[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!
- 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
- [Childcare] Games and performances that liven up Children's Day
- [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
[Hand-Play Songs for Children's Day] A Collection of Nursery Rhymes and Traditional Children's Songs for Parents and Kids to Enjoy (51–60)
Panda, Rabbit, Koala
In the fingerplay song “Panda, Rabbit, Koala,” after the part where you call the animals over with a beckoning motion, you use gestures to form the three animals—panda, rabbit, and koala.
To keep the three from getting mixed up, really picture each animal and strike a clear pose.
Try speeding up the tempo or slowing it down—if you add little variations as you sing, your child will surely have fun, laugh, and follow along! Be sure to have a great time playing with these three animals!
Crocodile family
A hand-play song that kids of various ages can enjoy together.
As its name suggests, the hand-play song “Crocodile Family” features a crocodile family in the lyrics: father, mother, big brother, big sister, and baby.
You use both arms to represent the crocodile’s characteristic big mouth.
Since the father is big, the movements are large; when it’s the baby, you use your fingers to show the crocodile’s mouth.
It’s a hand-play song where the reaction size changes to match body size.
Crocodiles can be scary, but as a hand-play song, they somehow seem cute.
Let’s clap our hands
This is another traditional hand-play song that even grandparents are familiar with: “Musunde Hiraite.” It’s a simple hand-play song where you mostly use your hands to clench tightly and then open wide as you play.
Above all, it’s a famous song that the whole family can enjoy, so it’s great to teach when everyone gets together, like during home visits or New Year’s.
In this way, it’s a fun, time-honored hand-play song that keeps being passed down to the next generation.
Tanuki of Fist Mountain
“Gonkotsuyama no Tanuki-san” is a traditional children’s song loved by people of all ages.
It’s themed around everyday experiences everyone can relate to, like being held or falling asleep.
Learn the cute choreography—such as drinking motions and sleepy gestures—and have fun playing along.
You can also add your own twist at the end of the chorus, like striking a pose or playing rock-paper-scissors.
With phrases that evoke a parent–child relationship and a cheerful melody, it’s a song that resonates with joy.
Give it a try as a hand-play song to liven up Children’s Day!
[Children’s Day Hand Play Songs] A Collection of Nursery Rhymes & Traditional Children’s Songs for Parents and Kids to Enjoy (61–70)
Koi koi koinobori
Koi Koi Koinobori is a playful activity that compares gently swaying carp streamers to a family.
Set to a bright, cheerful melody, it introduces the father, mother, and children in turn.
After the wind-blowing gesture, try expressing the carp streamers swimming.
It’s also fun to add choreography that reflects family traits, like showing off your arm muscles or placing your hands on your face.
In the part where you count 3, 2, 1, parents and children should count out loud together with energy.
Give this hand-play activity a try, themed around koinobori—carp streamers that symbolize Children’s Day.
Zuizui Zukkorobashi
This is a hand-play song themed on Zui Zui Zukkorobashi, known as a traditional children’s song.
Make fists with both hands and hold them out in front, leaving a hole.
Everyone forms a circle, and a leader moves their finger while singing.
When the song ends, the person whose hand the finger is touching becomes the next leader.
Once you get used to it, try speeding up the tempo—it’s recommended.
It’s a hand-play game where the excitement comes from not knowing where the song will end.
Try playing with different lyric versions, such as the “tea jar” one.
all over each other; stuck together; clingy
Hittsuki Mottsuki is a song created by Keropons, a musical duo that delivers songs and exercises for children.
The theme is a Hiroshima dialect word that means “to stick together and not come apart.” A bright melody rides on a lively ukulele performance.
Starting with choreography where you open both hands wide and move them side to side, you can enjoy unique moves like your heads ending up stuck together.
The trick is to clearly show the expression of “We’re stuck!” Try sticking not only your heads but also your hands, backs, and other parts of your body to play in different ways.