[June Nursery Rhymes] Perfect for the rainy season! A fun collection of hand-play songs and traditional children’s songs

Frog Chorus

Japanese Children’s Song – Dōyō – Frog Chorus 3D – Kaeru no Gasshō 3D

The familiar melody is a hallmark of “The Frog Chorus.” The tune is said to originate from a German folk song.

The singing continues with a rhythm that invites a round from the very beginning, building more and more as it goes.

It really gives the impression of frogs increasing in number and bursting into a grand chorus.

If you focus on the idea of everyone singing together while you play, it seems like you’ll have a lot of fun singing it.

So it rains.

So the Dream Kids sing because it’s raining

I think most people dislike the rain.

This is a positive children’s song that, on the contrary, enjoys the rain.

Its rhythm is distinctive, sung in a relaxed 3/4 time, wrapping you in a unique laid-back feel.

Since the lyrics express feelings from the animals’ point of view rather than humans’, try singing it while fully embracing that mood.

Rainy moon

Rainy Moon - Shoko Haida

This song was unveiled in the New Year’s issue of the magazine Kodomo no Kuni published in 1925.

At the time, the lyrics did not yet have a second verse, but later, in order to lengthen the piece as a commercial product, another published song titled “Kumo no Kage” (“Shadow of the Clouds”) was repurposed.

It’s a lovely song that really evokes the bridal ceremonies of that era, isn’t it?

Elephant and the Spiderweb

Elephant and the Spiderweb (with gestures) – One little elephant on a spider’s web ~ [Japanese songs / school songs]

The comical hand-play song “The Elephants and the Spiderweb” features, amazingly, five elephants coming to a spiderweb made of thin threads.

At first, you show the number of elephants with one hand while spreading the other hand to represent the spiderweb, acting out how the elephants get caught on it.

After that, you make a motion to call other elephants and continue singing while doing actions that match the lyrics.

When the elephants reach five, the spiderweb can’t hold them anymore, so you clap your hands to show the web snapping.

This song isn’t just for hand-play—children can also take on the role of elephants and use their whole bodies to play along with the music! It’s perfect for indoor play during the rainy, early-summer monsoon season.

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SAKI

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Kappa’s dish

[Childcare] Katsuriki Song Play “Kappa no Osara” Featured in PriPri August Issue♪

When we think of the rainy season, we picture rain—and raincoats! From there, here’s a hand-play song themed around the mythical creature, the kappa.

Place a towel on your head as the kappa’s dish, and play rock-paper-scissors to the song.

If you win, you can try to snatch your opponent’s dish to win the game; if you lose, protect your dish so it isn’t taken! The rules are simple, so even small children can enjoy it.

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Hane Keisuke

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Beyond the rainbow

Beyond the Rainbow <with motions> - The rain has stopped, the sun has come out~

This song is from April 1996 and was sung by Ayumi Shigemori and Kentaro Hayami, who served as the “older sister” and “older brother” singers on NHK’s Okaasan to Issho.

It’s a very uplifting and fun song.

The rainy season brings a lot of rain, but the rainbow that appears after the rain is so beautiful it feels cleansing to the heart.

A frog

Finger play: One Little Frog

It’s a simple hand-play song where you move your hands along to a song featuring frogs.

The choreography is very easy, so even young children can learn it and have fun.

What’s more, it starts with one frog, then gradually increases to two, three, and so on.

If you make the movements bigger to match the growing number of frogs, the children will be absolutely delighted!

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Hane Keisuke

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