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 (11–20)
Story FingerSakushi: Kayama Yoshiko / Sakkyoku: Yuyama Akira
This is a heartwarming children’s song that you can enjoy while doing hand play.
By imagining your fingers as cute family members, it unfolds like a conversation between characters, so it’s great fun to sing while moving your fingers together with your child! Created by Yoshiko Kayama and Akira Yuyama, the piece was first introduced in February 1962 on the NHK radio program “Toddler Time,” and has been included on many classic recordings, such as the album “Children’s Songs by Age (2) Ages 1–2.” Its simple lyrics and melody are charming and perfect for parent-child bonding.
Widely loved as a staple hand-play song that’s hugely popular in kindergartens and nursery schools, it has also been featured on NHK’s “Okaasan to Issho.” The bright, cheerful melody makes it easy to sing and is sure to bring a smile to your child’s face.
The Hungry Tummy Songsakushi: sakata hiroo / sakkyoku: onaka megumi
This is a delightful children’s song by Hiroo Sakata (lyrics) and Megumi Oonaka (music) that humorously portrays hunger.
With a simple, friendly melody and lyrics that gently capture everyday moments of children, it’s a work that’s sure to bring a smile.
First released in 1960, it was performed by the Froebel Boys’ Choir when it aired on NHK’s “Minna no Uta” in 1962.
Loved for many years since, it was rebroadcast in July 2021.
It’s perfect for singing together as a family when you’re hungry or during snack time—smiles come naturally.
It’s also an ideal song for lunch during field trips or picnics.
Sing it together, and your mealtime will become an even more memorable, joyful moment.
Cute Hide and SeekSakushi: Satou Hachirou／Sakkyoku: Nakata Yoshinao
This is a gentle children’s song about a game of hide-and-seek played by adorable animals.
Hatchlings, sparrows, and puppies try their best to conceal themselves, warmly portrayed in the words of Hachirō Satō, with Yoshinao Nakada’s melody enhancing its charm even further.
First released in 1951, the piece has inspired children’s playfulness and curiosity toward animals.
The thrilling hide-and-seek unfolds in everyday scenes—gardens, rooftops, and meadows.
It’s perfect for singing with your child in fresh, green May, while thinking of the animals you might meet on a walk.
The rhythm of the lyrics and the friendly melody truly seem to express the joy of spring.
The Bento Bus SongSakushi / Sakkyoku: Shinju Mariko
This heartwarming song, written and composed by beloved children’s picture book author Mariko Shinju, depicts food items cheerfully boarding a bus.
Its rhythmic, catchy melody and lyrics that roll out ingredient names one after another create a lively atmosphere that makes you want to move your body.
Released in 2017 as part of King Records’ “Suku♪Iku” series, it also saw a new version by Icchi & Naru in 2025.
Widely used for hand-play activities in nurseries and kindergartens and as a tool for food education, this delightful track makes mealtimes more enjoyable—perfect for singing along while cooking in the kitchen or humming during lunchbox prep for a field trip.
Hey, Kaba-kun!sakushi: nakagawa itsuko / sakkyoku: nakagawa hirotaka
With its calm and gentle atmosphere, this song was released in April 2007 as a picture book with a CD, and together with illustrations by Hiroshi Abe, a former zookeeper at Asahiyama Zoo, it became a tune rooted in children’s daily lives.
Created by Hirotaka Nakagawa and Itsuko Nakagawa, the work also encourages children’s curiosity about animals through its focus on hippos.
It was featured on the TV program Hirake! Ponkikki and has long been loved by many children.
Its relaxed tempo and melody perfectly match the laid-back image of hippos, making it great for singing along with your child.
Why not hum it happily on a spring field trip or during a visit to the zoo?
What color do you like?Sakushi: Sakata Osamu / Sakkyoku: Inui Yuki
With its bright, rhythmic melody and friendly lyrics, this heartwarming song helps nurture children’s sense of color.
The gentle voices of Osamu Sakata and Yuko Kanzaki lead listeners into a world of colors like red, blue, yellow, and green.
Released by Victor Entertainment in June 1992, it was featured as the Song of the Month for June and July on NHK’s “Okaasan to Issho.” Filled with a soothing melody and elements that make learning color names fun, it’s perfect for singing together with friends and family during walks or outdoor playtime.
It’s also a great pick for spring, when fresh greenery shines, as a way to spark interest in the colors all around us.
Nursery rhymes and fingerplay songs to enjoy in May! Perfect songs for the fresh green season (21–30)
Playing bus (pretend bus play)Sakushi: Kayama Yoshiko / Sakkyoku: Yuyama Akira
This lively children’s song by Yoshiko Kayama and Akira Yuyama captures the excitement of setting off on a trip in a big bus.
Set to a rhythmic melody, it gently portrays children enjoying pretend play with vehicles.
It’s a song you can sing while moving your hands and body, so it naturally brings smiles to children’s faces.
Long cherished in childcare and educational settings, it’s also used as a play song.
With spring outing season approaching, why not sing it together as a family before a walk or a day out? If everyone enjoys it while keeping the beat, it will surely create wonderful memories in children’s hearts.