[Parenting] Parent-child bonding! Hand-play songs and traditional nursery rhymes collection

Close It, Open Itdōyō

[Children’s song] Musunde Hiraite / Daisuke Yokoyama

The children’s song “Musunde Hiraite” is a famous tune known by people of all ages.

You play along by making fists, opening your hands, and clapping in time with the lyrics.

Hand-play songs help develop a sense of rhythm, and this one also lets kids practice the rock-paper-scissors hand shapes.

At the end of the song, there are instructions on where to place your hands, so try changing it to fun spots kids will enjoy—like up or down, on their knees or head.

Once they get used to it, it’s also great to add movements they like, such as dancing while they play.

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Horse lessonswarabeuta

[Warabe-uta] The Horse’s Practice (a play where you do it for the child)

This is a very short traditional children’s song themed around horses.

With the chant “Onma-san no okeiko” (“Horsey’s practice”) and simple counting, it’s enjoyed as a movement play activity: seating a child on a parent’s lap to bounce them up and down, or carrying them on the back and walking slowly like a horse.

In January 2008, a roughly 25‑second version sung by Emiko Kobayashi was included on the album Warabe-uta, Nekase-uta: Songs to Nurture Babies’ Hearts and Bodies, and it has since been widely used in childcare settings.

Because the short phrases repeat, you can sing it over and over while watching the child’s reactions, making it perfect for deepening parent–child bonding.

Try incorporating it in a variety of situations—as a warm-up, as an introduction to group activities, or as a hands-on playtime at home.

HAPPY HONEY HORSENo-zan Ho-su Pa-ku

[Official] Northern Horse Park’s Horse Song “HAPPY HONEY HORSE” – Let’s All Dance

The hand-play song about horses produced by Northern Horse Park in Tomakomai, Hokkaido is a piece that expresses the fun of interacting with horses through dance.

It’s designed so that children can physically portray the characteristics of horses—like the clip-clop of running, affectionate nuzzling, long necks, and signature gestures—in time with the rhythm.

By weaving running and jumping movements into the lyrics and using lots of easy-to-mimic onomatopoeia, the song is structured so even first-time listeners can quickly sing and dance along.

Released in April 2023, the lyrics were written by Nanami Miyoshi and the Northern Friends, with music by Shuntaro Yamauchi and Nanami Miyoshi.

You can also enjoy the music video on the park’s official website.

Watching the video before your visit and then meeting the horses on-site will likely make the experience even more memorable.

It’s the perfect track for parents and children who want to move their bodies while growing fond of horses!

Foal’s Rhythm PlayMonbushō shōka

A nursery teacher plays the piano for the rhythm activity “Little Foal”! Sheet music included

This children’s song, which depicts a lively foal moving forward to the chant “Hai-shii, hai-shii,” was included in the Ministry of Education’s Shoka for the Elementary School Reader, edited in July 1910 (Meiji 43).

Its hallmark is the way it expresses the foal’s hoofbeats—pressing on along mountain paths and up steep slopes—through an even beat and rhythm.

Today it is used in early childhood education and eurhythmics as a “rhythm play” activity, ideal for children to walk, run, and stop in time with the piano.

Because changes in pitch and tempo can be expressed through body movement, it’s perfect for group movement play and parent–child bonding time.

By imitating a horse’s gait, it offers a fun way to foster a sense of rhythm.

Cobbler Cobbler, mend my shoe

Cobbler Cobbler Mend My Shoe I English Poem I Lullaby For Babies To Go To Sleep I Happy Bachpan

This is a simple and charming Mother Goose nursery rhyme about asking a cobbler to repair a treasured pair of shoes.

In the lyrics, a child urges the craftsman to finish by two-thirty, specifying the time, and promises to pay if the shoes are properly mended.

Although the exact author is unknown, the song has a long history and was already popular in Britain and the United States from the 18th to 19th centuries.

It’s also useful in educational settings because it helps children learn how to tell time and practice numbers.

You can even play it as a game by passing shoes to the rhythm, making it perfect for lively fun with friends and family.

This piece fosters a love of taking care of one’s belongings, too—so try singing it together with your child while keeping the beat!

Chagpon DanceSakushi Sakkyoku: Tada Joji

[Let’s all dance♪] Chagupon Dance! [Perfect for little kids too!]

This song, inspired by Iwate’s traditional event Chagu Chagu Umakko, is a local dance tune that parents and children can enjoy together along with Takizawa City’s official character.

Written and composed by Joji Tada, with choreography by the Iwate Prefectural University dance club, it was first performed on stage at the university festival “Jipusai” in October 2022.

The dance features cute, horse-riding-like movements and simple steps that even young children can easily imitate.

Set to a Vocaloid singing voice, it’s fun to move your body along, and the whole family can dance together while watching the video on the city’s official YouTube channel.

It’s used at local festivals and health-promotion events and is cherished as a song that fosters affection for the hometown.

horse (childish/affectionate term)Sakushi: Hayashi Ryūha / Sakkyoku: Matsushima Tsune

[Ouma] Children's song ♪ with hand motions ♪ song ♪

This piece portrays a foal walking clip-clop alongside its mother, set to a gentle rhythm.

Lyricist Yanaha Hayashi is said to have written the words based on the scene of a mare and foal he saw at the Imperial Stock Farm in Chiba, weaving the affection between animal mother and child in simple language.

Composer Tsune Matsushima aimed for a vocal range and phrasing that are easy for lower elementary grades to sing, and created accompaniment that is easy to play on keyboard or harmonica.

After being included in the February 1941 national school textbook “Uta no Hon, Upper,” it continued to be adopted in textbooks by various publishers after the war, and in 2007 it was selected for the “100 Best Japanese Songs.” It fits naturally into kindergarten and preschool choruses, and it’s easy to incorporate into fingerplay or instrumental ensembles.

If parents and children sing it together, they can have fun imitating the sound of hoofbeats.