[Children’s Song] A Collection of Hand Play Songs Perfect for Christmas
Santa is coming—what a fun Christmas!
As the day approaches, many families may be noticing their children getting more and more excited.
To build even more anticipation for this once-a-year big event, this article introduces hand-play songs themed around Christmas.
Each of these hand-play songs is simple and easy to try right away.
They’re perfect for playtime at daycare or kindergarten, too.
Be sure to dive in with energy and have fun with these hand-play songs to make it a wonderful Christmas!
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[Children’s Songs] A collection of hand-play songs perfect for Christmas (11–20)
I turned into Santa
A fun hand game I’d like to introduce for lively group play is “I Turned Into Santa.” It’s a Christmas-themed arrangement of the classic hand-play song “One and One.” In the regular version you make shapes like mountains, but in this one you build up Santa’s features.
Try enjoying it while comparing it with the regular version.
It’s also great because it lends itself to adding your own original choreography.
Coming up with the moves together with the kids is sure to get everyone excited.
A fun Christmas with everyone
This song introduces the joy of Christmas along with its classic motifs.
Three essential Christmas motifs—reindeer, Santa, and snowman—appear throughout the song and are expressed through movements.
The reindeer’s antlers, Santa’s presents, and the snowman’s round shape make for simple, easy-to-imitate actions, which is a key point.
It’s fun to follow the example as shown, but it might also be interesting to think of other motifs associated with Christmas and consider how to express them through movement.
Christmas Itomaki
Itomaki, a classic hand-play song, is about making a hat with thread.
Its distinctive motions, like rotating the arms, are a big part of the appeal.
Since it’s a playful song where you change who receives the finished hat in the lyrics, it’s easy to incorporate seasonal or event-based variations.
For example, you could change the lyrics so you’re making a hat for Santa or a snowman, or adapt the content by making the hat thicker to suit the cold season.
That could be a fun twist.
The Christmas Cake Song
“Christmas Cake Song” is characterized by its cute lyrics about eating a Christmas cake together with Santa Claus and animals.
The adorable choreography—miming the action of eating cake and imitating animals like elephants and squirrels—naturally brings smiles to children’s faces.
By the way, although it’s a Christmas song, it’s surprisingly not very well known, so it’s also recommended when you want to avoid overlapping with songs used at other events, such as nursery school or kindergarten performances.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
One of the best-known Christmas songs is “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” It’s not only catchy but also notable for its message rejecting bullying and discrimination.
Because of that, doing a hand-play activity to this song can also serve as moral education.
And since the song has a clear story, you can learn the choreography in sync with the lyrics.
Plus, if you read the picture book that inspired the song, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” before the hand-play activity, you’re sure to enjoy it even more.
Santa is busy.
Santa Is Busy is a cute song about a bustling, hurried Santa Claus, much like the famous children’s song Awatenbō no Santa Claus (The Hasty Santa Claus).
The hand motions for this song use the whole body—such as gestures for Santa carrying presents and polishing his sleigh—so it might be fun for adults to try it with children as a way to get some exercise.
Also, the song is relatively short, making it perfect for performances like recitals when time is limited.
[Children’s Songs] A Collection of Hand-Clapping/Action Songs Perfect for Christmas (21–30)
Happy Happy ChristmasBeibī Shāku to Pinkittsu
This Christmas song, sung by a beloved character adored by children around the world, was released on YouTube in November 2020 and was included in the December 2021 album “Pinkfong Baby Shark Special.” The lyrics convey the joy of eagerly awaiting Christmas and a warm message encouraging everyone to sing and have fun together.
With its bright, lighthearted melody and the easy-to-remember “doo doo doo” phrase repeated throughout, even young children can quickly sing along.
It’s a perfect song for singing and dancing with the whole family at Christmas gatherings or parties at home.