Nursery rhymes, folk songs, and children's songs about food
“Food” is something very familiar to children, isn’t it?
When they start speaking, many first learn words like “mamma,” or they remember the names of their favorite foods.
In this article, we’ve picked out “songs about food” from among many nursery rhymes.
We’ll introduce plenty of songs that feature foods kids love, like fruit, bread, and curry rice.
Some of them aren’t just for singing—you can enjoy hand games and dancing, too.
Even children who find eating difficult or are picky eaters might enjoy singing these songs.
It would be great if singing during mealtimes helps them have more fun and eat a little more.
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- Snake Song: Children's song, nursery rhyme, and hand-play song
- [2026] Songs about cooking: A roundup of recommended Japanese classics
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- [Children’s Songs of Autumn] Autumn songs, school songs, and traditional children’s rhymes. A collection of classic pieces to sing in autumn.
- A lunchbox song to sing with kids. A bento song that makes school lunch more fun.
- [Children’s Songs for June] Fun finger-play songs and traditional nursery rhymes perfect for the rainy season
- [Vegetable Songs] Unexpected artists too!? A roundup of recommended tracks
Children’s songs, folk songs, and nursery rhymes about food (21–30)
Sticky Samba
With its catchy tune that sticks in your head after just one listen, “Neba-Neba Samba” features melodies and lyrics that make you want to dance.
Along with the lyrics about “neba-neba” (sticky/slimy), lots of foods that evoke that texture appear.
It might be fun to imagine them and see how many you can find.
From around age two, it’s also recommended to ask questions like, “What kinds of sticky foods are there?” It could be enjoyable to include the song as part of summer food education as well.
Goodbye, ankoro mochi.
A playful wordplay centered on the traditional Japanese sweets “ankoro mochi” and “kinako,” imbued with the wish to meet again, leaves a strong impression.
By singing with hand games and gestures, it nurtures children’s creativity and communication skills.
In nursery schools and kindergartens, puppets are often used to perform it so that children can enjoy their farewell time.
Passed down for many years as a traditional song, this piece has been included in numerous childcare-related books and CDs as a teaching material that supports children’s emotional development.
It’s also a recommended song for parents and children to enjoy singing together while experiencing Japan’s traditional culture.
Takoyaki
When you think of summer, you think of festivals; when you think of festivals, you think of food stalls; and then, of course, piping-hot takoyaki…
Let me introduce the fun hand-play song “Takoyaki” that naturally brings up those associations.
Its streamlined, simple melody and lyrics, along with easy-to-understand moves you can get at a glance, make it very easy to learn—even little kids can grasp it right away, which is great.
The clever touch of letting you learn the vowels a, i, u, e, o at the end of the lyrics is also delightful.
By all means, tie on a headband and enjoy it as if you were actually making takoyaki at a festival stall!
Banana Parent and Child
“Banana Family” is a song that incorporates elements of tongue twisters.
The lyrics introduce a family of personified bananas.
Since the syllable “na” appears repeatedly, your brain starts to get tangled as you sing.
The sequence is repeated three times in the song, with the tempo increasing toward the end.
This makes it enjoyable not only to sing but also to use as part of a game.
First, print out the lyrics and have everyone try to memorize them.
The Bento Bus SongSakushi sakkyoku: Shinju Mariko
This heartwarming song, written and composed by beloved children’s picture book author Mariko Shinju, depicts food items cheerfully boarding a bus.
Its rhythmic, catchy melody and lyrics that roll out ingredient names one after another create a lively atmosphere that makes you want to move your body.
Released in 2017 as part of King Records’ “Suku♪Iku” series, it also saw a new version by Icchi & Naru in 2025.
Widely used for hand-play activities in nurseries and kindergartens and as a tool for food education, this delightful track makes mealtimes more enjoyable—perfect for singing along while cooking in the kitchen or humming during lunchbox prep for a field trip.