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!
- [Songs for May] Tracks that suit fresh greenery and driving & Mother's Day songs
- Nursery rhymes to sing in spring: a collection of classic songs you'll want to sing with your children
- Songs to Listen to on Children’s Day | A Curated Selection of Music for Tango no Sekku!
- [Children’s Day Hand-Play Songs] A Collection of Nursery Rhymes & Traditional Children’s Songs for Parents and Kids to Enjoy Together
- [For Seniors] A collection of nostalgic classics to sing in May: popular songs everyone can hum together
- Songs for an Unwinding Heart in May: From Showa-Era Classics to Recent Hit Singles
- [Children’s Songs for June] Fun finger-play songs and traditional nursery rhymes perfect for the rainy season
- [Karaoke Songs for May] A list of classic tracks that capture the lingering spirit of spring and the arrival of early summer
- Blow away the May blues! Cheer songs and feel-good tunes to listen to in May
- March nursery rhymes & hand play songs! Spring songs you can enjoy with your kids
- [For Seniors] Spring Songs You'll Want to Hum: Feel the Season with Nostalgic Classics
- Spring songs from the early Showa era: a collection of kayōkyoku and shōka that evoke spring
- [Hand Play] Popular with kids! A collection of trendy hand-play songs and nostalgic traditional children’s songs
Nursery rhymes and fingerplay songs to enjoy in May! Perfect songs for the fresh green season (21–30)
ladybugSakushi: Shimizu Aki / Sakkyoku: Kobayashi Tsuyae
A children’s song lovingly sung by Aki Shimizu and Tsuyae Kobayashi about a small red insect.
Set to a bright, lighthearted melody, it gently portrays the charming creature with its red body and distinctive black spots.
The song is included on the albums “Kodomo no Uta 200,” “Let’s Sing About Nature!,” and in the 1981 publication “Minna no Uta: 86 Songs,” and has long been beloved by many children.
With its friendly tune, it’s the kind of song you’ll find yourself humming on a leisurely spring day while out for a stroll.
It’s perfect not only for music activities in nurseries and kindergartens, but also for families to enjoy together while experiencing the nature of spring.
Roly-poly pill bugSakushi / Sakkyoku: Shinzawa Toshihiko
A fingerplay song that gently portrays the cute looks and movements of small creatures was created by Toshihiko Shinzawa.
With warm lyrics and melody, it depicts encounters with the little creatures often seen in nature, making it an engaging piece that stimulates children’s curiosity.
Featured on NHK’s “Okaasan to Issho” in December 2024, this work includes creative elements that let children enjoy expressing the adorable behaviors of animals through hand motions.
It can be used in kindergartens and preschools, and also serves as a tool for parents and children to bond while fostering an interest in nature.
With soothing lyrics and an approachable tune, it’s a perfect song for making happy memories during walks and outdoor play.
Mr. ElephantSakushi: Mado Michio / Sakkyoku: Dan Ikuma
Born from the collaboration of Michio Mado and Ikuma Dan, this song—portraying a warm bond between parent and child—was first broadcast on NHK Radio in May 1952.
Characterized by a gentle triple-time melody and heartwarming lyrics that cherish one’s individuality, it has been featured in many educational and children’s TV programs and is loved across generations.
The May 2007 version by Satoko Yamano and the Morinoki Children’s Choir remains one of the most beloved recordings.
With a melody that nestles close to the heart like a gentle spring breeze, it’s perfect for parents and children to hum together.
In the fresh green season, singing it while out for a walk will make for even more delightful memories.
Happy ChildrenSakushi: Shinzawa Toshihiko / Sakkyoku: Nakagawa Hirotaka
This heartwarming piece by Toshihiko Shinzawa and Hirotaka Nakagawa gently sings of the mysterious power of children’s smiles and pure hearts.
Set to a bright, lighthearted melody, it portrays how being with children naturally fills us with happiness, kindling a warm light in the listener’s heart.
It is included on albums such as “How Softly the Heart Warms: Children’s Songs Grown-ups Love, Too.” In April 2024, Daisuke Yokoyama released a cover, and the song continues to be cherished across generations.
Perfect for childcare and educational settings or joyful moments with family, it’s a song everyone can sing together to share smiles—why not give it a listen?
Raise the carp streamers.NEW!gaagaaS
When we think of Children’s Day, we picture carp streamers swimming in the sky—but did you know there’s a song that lets you experience that through a hand-play activity? GaagaaS’s “Koinobori Ageyo” is a participatory song where you enjoy the motion of hoisting a carp streamer by pulling a string.
There’s a staged mishap in the middle where you let go and it falls, followed by a dramatic turn as you try again and succeed—something that always gets kids laughing.
Released as a video in March 2023, the piece has become a beloved staple that livens up seasonal events at nursery schools and kindergartens.
True to the unit known for providing music to NHK Educational TV and Molly Fantasy, it’s full of ideas parents and children can play along with right away.
Even if you “fail,” everyone will be shouting “One more time!”—so give it a try at home too.
dandelionNEW!warabeuta asobi
If you spot fluffy dandelion seeds floating on the spring breeze, here’s a traditional children’s song-and-game you’ll want to enjoy together as a parent and child! Its charm lies in how simply it expresses sending the fluffy seeds far away through rhythm and movement.
You can pretend to blow with a long “fuu,” flutter your hands and become the drifting seeds yourself, using your whole body to play.
This folk song has long been loved in places like Gunma Prefecture, and it continues to be cherished today—introduced in a video in April 2022 as part of efforts to connect nursery school play with activities at home.
With scarves or fabric, you can create a magical, floating-seed atmosphere even indoors! Try it not only when you find real dandelion seeds at the park, but also as a cozy, hands-on activity at home.
cream stewNEW!Sakushi: Abe Megumi / Sakkyoku: Nakagori Toshihiko
When it comes to hand-play songs that make the process of cooking something delicious fun, this is the one! You can use your whole body to show preparing ingredients, stir-frying, and simmering, so kids are sure to love it.
Written by Megumi Abe and composed by Toshihiko Nakagōri, this piece is perfect for a bit of food education or a quick activity before school lunch, helping children learn vegetable names and mimic cooking movements.
Since being included in Abe’s book “Teasobi Uta Asobi,” published in June 1998, it has been cherished for many years in early childhood education settings.
If everyone pretends to cook together and then strikes a finishing pose at the end, you can share a sense of accomplishment.
How about enjoying a make-believe delicious stew with family and friends while feeling the refreshing May breeze?