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)
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?
rainbowSakushi: Shinzawa Toshihiko / Sakkyoku: Nakagawa Hirotaka
A gem of a song by Toshihiko Shinzawa and Hirotaka Nakagawa, it gently sings of hopeful expectations for tomorrow, themed around meeting a seven-colored rainbow in the garden after the rain.
Since its release in 1990, it has been loved by many for its lyrics that depict small everyday joys and its warm melody.
In 2020, it was featured as the commercial song for Kao’s “Attack ZERO,” revealing new charm alongside striking visuals starring Tori Matsuzaka and others.
It’s a tune you’ll want the whole family to hum together, especially when you’re feeling down.
soap bubbleSakushi: Noguchi Ujō / Sakkyoku: Nakayama Shinpei
A classic adorned with a gentle melody that resonates in children’s hearts and lyrics that are fragile yet beautiful.
Created hand in hand by Ujo Noguchi and Shinpei Nakayama, this work left a profound mark on the history of Japanese children’s songs and continues to be loved by many today.
In a 2003 survey conducted by the NPO “Japan Doyo Association,” it was ranked ninth among favorite children’s songs and was also selected for the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ “100 Best Songs of Japan.” At Yumoto Station in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, it is even used as the departure melody.
Why not enjoy a hand-play game while singing it with your child on Children’s Day? You’re sure to have a heartwarming time.
dandelionSakushi: Kadokura Satoshi / Sakkyoku: Horikoshi Kiyoshi
Here is a song themed around the dandelion, a flower that heralds the arrival of spring.
Its lyrics are striking, overlaying the sight of the dandelion blooming robustly even in harsh conditions with people’s strength to live and their hopes.
Since its release in 1976, it has spread nationwide through the singing movement and has also been cherished as a labor struggle song.
In 2000 and 2002, it was included in elementary school music textbooks, becoming established as a choral piece featured in educational settings.
The melody, gentle yet powerful, is sure to resonate with many listeners.
It’s a recommended song when you want to feel the courage to face difficulties and the bonds between people.