Nursery rhymes and fingerplay songs to enjoy in May! Songs perfect for the fresh green season
In dazzlingly green May, many of you are surely looking for children’s songs and hand-play tunes to sing with kids at daycare or at home.
Songs that evoke spring really capture children’s hearts and add color to everyday activities.
In this article, we’ll introduce plenty of nursery rhymes and hand-play songs perfect for May.
From familiar, easy-to-sing melodies to ones that get kids moving, we’ve got a wide range—so try incorporating them into your daily childcare and parent-child time!
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Nursery rhymes and fingerplay songs to enjoy in May! Perfect songs for the season of fresh greenery (71–80)
What color do you like?Sakushi/Sakkyoku: Sakata Osamu
A wonderful song that nurtures children’s sensitivity through colors.
Its friendly lyrics paint a world of color through crayons, and the heartwarming melody blends perfectly to captivate young hearts.
The song aired as NHK’s “Song of the Month” on Okaasan to Issho from April 1984 to March 1985, and is included on albums such as NHK Okaasan to Issho 50th Anniversary Best.
It was also performed at a reconstruction support event in Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture, in August 2011.
Ideal not only for childcare and educational settings but also for families to enjoy singing together at home.
Piglet-raccoon dog-fox-catSakushi/Sakkyoku: Yamamoto Naozumi
A hand-play nursery song by Naotsumi Yamamoto that captures children’s hearts with adorable animal sounds and a friendly melody.
The lyrics cleverly link four animals in a word-chain style, blending the fun of moving your body with hand-play choreography.
Broadcast on NHK’s “Okaasan to Issho” and later beloved in choral versions as well, it has continued to be cherished by many parents and children.
Why not become animals together with your child, move your arms and legs wide, and enjoy a moment full of smiles?
Get on the busSakushi/Sakkyoku: Taniguchi Kunihiro
Kunihiro Taniguchi’s rhythmic children’s song is brimming with charm, inviting listeners to vividly imagine the fun of riding in vehicles.
Set to a gently swaying melody, it’s a piece that lets you express with your whole body the bus’s rocking motion and the thrill of turning.
Released in May 2008 and later included in the September 2020 album “Teacher Ti’s Kids Love It! Play Songs,” the track has also been featured on NHK’s “Okaasan to Issho” and is frequently sung at nursery school and kindergarten events.
As a hand-play song that children can enjoy together, it’s a perfect choice for family bonding time and making memories.
Animal Exercises 1-2-3sakushi/sakkyoku: Abe Naomi
A charming exercise song that lets kids joyfully move their bodies, taking inspiration from animal gestures.
It starts with a gentle rhythm and is packed with ideas that naturally make children want to move—jumping together to the music, swinging their arms wide—while helping develop their motor skills.
It has frequently been featured on popular preschool TV shows like NHK Educational’s “Inai Inai Baa!” and “Okaasan to Issho,” and covers by various artists have also drawn attention.
Perfect not only for sports days and morning exercise time, but also for celebrating Children’s Day with the whole family.
Picnic Marchsakushi: Ide Takao / sakkyoku: Koshibe Nobuyoshi
A bright and cheerful march-style song born from the familiar NHK program “Okaasan to Issho.” It expresses the act of stepping forward while cheerfully addressing your right and left feet, through adorable lyrics and a rhythmic melody.
Created as an insert song for the puppet show “Niko Niko Pun,” which aired from 1982 to 1992, it featured the trio of Jajamaru, Pikkoro, and Porori singing and dancing—an image that left a deep impression on many children.
Thanks to its easy, movement-friendly appeal, it’s often sung at events like field trips and sports days and is widely used in early childhood education.
It’s a perfect song for a picnic in open fields that stirs the urge to run around, or for the season of meeting new friends.
Squeeze, squeeze, kashiwa mochi.Sakushi: Sakura Tomoko / Sakkyoku: Ozawa Tatsuyuki
An adorable children’s song that rhythmically depicts the fun of making kashiwa-mochi.
Its structure lets kids sing while doing hand-play motions, which naturally draws out their body movements and helps develop a sense of rhythm.
Featured in numerous early childhood education books—such as “Instant Hand-Play & Piano Accompaniment for Ages 0–2”—the song is widely used in kindergartens and nurseries.
Try singing it at home with your child while enjoying the hand-play.
And after the fun, how about some real kashiwa-mochi for a snack?
The Hill Where Mandarin Orange Blossoms BloomSakushi: Katō Shōgo / Sakkyoku: Kainuma Minoru
This beautiful children’s song, born in August 1946 shortly after the war, vividly depicts fresh scenes of nature and a poignant longing for a mother.
Hastily created the day before its NHK radio broadcast, the piece gently sings of a child’s pure feelings and warm love for their mother through the view from a seaside hill.
The depiction of a ship fading in the distance conveys a sense of unreachable loneliness, stirring a deeply moving emotion.
In 2003 it was used as the theme song for the TBS drama “Shin: Ten Made Todoke,” and in 1991 it was also featured in a Recruit commercial.
Embraced by warm light, this soothing song will continue to comfort and stay close to many hearts.