Popular hand games and hand game songs for toddlers and children! Full of ideas for childcare/early childhood education.
Having a rich repertoire of fingerplay songs keeps children from getting bored and gives adults a sense of ease.
You can use them in many ways—while preparing for the next activity, or as a calm introduction to help children listen attentively.
Above all, children love fingerplay songs with their variety of themes and rhythms.
Adults will surely feel soothed watching little ones smile and mimic the motions with their tiny hands.
Be sure to use this article to learn some new fingerplay songs!
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Popular hand games and hand game songs for toddlers and children! Packed with childcare ideas (41–50)
Mr. Goldfish and Mr. Medaka
Let’s enjoy a beloved picture book story through a finger-play activity! Here’s an introduction to the finger play for “Mr.
Goldfish and Mr.
Medaka.” Let’s express this fun picture book—where the goldfish and the medaka do energetic exercises with humorous movements—through hand motions! The way the goldfish and the medaka swim is different, and each one’s characteristics are charmingly expressed through cute choreography and lyrics.
Kids are sure to get excited by these comical moves! Be sure to incorporate it into your activities.
Tanuki of Fist Mountain
Let’s enjoy Rock-Paper-Scissors at the end of the hand game! We’ll introduce the hand game “Genkotsuyama no Tanukisan.” For children, hand games are an important activity where they can learn while having fun.
Through play that uses the hands, they develop finger dexterity and hand-eye coordination, so many parents and teachers may include them before and after activities.
The “Genkotsuyama no Tanukisan” hand game is packed with rhythm and fun.
Its simple, easy-to-remember lyrics are another point that makes it enjoyable with children.
By adding Rock-Paper-Scissors at the end of the hand game, it’s sure to get the kids excited.
Piglet-raccoon dog-fox-cat
The children’s song “Kobuta, Tanuki, Kitsune, Neko” is a nursery rhyme sung while playing a word-chain game with animal names.
It was written and composed by Naotsumi Yamamoto, who created many pieces of music for nursery rhymes, TV dramas, and films, including “Ichinensei ni Nattara.” Because the song repeats the names of the animals that appear in the title, it’s easy to remember, and children who are just starting to talk may be able to mimic the lyrics and sing along.
In the second verse, you imitate each animal’s call.
The quirky onomatopoeic words are likely a curious and amusing highlight for kids.
Be sure to add hand motions to match the animals as you sing!
Gonbe-san’s Baby
Gonbe-san’s Baby was created based on an American folk song.
It’s a song featuring a character named Gonbe-san—who covers his head with a tenugui and ties it under his chin—and a baby.
It depicts a scene where the baby catches a cold, and you use your hands to show actions like holding the baby and having a bright idea.
You can enjoy a unique move where, in a fluster, you end up putting a cold compress on yourself by mistake.
Once you’re used to it, try picking up the tempo.
Give this hand play a try and make the most of this familiar melody that everyone has heard at least once.
The fish jumps.
Familiar from hand play, “Sakana ga Hanete” is arranged here as a paper puppet show! Not only can everyone enjoy singing along as the fish jumps and sticks to different parts of the body, transforming each time, but you can also use illustrations of items like hats, masks, and gloves to do a forgetfulness check.
With hand play, you express everything using only the song and your hands, but with a paper puppet show, you can perform while looking at pictures, which might help everyone picture each item more concretely.
egg egg
“When the egg goes pop and cracks open, what will come out?” This is a hand-play game called “Tamago Tamago” that captivates children and nurtures their imagination.
Use both hands to show the egg cracking.
If you get the children to imitate you, it’s sure to be a hit! It starts with the familiar chick, then levels up to a snake, a penguin, even a monster, which will surely bring smiles to their faces! You can also keep their interest by calling out, “What will be born next?”
Denden parent-and-child thumb
A hand-play song with lots of fun variations: the “Denden Parent-and-Child Thumb Exercise.” Make fists with both hands and hold them out in front of you.
To the nursery rhyme “Denden Mushi,” alternately extend your right and left thumbs and pinkies.
When your right hand shows the pinky, your left hand should show the thumb, so it might be a bit confusing at first—but take it slow and try it while singing.
You’ll go right, fists, left, and so on, but next try right-left without the fists in between, then pick up the tempo a little.
Add these variations and have fun!
natto
A hand game about “natto” that gets you hooked after just one listen.
The moves match the lyrics, so it’s great that you can naturally learn them while singing! The “ne~ba neba” part is so catchy that kids will pick it up right away and get excited.
You could also introduce this hand game on July 10th for Natto Day! Plus, it might be fun to switch out natto for ramen or udon and play with a variation.
If you’re looking to expand your hand-game repertoire, definitely give this a try for inspiration.
Meat buns and sweet bean paste buns
Delicious foods appear one after another, and your stomach goes “g-r-r-r” with hunger! Here’s a hand play activity for the song “Nikuman Anman.” Nikuman (meat buns) are steamed warm in a steamer, and eating them on a cold day gently warms you up! It’s a perfect hand play for the chilly season.
The lyrics feature various kinds of Chinese dishes, which is so exciting.
The hand motions that go with the lyrics are unique and easy for children to learn, which is part of their charm.
Let’s enjoy the hand play while moving our bodies to the rhythm!
It’s starting.
A fingerplay song that uses both hands to show numbers and mimic the traits of characters or animals.
As the title suggests, it’s a song themed around beginnings, so it’s also recommended to sing before reading a picture book aloud or starting a Children’s Day event.
You play by making numbers with your left and right hands.
For example, make a scissors pose with both hands to represent a crab—there’s lots of room for creative variations.
Try incorporating Children’s Day–themed ideas like carp streamers and samurai helmets as you play.