Numbers Song: A fun nursery rhyme and fingerplay song to sing and learn with children
When teaching your child numbers, do you ever feel like “they just won’t remember them”? It can be quite confusing that the way you count changes depending on what you’re counting—for example, ichi, ni versus ippon, nihon—so many parents struggle with how to teach it.
That’s where “number songs” come in handy! Children can naturally learn numbers to the rhythm of a song, making it fun to study.
In this article, we’ll introduce kid-friendly songs for learning numbers, from fingerplay songs that teach vegetable names along with counting, to lively tunes featuring ice cream and melon bread.
Sing together with your child and help them get comfortable with numbers!
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[Number Song] A fun nursery rhyme and hand game to sing and learn with children (21–30)
five melon breads
This is a hand-play song about melon bread that features the numbers from one to five.
It’s said to be originally an English nursery rhyme, but its lively rhythm should be easy for little kids in Japan to remember.
They’d probably love it if you sang it while pretending to run a little shop.
Ten Little Indians
It originally comes from an English nursery rhyme called Mother Goose, and it has also been translated into Japanese.
This melody is famous, isn’t it? In fact, the original lyrics were scary: “Indian children decrease one by one until no one is left.” But nowadays, as you can see, it’s been passed down with lyrics for counting numbers.
It’s also perfect for learning how to count people using the expressions like “hitori, futari.”
[Number Song] A Fun Nursery Rhyme and Fingerplay to Sing and Learn with Kids (31–40)
Even with just one, it’s a carrot.
It’s a classic numbers song, isn’t it? I used to sing it a lot.
I guess this tune will be passed down forever! I remember being impressed by how well-made it is.
If you sing it a lot together with your kids, you’ll memorize it in no time.
Song of numerical units
Many of you probably memorized “one, ten, hundred, thousand, …” back in elementary school, right? There’s a similar song on NHK E-Tele’s ‘Nihongo de Asobo,’ and this one sings the way to count from 1 all the way up to transfinite numbers.
It’s quite catchy, so after listening a few times, you can remember a lot of it.
Ice Cream Song
Trying to get children to study numbers can feel a bit tough, but you can teach them naturally, like letting them watch a cartoon! In this song, the ice cream melts and disappears, helping them understand what it means for numbers to decrease.
The ice cream has all sorts of toppings, making it really fun to watch!
[Hand-Play Song] What Will You Be When You Grow Up
![[Hand-Play Song] What Will You Be When You Grow Up](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/arpqSGXqpP8/sddefault.jpg)
It’s a fingerplay song where you make numbers with your fingers.
In this song, your fingers can become various occupations like a doctor or a barber depending on the shapes, so children can enjoy learning numbers.
You can rearrange which jobs match which numbers, so it could be fun to come up with ideas together with the kids.
Once they can make the numbers 1 to 5 with their fingers, it might also help when someone asks their age.
After they learn to make numbers with their fingers, use their fingers to teach concepts like more and less, as well as counting aloud.
[Fingerplay Song] One Little Ghost
![[Fingerplay Song] One Little Ghost](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/r9c3tnuddZU/sddefault.jpg)
Let me introduce a ghost-themed play song that kids love.
Each time the lyrics repeat, one more ghost joins in, and the parts you sway increase too—hands, feet, and head.
The idea that the ghosts come to scare you once there are five adds a thrilling touch that kids will likely enjoy.
This song also works great for Halloween, so it could be fun to have children dressed as ghosts join one by one while singing and dancing.
Move your body, have fun, and learn the numbers from 1 to 5!