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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!

[Number Song] A Fun Nursery Rhyme and Fingerplay to Sing and Learn with Kids (31–40)

Ipponbashi Nihonbashi

Kasama Tomobe Tomobe Kindergarten Parenting Information: “Hand Play & Song Play Vol. 10 – Ipponbashi Nihonbashi”
Ipponbashi Nihonbashi

This is another hand-play song that kids love.

I can just picture them going wild at the end when they shout, “I turned into a ghost!” It’s even more exciting when you play it with lots of friends.

It’s even more fun if you learn the moves properly.

It’s easy!

Picnic

[Hand Play Song] Picnic [A Fine Day with Kids]
Picnic

It’s a hand-play song with numbers from 1 to 5, themed around lunchboxes to take on a picnic.

The lyrics are short and the rhythm is easy to follow, so even children who have just learned the numbers should be able to sing it right away.

Be sure to sing it along with the hand motions!

Fun Math

Everyone's Songs: Fun Math
Fun Math

Many of you may already know this song since it’s familiar from “Minna no Uta.” It’s a track I especially want children who are learning numbers or are interested in them to hear.

Because it sings about the mysteries and fun of math, I think it could be a chance for kids to start liking math.

It’s starting.

♪ It’s starting! <with hand motions>
It's starting.

It’s a fingerplay song with numbers as the theme.

I imagine quite a few teachers and parents sing this song before reading picture books aloud.

With its easy-to-remember rhythm and lyrics, it’s a tune that even small children can sing along to.

First is Ichinomiya.

Grandma’s counting song — “First comes Ichinomiya.”
First is Ichinomiya.

It’s a classic counting song.

Many people may have had their grandmother or mother sing it to them.

The lyrics vary by region, and they can also change across generations, but it’s a song that has been passed down for many years.

“Numbers Song” – A fun nursery rhyme and fingerplay you can sing and learn with kids (41–50)

Names of numbers

Numbers Song 1 [Names of Numbers]
Names of numbers

If you’re going to teach children numbers, the earlier the better, right? This song has simple lyrics and melody, so it’s easy even for little kids to remember.

The numbers and their hiragana readings are also shown, so you can watch the video and sing along while having fun!

mail carrier

It’s a song you sing while jumping rope, pretending to be a mail carrier and counting the letters—“one, two…” As well as getting your body moving, it helps you learn numbers, so it’s killing two birds with one stone.

It’s also interesting how the lyrics vary slightly from region to region.