[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, known as Children’s Day, a time to celebrate kids’ healthy growth!
Many families display carp streamers and samurai dolls and enjoy special meals.
In this article, we’ve gathered recommended fingerplay songs perfect for Children’s Day.
Why not try them together with your family after the celebration?
These fingerplays are ideal for children in daycare or kindergarten, so have fun adding Children’s Day–themed twists as you play!
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[Children’s Day Hand-Play Songs] A Collection of Nursery Rhymes & Traditional Children’s Songs for Parents and Kids (41–50)
Raise the carp streamers.
This is a fingerplay song that depicts the scene of raising a large carp streamer (koinobori) displayed in home gardens and elsewhere.
Set to a lively rhythm, you use your hands to show the action of pulling up the koinobori.
You can enjoy a unique twist where “just when you think you’ve got the koinobori, it slips right out of your hands.” A key point is experiencing failure the first time and success the second time.
Letting it slip from your hands repeatedly is also a fun way for parents and children to get excited together.
Try a variety of play styles, such as having children or caregivers take the role of the koinobori.
Humpback Grandpa
This is a hand-play song where you move your fists up and down to a lively rhythm.
As you say the names of unique characters like Knobby Grandpa, Bearded Grandpa, and the Tengu, you stack your hands together.
The part that expresses sadness unfolds at a relaxed tempo, while the part that expresses a happy feeling becomes up-tempo, letting you try a wide range of hand movements.
It’s also a song where you can enjoy phrases that highlight each character’s traits.
Give this hand-play song a try and sing and dance together as a parent and child!
A Piglet’s Stroll
This fingerplay song, “Piggy’s Stroll,” features a little piglet walking through town and encountering the sights and sounds there.
As the piglet walks and meets certain things, surprising events happen.
It’s a song you can enjoy while acting it out with gestures.
The story even takes an unexpected turn where the piglet transforms into certain animals, so it’s wonderful if you can enjoy it like reading a story, mixing in the hand motions! What in the world does the little piglet encounter?
Gonbe-san’s Baby
Gonbe-san’s Baby was created based on an American folk song.
It’s a song featuring a character named Gonbe-san—who covers his head with a tenugui and ties it under his chin—and a baby.
It depicts a scene where the baby catches a cold, and you use your hands to show actions like holding the baby and having a bright idea.
You can enjoy a unique move where, in a fluster, you end up putting a cold compress on yourself by mistake.
Once you’re used to it, try picking up the tempo.
Give this hand play a try and make the most of this familiar melody that everyone has heard at least once.
Choki-choki Dance
This “Choki Choki Dance,” as the name suggests, is a simple hand-play song that makes you want to dance and have fun.
In the song, you make a “choki” (scissor/peace sign) and do gestures and poses.
The energy is high, and there aren’t any particularly difficult parts, so anyone can jump in and enjoy it easily.
With joyful expressions like “Yay!” and “Peace,” it gets more and more fun as you dance.
It’s a lively hand-play song that will bring smiles, and I hope teachers and parents will sing it happily with the children!
Knock knock knock, Anpanman
How about trying a fingerplay song featuring Anpanman—the beloved hero that almost every little child goes through a phase of loving—and his friends? Each character has a distinct personality, and their bread-themed, humorous appearances are quite memorable.
In this fingerplay song, you rhythmically form their face shapes with your fingers.
From Anpanman to Currypanman and even Baikinman, many friends make an appearance.
Because these are characters familiar to children, it’s approachable and something they’ll likely enjoy engaging with.
Donguri Korokoro
It’s a traditional, story-style hand-play song that has been passed down for generations.
If you sing it while using real acorns or with paper puppets, children will be delighted, don’t you think? It’s a classic that both adults and children all know.