[Children’s Day Hand-Play Songs] A Collection of Nursery Rhymes & Traditional Children’s Songs for Parents and Kids to Enjoy Together
May 5th is Tango no Sekku—Children’s Day, a holiday celebrating children’s healthy growth! Many families decorate with carp streamers and samurai dolls and enjoy a festive meal.
In this article, we’ve gathered some recommended hand-play songs perfect for Children’s Day.
How about trying them with your family after the celebration? These are all ideal for kids in nursery school and kindergarten, so have fun adding Children’s Day–themed twists as you play!
- Nursery rhymes and fingerplay songs to enjoy in May! Songs perfect for the fresh green season
- [Hand Play] Popular with kids! A collection of trendy hand-play songs and nostalgic traditional children’s songs
- Songs to Listen to on Children’s Day | A Curated Selection of Music for Tango no Sekku!
- [Warabe-uta] Beloved Classic Songs Passed Down Through Generations
- Fun for Children’s Day! A Collection of Performance and Play Ideas Recommended for Early Childhood Education
- [Music Play] Children’s Recreational Music: Rec Songs You Can Sing and Play
- [For 1-year-olds] Fun Together! Recommended Songs and Hand Play Collection
- [Childcare] Summer songs: Full of fun! Summer nursery rhymes & finger-play songs
- Nursery rhymes to sing in spring: a collection of classic songs you'll want to sing with your children
- Get pumped with kids’ favorite songs! A memorable collection of classics that will make you want to sing along
- Hand-play songs to sing for Hinamatsuri. Songs everyone can enjoy.
- [Parenting] Parent-child bonding! Hand-play songs and traditional nursery rhymes collection
- Children’s songs for Hinamatsuri: A collection of songs everyone can sing together for the Doll Festival
Children’s Day Hand-Play Songs: A Collection of Nursery Rhymes and Traditional Children’s Songs for Parents and Kids (21–30)
Head, shoulders, knees, pong
This is the hand-play song “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Clap” for babies just a few months old to enjoy with their moms and dads.
Touch the head, shoulders, and knees in time with the rhythm of the song, and on the final “pon,” take your child’s hands and help them make a clapping motion.
In the second verse, you can have fun with facial parts like the ears and nose.
It’s an irresistibly cute hand-play song that’s sure to make moms smile when they get a reaction from their little one.
Shopping at the bakery
“Shopping at the Bakery.” What’s fun about this hand-play song is the catchy rhythm where you clap on the “pan” (bread) in “panya-san” (bakery), and the choreography that riffs on the shapes and words of breads like “sandwich” and “melon pan.” All the breads that appear are ones you can actually see at a real bakery, so it’s perfect for helping small children get used to the words and become interested in eating bread.
Give it a try—tasty, fun, and friendly!
Under the big chestnut tree
“Under the Big Chestnut Tree” — Isn’t this a familiar song that many adults also loved as children? The lyrics are very simple and easy to understand, and the vivid scenery they evoke is part of its charm.
Another appeal is the choreography that lets you move your whole body freely, almost like an exercise routine.
Once everyone has gone through it once and gotten used to it, it can be fun to try singing it a little faster.
Use your whole body and enjoy it to the fullest!
rolling egg
The hand-play song “Korokoro Tamago” is about a chick hatching from an egg and growing into a chicken.
When it’s an egg, you make an egg shape by clenching both hands into fists, then roll them around and gently stroke them in time with the lyrics.
When the chick hatches, you use your thumb and index finger to show a chick chirping.
Finally, when it grows into a chicken, you move both hands to flap like wings.
It’s a hand-play song that even very young children can enjoy while learning about a chick’s growth.
Let’s pretend to be koinobori!
“I wonder what the carp streamers feel as they swim through the sky.” With that in mind, it’s fun to play by pretending to be a carp streamer! You can imitate their movements by yourself, line up with friends and copy them together, or combine it with counting games—there are so many ways to enjoy it.
Once Children’s Day is over, you won’t see the carp streamers again until the same time next year.
“Let’s all energetically imitate the carp streamers that will be swimming again next year!” Why not include that feeling as you bring this play into your activities?
Koinoborin
When it comes to Children’s Day, it’s all about koinobori carp streamers! “Koinoborin” is a hand-play song that lets you pretend to be a koinobori and have fun.
It’s by Katsuriki, a duo of active childcare workers, and you can use not just your hands but your whole body to play.
If parents and kids play together, you’ll match the family of koinobori swimming in the sky! Feel like you’re swimming through the air just like the streamers, move your arms wide, and whirl around.
Don’t forget to flap your hands like the koinobori’s body fluttering in the wind! Of course, it’s also fine to stay seated and just move your hands while you sing.
Animal Exercises 1-2-3Sakushi • Sakkyoku: Abe Naomi
A charming exercise song that lets kids joyfully move their bodies, taking inspiration from animal gestures.
It starts with a gentle rhythm and is packed with ideas that naturally make children want to move—jumping together to the music, swinging their arms wide—while helping develop their motor skills.
It has frequently been featured on popular preschool TV shows like NHK Educational’s “Inai Inai Baa!” and “Okaasan to Issho,” and covers by various artists have also drawn attention.
Perfect not only for sports days and morning exercise time, but also for celebrating Children’s Day with the whole family.