[Childcare] Recommended for little kids! A fun round song that makes you want to sing!
How about trying a round, which makes singing together even more fun? Rounds, where the lyrics and melody seem to chase each other, are enjoyable both to sing and to listen to, and some of you may be thinking that you’d love for children to experience them too.
So this time, we’re introducing several rounds recommended for kids.
We’ve gathered songs that are easy even for little ones to sing and that let them enjoy the unique rhythms and harmonies of rounds—from classics many sang when they were small to songs featuring vehicles and animals that children love.
During practice, you might find yourselves getting pulled along by others now and then, but that’s part of the fun.
Enjoy singing freely together with the children in a lively, cheerful atmosphere!
- Choral songs that captivate 4-year-olds! A collection of heartfelt song ideas for junior kindergarten recitals
- [Preschool] Recommended choral pieces for 3-year-olds
- Be careful not to get led astray! A roundup of challenging yet fun rounds (canon songs)
- Get pumped with kids’ favorite songs! A memorable collection of classics that will make you want to sing along
- Kids go wild! Popular hand games and fun sing-alongs
- [Childcare] Fun Songs for 2-Year-Olds to Sing! Recommended Song Collection
- [Childcare] Fun Rhythm Play! Recommended Games and Hand-Clapping/Hand-Play for Kids
- [Christmas Songs] Christmas songs to sing with children
- Get excited! A list of popular and fun hand games that captivate children
- [Children's Songs] Cute songs recommended for childcare. List of popular nursery rhymes.
- [Music Play] Children’s Recreational Music: Rec Songs You Can Sing and Play
- Childcare: Today's recommended fun songs
- [Childcare] Let's Dance at the Sports Day! A Collection of Perfect Dance Songs for Preschoolers (Younger Class)
[Childcare] Recommended for little kids! Fun rounds that make you want to sing! (11–20)
snowdōyō
When it comes to winter children’s songs, many people probably think of “Yuki” (Snow).
It’s easy to feel warm and fuzzy imagining someone cozily tucked under a kotatsu, or a pet dashing about energetically in the falling snow.
The word “konko” in the lyrics is said to mean “Let it snow more!” If you sing while explaining expressions that aren’t used in everyday life, it may be easier to picture the song, and the lyrics—even those with unfamiliar words—might be easier to remember.
Choo-choo trainSakushi: Fuhara Fuhara / Sakkyoku: Kusakawa Shin
The children’s song “Kisha Poppo” has a cheerful vibe that makes you want to move your body to the rhythm.
It’s especially recommended for kids who love vehicles like trains and bullet trains.
For children today, it might be hard to picture a steam locomotive chugging along and puffing out smoke.
Showing them picture books or depictions of steam engines in shows like Thomas the Tank Engine may spark more interest in trains.
Let’s enjoy singing it while savoring the fun sound created by the overlapping train noises in the round.
The Mouse and the KittenSakushi: Komiyaji Satoshi / Sakkyoku: Smetana
The song “The Mouse and the Kitten” is charming for its very cute lyrics depicting a mouse desperately running away from a kitten.
With simple, easy-to-understand lines like “The mouse goes ‘chu-chu-chu’ as it runs, and the kitten goes ‘meow-meow’ as it chases,” it seems perfect for a round, doesn’t it? Whether you start 4 measures later or 2 measures later, the melodies overlap beautifully, so watch the children and let them try different patterns!
What shall we make with rock, paper, scissors?Lyrics: Saitō Fumiko ・ Production: Good Choice / Composition: French folk song
The hand game song “Gu-Choki-Pa de Nani Tsukurou,” where you make various shapes with rock, scissors, and paper while singing, can actually be enjoyed as a round, too.
Once everyone remembers the hand shapes for rock, scissors, and paper, try singing it as a round with a one-measure delay! No matter where you come in each measure, it creates a pleasant harmony, so many friends can join in by staggering their entries in order.
The more people who join at different timings, the higher the difficulty! Once you get used to it, increase the number of participants or combine it with the hand motions to enjoy different patterns.
Three caterpillarsSakushi: Kurihara Michio / Sakkyoku: Komiyaji Satoshi
“Three Caterpillars” comically portrays the surprise of finding a caterpillar—the final little “Eek!” is just adorable, isn’t it? In the second verse, the scene switches to a mouse sneaking around the house, but again it ends with a startled cry.
Since it forms a clean round no matter where you join in, once you’re comfortable with a two-measure or four-measure delay, try increasing the difficulty with a one-measure delay.
If you can keep the stagger all the way to the end, you should get a lovely string of “Eek!”s in succession.
Give it a try!
The sound of insectsdōyō
Mushi no Koe (The Voices of Insects) features a variety of bugs.
Since it was included in the 1910 Elementary School Reader Songs, this children’s song has been beloved across generations.
If there’s a child who knows all five insects that appear—pine cricket, bell cricket, katydid, eastern bush-cricket, and long-headed grasshopper—they’re surely quite the insect enthusiast! It might be a chance to glimpse a hidden side of children.
When sung as a round, the insects’ calls overlap beautifully.
Try splitting into two groups at first, then gradually increase the number of groups and stagger the timing to experiment with different effects.
[Childcare] Recommended for young children! Fun rounds that make you want to sing! (21–30)
Toy Cha-Cha-Cha
The classic children’s song “Omocha no Cha-Cha-Cha” is an appealing piece with its bright rhythm and imaginative lyrics about toys coming to life at night.
Beyond being a dance tune, it can also be used for hand-play activities or as a theme for school performances.
Kids who love toys will be excited simply because the song and dance theme is “toys.” It would be fun to include choreography that lets them pretend to be toys and move freely.
It’s a highly recommended song that draws out children’s imagination.
