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)
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.
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your handsAmerika min’yō (sakushi: Kimura Toshihito)
Beloved for many years as a hand-play song, this piece was born in 1959, inspired by YMCA work camp activities in the Philippines.
Its warm melody carries wishes for peace and friendship, and its lyrics charmingly express happiness with the whole body.
In May 1964, Kyu Sakamoto recorded the song, achieving an astonishing 700,000 in sales.
It was chosen as the entry march for the opening ceremony of the 37th National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament in 1965, and in 2007 it was selected for the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ “100 Best Songs of Japan.” Despite its simple structure, it is used in childcare and educational settings as a participatory piece that can be enjoyed while moving the body, with hand claps, foot stomps, and more.
Picnicdeguchi takashi
A song that gently portrays the fun of a picnic in a meadow and warm interactions with flowers and insects, highlighted by Takashi Deguchi’s uniquely soothing vocals.
Released on an album in November 2022, it was also featured on a children’s educational TV program.
Perfect as a fingerplay song for singing and dancing with kids—ideal for activities at daycare and kindergarten, as well as family bonding time.
Since numbers appear in the lyrics, it’s also great for practicing counting!
Tea Pickingsakushi sakkyoku: fushō
Early summer is the season for shincha (new tea).
When I pass by a tea shop, the wonderful aroma draws me in, and I end up buying fresh tea without thinking.
The “Eighty-Eighth Night,” which is also mentioned in songs as the ideal time for picking tea leaves, is the 88th day counting from the first day of spring on the traditional calendar, and it usually falls on May 1st or 2nd.
Because the number eight (a symbol of prosperity) appears twice, it’s also considered an auspicious day.
Everyone can hum the song “Chatsumi” (Tea Picking), but isn’t it strange how the lyrics in the latter half often get fuzzy? This year, let’s learn the first and second verses with the children and sing them proudly on Children’s Day.
Churippu sharippuwarabe uta
Simple yet profound, this nursery rhyme captivates children’s hearts.
The part where everyone stands in a circle and calls each other’s names is perfect for nurturing communication skills and social development.
Its rhythmic lyrics and melody are fun and easy to memorize.
In preschools and kindergartens, it’s also used as an icebreaker to ease the nerves of new children.
At home, singing and playing it together as a family can make for a delightful time.
It can be enjoyed from infancy.
When the spring weather invites you outdoors, why not form a circle and sing it together?
Opened, openedwarabe uta
Long beloved as a traditional Japanese children’s song, this piece enchants with lyrics that evoke the arrival of spring.
Children enjoy joining hands to form a circle and act out flowers opening and closing.
Despite its simple words and melody, it embodies Japanese views of nature and impermanence, giving it profound appeal.
It is often sung in kindergartens and nursery schools, contributing to children’s emotional development.
Passed down since the Edo period, this song is recommended for those who want to feel the spring season or experience traditional Japanese culture.
Why not sing it with your child and enjoy the coming of spring together?
Song of a little birdsakushi: Yoda Jun’ichi / sakkyoku: Akutagawa Yasushi
This charming children’s song features a bright, light melody and adorable onomatopoeia that evokes birds chirping.
Depicting a little bird gently calling for its mother and father, it was released in 1954, and its tender lyrics expressing love for parents have warmed hearts across generations.
Many people likely sang it in nursery school or kindergarten when they were young.
In educational settings, it is often sung during May’s Bird Week.
It’s a perfect song for families to enjoy together with hand-play actions.