![[Animal Song] Fun nursery rhymes popular with children](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/lTWeuBRoXeg/maxresdefault.webp)
Picking out “animal songs” from popular children’s songs!
There are so many kinds of animals—dogs and cats that are popular as pets, and lions and pandas that are symbolic of zoos.
Did you know there are children’s songs that feature a variety of animals?
In this article, we’ll introduce many animal-themed songs, including the famous Inu no Omawari-san (The Dog Policeman) and Mori no Kuma-san (The Bear in the Forest).
There are also lots of finger-play songs you can use in childcare, so be sure to make good use of them.
If children become interested in animals, it might be nice to take a trip to the zoo!
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[Animal Songs] Fun Nursery Rhymes Popular with Children (1–10)
little fox
The children’s song “Kogitsune” (Little Fox) depicts a young fox living in the mountains, playing with nuts and fallen leaves found there.
It is based on the song “Fox, You Stole the Goose,” created by Ernst Anschütz, a German educator and organist.
While the German version has slightly frightening content, in Japan it became a cute song portraying a little fox happily playing in the forest.
Even in a forest without playground equipment or games, you can have fun using various things found in nature, just like this little fox.
Follow the little fox’s example and try different activities when you visit the forest.
Jungle Pocketsakushi: hasegawa katsuji / sakkyoku: fukuda wakako
What if all kinds of animals popped out from the pockets on your clothes…? That delightful, dreamlike scene is exactly what the song “Jungle Pocket” is about.
Lions, giraffes, and many other animals come out from the pockets.
With animals leaping out, the pocket is just like a jungle—true to the song’s title! You can’t put real animals in your pockets, of course, but it’s fun to sing along while putting stuffed animals or toy animals into your pockets in time with the music.
So, what animals will emerge from your pockets?
The Puppy Police OfficerSakushi: Satō Yoshimi / Sakkyoku: Ōnaka Megumi
The children’s song “The Dog Policeman” depicts a dog who has become a police officer trying hard to help a lost kitten.
No matter what he asks—where she came from, what her name is—the kitten can’t answer properly, leaving the policeman at his wits’ end.
It’s a charming song about the amusing back-and-forth between a policeman who wants to do his best but can’t, and a helpless little kitten.
It also drew attention when a two-year-old girl gave an adorable performance at the 2020 Children’s Song Contest.
Give it a try and sing it cutely and energetically!
The Bear of the ForestSakushi: Baba Yoshihiro / Sakkyoku: Amerika min’yō
What would you do if you ran into a bear in the forest? Some people might try to run away to save their lives, or play dead.
The famous children’s song “Forest Bear” (Mori no Kuma-san) is a heart-pounding tune about exactly that—what happens when a little girl and a bear bump into each other? The song actually originated in the American Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.
It’s sung as an “echo song,” where one person sings a line and others repeat it, and it’s beloved by many children.
There’s no doubt it’s fun to sing together with teachers and friends in kindergarten or preschool! What will happen to the little girl in the end? Sing along and find out.
A Little Bear in the RainSakushi: Tsurumi Masao / Sakkyoku: Yuyama Akira
In The Baby Bear in the Rain, a cute little bear is shown observing all kinds of things around him in the rain.
Originally written and composed in Japan, the song was later released in English under the title The Baby Bear in the Rain.
Even though it’s raining, the little bear watches the streams formed by the rainwater and looks around to see if there might be any fish.
It’s an adorable song about the little bear’s curious behavior.
There’s also a picture book based on the song, so be sure to check it out alongside the music!
The Mountain Musicianssakushi: mizuta shisen / sakkyoku: doitsu min’yō
The children’s song “Yama no Ongakuka” (The Mountain Musicians) depicts various animals living in the mountains playing lovely music with instruments.
Squirrels, rabbits, and many other animals gather, and in the end they all perform together.
It’s a fairy-tale-like, whimsical world that’s sure to spark children’s dreams! Some kids might even say they want to try the same instruments as the animals.
You might hear adorable dreams like, “Someday I’ll play instruments with the animals!”
Goat MailSakushi: Mado Michio / Sakkyoku: Dan Ikuma
This is the children’s song “Yagi-san Yūbin” featuring the absent‑minded White Goat and Black Goat.
Goats are often thought to eat paper, and the story plays on that image: they end up eating the letters before reading what’s inside.
In reality, paper has ink on it and tissues contain various chemicals, so you shouldn’t let goats eat them.
Not knowing what was written, the Black Goat writes, “What happened?”—but the White Goat eats that letter again before checking the contents.
It’s a looping, yet gently heartwarming and slightly funny song.