Lovely nursery rhymes, folk songs, and children's songs

Songs for January: Nursery rhymes and fingerplay songs we want children to grow familiar with

20 years of experience as a nursery teacher / kindergarten teacherhiyoko sensei
I’m Hiyoko-sensei, a former nursery school teacher from Hyogo Prefecture. Ever since I was five, my dream was to become a childcare worker, and before I knew it, 20 years had passed since I achieved that dream. Through singing and playing with the children, I kept working with the spirit of someone in their twenties, even as I increasingly felt my physical limits year by year (haha). From here on, I’d like to share helpful information carefully and thoughtfully, drawing on my on-site experience.
Nursery Teacher Mom Writertsukada moe
After working for five years at an after-school childcare club and three years at a nursery school, I began working as a freelance writer. I’m a mother of two children. Inspired by playing the flute in the school wind ensemble in elementary school, I joined a jazz club at university. I’ve also incorporated ukulele and piano performance into childcare. Playing, laughing, feeling sad, feeling frustrated—through all kinds of experiences, I want children to grow.

When you hear “songs for January,” what kinds of tunes come to mind?

There are many, from those often sung in childcare settings and schools to classic pieces that have been loved in Japan for many years.

Here, we’ll introduce nursery rhymes and hand-play songs that you’ll want to enjoy with children in January.

Everyone has different experiences with the songs they’ve grown up with, so try talking about them with your family and friends.

You might even come across some songs for the first time.

These are all songs that can be enjoyed across generations and that we’d love to pass on to the children who will shape the next generation.

[January Songs] Nursery Rhymes and Hand-Clapping Songs We Want Children to Enjoy (41–50)

Goat MailSakushi: Mado Michio / Sakkyoku: Dan Ikuma

Goat Mail - A letter came from the white goat; the black goat went and ate it without reading it~ (with gestures) [Japanese children's song]

Goat MailSakushi: Mado Michio / Sakkyoku: Dan Ikuma

The children’s song “Yagi-san Yubin” has long been loved.

Its charm lies in the humorous lyrics about goats who love paper so much that, whenever a letter arrives, they eat it right away and can never read it.

It’s fun to sing together as a parent and child, and it would be even more exciting to add gestures that follow the lyrics while you sing.

Try getting into the goats’ mindset and enjoy the song’s humor-filled words.

It’s a piece we’d like to keep singing and passing down across generations.

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pine coneSakushi: Hirota Takao / Sakkyoku: Kobayashi Tsuyae

[Hand play song] Pine Cone

pine coneSakushi: Hirota Takao / Sakkyoku: Kobayashi Tsuyae

The hand-play song “Matsubokkuri” is characterized by large movements that match the lyrics.

Try expressing the mountain pose with both hands over your head, the motions of rolling your arms in circles like a pinecone tumbling, and a little monkey eating a pinecone! Since it’s a relatively short song, children can learn it quickly and enjoy it.

At the end, when the monkey munches the pinecone, sing out loudly and energetically to make it even more exciting—give it a try!

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Come, springSakushi: Soma Gyofu / Sakkyoku: Hirota Ryutaro

♪ Come, Spring – Haru Yo Koi | ♪ Come, spring, come quickly. Little Mii-chan, who has just begun to walk [Japanese song/children’s song]

Come, springSakushi: Soma Gyofu / Sakkyoku: Hirota Ryutaro

The composer Ryutaro Hirota is also famous for pieces like “Koinobori” and “Sparrows’ School.” This song was composed in the late Taisho era.

The Mi-chan who appears in the lyrics is said to be modeled after the lyricist Gofu Soma’s eldest daughter.

With its charming melody, it conveys the feeling of not being able to wait for spring to arrive, and it makes the heart dance.

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White RoadSakushi: Unno Yoji / Sakkyoku: Antonio Vivarudi

White road ♪ A solitary snowy road stretching endlessly. Lyrics by Yoji Umino, music by Vivaldi. White street

White RoadSakushi: Unno Yoji / Sakkyoku: Antonio Vivarudi

Yoji Kono has written Japanese lyrics for the second movement of Vivaldi’s Violin Concerto in F minor “Winter,” RV 297.

It’s a gentle piece that evokes the image of warm spring sunshine and is very pleasant to listen to.

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[Hand-play song] Konkon Kitsune

Konk-on Fox [Hand Play] A fox comes from this side~♪ Perfect as an introductory hand play for kindergartens and nursery schools!

[Hand-play song] Konkon Kitsune

Konkon Kitsune, perfect for winter fingerplay, is a children’s hand-play song based on the American nursery rhyme “There’s a Cabin in the Woods.” It’s great fun even for little kids: you form a fox with your hands and play along to the song.

The simple fox hand shape, moving your hands left and right, imitating the fox’s voice, and repeating the same motions to the rhythm are all popular with children.

It gets even more fun if you get creative—try turning the fox into Pikachu or a rabbit for your hand-play.

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