Songs for January: Nursery rhymes and fingerplay songs we want children to grow familiar with
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.
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[January Songs] Nursery rhymes and fingerplay songs we want children to become familiar with (21–30)
mochi poundingSakushi: Amano Chou / Sakkyoku: Ichinomiya Michiko
Mochi eaten in January is delicious, isn’t it? “Mochitsuki” is a song you can use for a hand game.
Two people face each other and, following the lyrics, make mochi-pounding gestures or keep the rhythm by clapping and lightly tapping hands.
It’s a hand game that even small children can do right away, so be sure to try it during the New Year holiday.
When it becomes a festive time, it’s New YearSakushi / Sakkyoku: Aramaki Shake
How about trying a New Year’s hand-play song with your child? This hand-play song, “Medetai Nattara Oshogatsu,” expresses essential New Year’s osechi dishes through poses.
The lyrics stay the same, but the dish is represented by the pose you strike at the end.
It features ozoni, kuromame, and kurikinton—osechi dishes kids love—and really boosts the New Year spirit.
Both the song and the poses are very simple, so even young children can imitate them and enjoy playing along.
Children are like the wind.Sakushi/Sakkyoku: Jidō Shōka
This is a nursery rhyme about children who energetically run around and play outside, unfazed by the cold wind.
It seems to reflect adults’ wishes for kids to stay active and play outdoors even in the cold winter.
It’s a nursery rhyme that might give you a dose of the children’s energy that blows the cold away.
[Finger-play song] Mochi GlassesSakushi / Sakkyoku: Fushou
![[Finger-play song] Mochi GlassesSakushi / Sakkyoku: Fushou](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/AGJ4W9eo8G4/sddefault.jpg)
When it comes to New Year’s in Japan, there are many seasonal traditions like osechi cuisine, New Year’s gift money, fukuwarai, and New Year’s cards, and mochi is definitely one you can’t leave out.
It’s often in ozoni soup, and people pound mochi at the end of the year to eat during the New Year, so it’s strongly associated with the holiday.
“Mochi Glasses” is a hand-clapping song based on mochi pounding.
In it, you tap your thumbs and the other fingers together—pat-pat—one after another as if pounding mochi.
Speeding it up makes it tricky, and even adults can find their fingers getting tangled.
The Song of KonkonshyanSakushi: Kayama Yoshiko / Sakkyoku: Yuyama Akira
This is a song that evokes winter and was also sung on NHK’s educational program “Okaasan to Issho.” In the title “Konkonkushan no Uta,” konkon represents coughing and kushan represents sneezing.
The cute lyrics go on: when a squirrel wears a mask, it’s a small mask; when a crane wears a mask, it’s a long mask; when a pig wears a mask, it’s a round mask…
It’s a perfect song for teaching children the importance of cold prevention, such as handwashing and gargling.
Imagining each animal’s distinctive mask somehow puts you in a cheerful mood.
Snow and ChildrenSakushi: Komori Jun’ichi / Sakkyoku: Noruwē min’yō
It’s said to be a Norwegian children’s song, but the original title and lyrics are unknown.
Combined with its slightly melancholic melody, it also sounds somewhat mysterious.
The lyrics were written by children’s author Jun’ichi Kobayashi, and it has long been featured on NHK’s “Minna no Uta.” The content of the lyrics evokes Norway in Northern Europe: “No matter how much snow falls, it’s okay, because snow is my best friend.” Though both the first and second verses are short, just three lines each, they convey to listeners the beauty and joy of a snowy country.
If you haven’t heard it yet, please do!
A Morning of Steamsakushi: mado michio / sakkyoku: noritake akihiko
When winter comes and the air is cold, when you exhale with a whoosh, your breath turns white like steam, right? This song playfully compares that steam to the smoke of a steam locomotive.
It’s a cheerful children’s song that encourages finding fun outdoors and playing energetically even in the cold winter—just listening to it lifts your spirits.