, having a sudden idea, and more.
There’s also a unique movement where, in a fluster, you end up putting a compress on yourself by mistake.
Once you get used to it, try speeding up the tempo—it’s recommended.
Give this hand-play activity a try, set to a melody everyone has heard at least once.
Horsetail shoots are poking up.
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?
Churippu sharippuwarabe uta
Simple yet profound, this nursery rhyme captivates children’s hearts.
The part where everyone stands in a circle and calls each other’s names is perfect for nurturing communication skills and social development.
Its rhythmic lyrics and melody are fun and easy to memorize.
In preschools and kindergartens, it’s also used as an icebreaker to ease the nerves of new children.
At home, singing and playing it together as a family can make for a delightful time.
It can be enjoyed from infancy.
When the spring weather invites you outdoors, why not form a circle and sing it together?