[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 collection (81–90)
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.
the head priest of a templewarabeuta
A nursery rhyme you can finish with rock-paper-scissors: “Otera no Oshō-san.” Many moms and dads may remember singing this one.
Since the monk grows flowers and flies through the sky, try using hand motions that match those actions.
The lyrics vary by generation and region, but every version includes rock-paper-scissors, so sing it with whichever lyrics you like.
It’s also fun to make up your own original lyrics and movements to play along.
Gramps and Grannywarabeuta
Let’s introduce a perfect traditional children’s song for gentle playtime with your baby! This piece lets you softly touch and play with your baby’s face, so you can enjoy watching their expressions change together.
It’s included on the album “Mainichi Warabe-uta from 0 Years Old,” released by King Records in August 2022, featuring the warm vocals of Emiko Kobayashi.
It’s also used in the child-rearing support activities of “Hapimoto” in Hashimoto City, Wakayama Prefecture, and is loved by many parents.
Sit your child on your lap and sing while facing them gently.
By tuning in to your baby’s feelings and taking your time to connect through touch, you’ll create a fun, smile-filled time of communication.
In conclusion
There were plenty of songs that seem fun to enjoy with your baby, weren’t there? Children grow up before you know it. To make this very moment a “precious parent-child time” you can look back on in the future, please use this article and have fun together!