A collection of cheerful nursery rhymes—songs that make you feel happy when you sing them.
There are so many nursery rhymes that are popular with children!
There are songs about animals, songs about food, songs about the seasons—the themes are varied, and each song has its own mood.
In this article, we’ll introduce a selection of especially cheerful songs from among the most popular nursery rhymes all at once!
We’ve gathered lots of songs that will put you in a happy mood whether you listen to them or sing along.
Please sample the songs we introduce below, and be sure to enjoy listening to and singing your favorites!
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A collection of cheerful children's songs: tunes that make you feel happy when you sing them (41–50)
Rabbit Dance
A classic song released in 1924.
The lyrics and music are by the duo of Ujo Noguchi and Shinpei Nakayama, also known for “Shabondama.” I’ve heard that dancing to children’s songs was popular at the time.
This song, too, has a fun rhythm—and those katakana lyrics—that makes you want to dance.
If you sing it at karaoke, the kids listening will probably start hopping and dancing on their own.
It’s a children’s song you can enjoy forever.
It will be sunny tomorrow.
Written and composed by Osamu Sakata, it was the monthly song for March 1999 on “Okaasan to Issho,” sung by Ayumi Shigemori and Kentaro Hayami.
It remained popular for many years and is often sung in nursery schools and kindergartens, but the lyrics also make it a great cheering song for adults to sing.
Jaku-jaku Amanojaku
Written by Mitsuhiko Fujiki with music by Kumoyuki (Akiko Fukuoka and Yuichi Ohata), this was the “Song of the Month” on Okaasan to Issho in April 2014.
From the very beginning, its captivating melody and lyrics draw you in, making it a song you won’t forget after hearing it once.
Even a child who says contrary, cheeky things might start to seem adorable if you sing this song.
Found you!
Written and composed by Tortoise Matsumoto, this song was used on the NHK program “Miitsuketa!” But regardless of that, it’s a great song for adults to listen to and sing as well.
Both the melody and the lyrics grab your heart the first time you hear it.
rainbow-coloredayaka
This song was also used as the theme for a morning TV drama, and many children naturally learn it if their parents watch the show every day.
It’s very simple and easy to remember, so it’s one of the songs popular with kids.
The lyrics and melody are bright and pop, so singing it puts you in a fun mood.
The Bento Bus
Imagine a lunchbox as a bus, and all sorts of foods come along saying, “Let me on! Let me on!” Let’s sing together with a hand-play game as we pack the lunchbox full of ingredients.
Try expressing this everyday moment joyfully through dance!
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.