[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 (21–30)
Horse lessonswarabeuta
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
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!
Chagpon DanceSakushi Sakkyoku: Tada Joji
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.
Foal’s Rhythm PlayMonbushō shōka
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.
horse (childish/affectionate term)Sakushi: Hayashi Ryūha / Sakkyoku: Matsushima Tsune
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.
Zuizui Zukkorobashiwarabeuta
A hand game that lots of people can enjoy together, for adults and children alike—people of any age.
The great thing about singing games is that anyone can join in, there are no tough rules or disparities in ability, and everyone can play and interact together.
“Zuizui Zukkorobashi” is a traditional children’s song that has long been loved, and you can enjoy a fun hand game along with the song.
A big group forms a circle, lines up, and touches hands in time with the music.
Clap, tap with your fingers, and strike a pose.
Playing this fun hand game with family or friends is sure to get everyone excited.
Panda, rabbit, koalasakushi: Takada Hiroo / sakkyoku: Inui Yūki
How about “Panda Usagi Koala,” a hand-play song that became widely popular thanks to NHK’s educational program Okaasan to Issho? The lyrics were written by Hiroo Takada, and the song is known for mimicking the movements of a panda, a rabbit, and a koala.
Its appeal also lies in the built-in variations and game-like elements, such as the gradually increasing tempo.
Adding brief explanations between sections—like “Let’s line them up!”—might make it even more fun.
