[Parenting] Parent-child bonding! Hand-play songs and traditional nursery rhymes collection
For children, hand-play songs where they sing and interact with familiar adults and friends are so much fun.
Hand-play songs and traditional nursery rhymes are said to have a very positive effect on children’s brain and emotional development.
It’s something we’d love to incorporate a lot into everyday life.
So this time, we’re introducing hand-play songs and nursery rhymes that parents and children can enjoy together.
From classic tunes everyone has heard to popular songs sung in daycare centers and kindergartens, there’s a lot to choose from!
Please try to find songs you can enjoy together that match your children’s age and interests.
Many of these songs have a good tempo and catchy melodies or phrases, so they’re easy to learn right away!
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[Parenting] Parent-Child Bonding! Hand-Play Songs and Traditional Nursery Rhymes (71–80)
Piglet-raccoon dog-fox-catSakushi/Sakkyoku: Yamamoto Naozumi
A popular, fun sing-and-dance game based on shiritori.
In the second verse, you play by imitating the sounds of animals that come up in the shiritori chain.
Try expressing the animal sound impressions skillfully with hand motions.
This song game is packed with the fun of linking words in shiritori and communicating through gestures.
Can you move your body smoothly in time with the song? It doesn’t just repeat at the same tempo—both the singing and the dancing speed up.
Now, do your best to keep up with the pace!
Old Man with a BeardSakushi: Fushō / Sakkyoku: Tamayama Hidenobu
A simple and fun hand-play song, “Ton ton ton ton Hige Jiisan.” Using both hands in a fist shape, you act out grandpas with different features.
This song has several parody versions; the most popular is “Ton ton ton ton Anpanman,” where the grandpa is replaced by Anpanman characters.
The song ends with both hands placed on the knees.
It’s popular in childcare settings because it draws children’s attention while playing, and at the end it helps them prepare their posture and mindset for listening.
My Mixed JuiceSakushi: Gomi Taro / Sakkyoku: Shibuya Takeshi
“Boku no Mix Juice” is a popular song from the NHK program “Okaasan to Issho.” As the title suggests, it’s a song about making a mixed juice.
You throw all sorts of things into a juicer and whirl them around.
Try doing those motions to the rhythm.
By the way, what gets turned into juice isn’t fruit or vegetables—it’s the day’s weather and events.
Whether you had a great day or a bad one, if you turn it into juice like in this song, you might feel refreshed.
Play along with your child, and try making some real juice together, too.
[Parenting] Parent-child bonding! Hand play songs and traditional nursery rhymes collection (81–90)
Teacher and friendsSakushi: Yoshioka Osamu / Sakkyoku: Koshibe Nobuyoshi
For children starting their first days at preschool, teachers might feel like a bit of a mystery—“What kind of person are they?” “Sensei to Otomodachi” is a bright and friendly song that reassures children that teachers are someone they can feel safe with.
The lyrics are simple and easy to understand, and the song is short, making it accessible even for very young kids.
If you add simple choreography or have the teachers sing using animal or character puppets, children who feel nervous or anxious in a new environment will surely become interested.
Let’s sing with smiles and lots of energy!
What shall we make with rock, scissors, paper?Lyrics: Saitō Fumiko ・ Production: Good Choice / Composition: French folk song
It’s an activity where you shape both hands into rock, scissors, or paper and combine them to represent various things.
You can enjoy expressing animals and objects to the rhythm of a song, and by thinking about what kinds of things can be made with different hand shapes, it can also help nurture creativity.
For example, you might sing simple sample verses together—like making a cat with scissors plus scissors, or a bird with paper plus paper—and then include a turn where participants come up with their own ideas.
It’s fun because you may get surprising answers that showcase children’s unique creativity.
Story FingerSakushi: Kayama Yoshiko / Sakkyoku: Komori Akihiro
“Ohanashi Yubisan” is a song often sung in preschools, where the five fingers are played with as members of a family.
The thumb is the father, the index finger is the mother, the middle finger is the older brother, the ring finger is the older sister, and the little finger is the baby.
Through this song, children learn that each finger has its own name.
Instead of saying “thumb” and “index finger,” calling them “father finger” and “mother finger” is easier for kids to understand.
Try playing along, checking your own fingers to the song.
The Bento Box SongSakushi: Kayama Yoshiko / Sakkyoku: Komori Akihiro
Let’s play with “Obento-bako no Uta,” a song known for its slightly humorous, cheerful melody and lyrics.
It’s a popular hand-play game that turns the contents of a lunchbox into fun gesture-dance moves.
Once you can dance it at a normal tempo, try singing it more slowly next.
Make your singing voice heavy and unhurried as well.
After that, try making a small lunchbox.
Use a small voice and tiny gestures to complete your little bento.
Exaggerating both versions makes it many times funnier.
Play it with friends and family and have a good laugh together.