Nursery rhymes and fingerplay songs to enjoy in May! Songs perfect for the fresh green season
May is the season when fresh green leaves shine brightly and playing outside becomes so much fun.
On walks, you can hear many little birds and feel the pleasant breeze, which lifts your spirits.
At times like that, why not spend the moment singing children’s songs that let you feel the joys of spring?
We’re introducing many songs—from ones that capture the comfortable feeling of May to tunes perfect for spring field trips and fun outings.
Let’s sing children’s songs that you can enjoy together with May’s nature—everyone with friends and family!
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Nursery rhymes and fingerplay songs to enjoy in May! Perfect songs for the fresh green season (31–40)
TulipSakushi: Kondo Miyako / Sakkyoku: Inoue Takeshi
This song is about tulips, a flower familiar as a symbol of spring.
Tulips are commonly seen from mid-April to around May, so this song is perfect for May! In addition to the classic colors mentioned in the lyrics, tulips are said to come in a total of nine colors, including purple, green, and black.
You might not find them easily around your neighborhood, but you may be able to see them at places like botanical gardens.
We recommend going for a stroll to look for tulips in unusual colors while singing “Tulip”!
Koi in the pondMonbushō shōka
When we think of Children’s Day in May, koinobori (carp streamers) come to mind, but the carp in this song are real carp living in a pond.
There are many kinds of carp, from the ones you might find in a park pond to vividly colored nishikigoi (koi).
The lyrics depict scenes of clapping to get their attention or tossing them ofu (wheat gluten feed) out of a desire to see and play with the carp.
Koinobori floating in the sky are wonderful, but it’s also lovely to sing along and play like this with real carp in nature!
Fruit TarōSakushi: Okuhara Yume / Sakkyoku: Bearuguraundo
Here’s an energetic song also featured on NHK’s popular children’s program “Okaasan to Issho”: “Kudamono Taro.” The lyrics are by Yume Okuhara, who is also active as a picture book and children’s story author.
Spotlighting Momotaro, the boy born from a peach, and coming up with “Kudamono Taro,” a boy born from fruit, is just the sort of approach you’d expect from a fairy-tale writer.
In the program, fruits like bananas and cherries appear in colorful costumes, shaking their hips and doing playful shoving games, making it impossible to look away.
It’s perfect for May and the start of a new school term, where every child can be the star no matter which fruit they play.
A highly recommended song you can enjoy while moving your body.
The skylark sings.Sakushi: Azuma Kume / Sakkyoku: Taki Rentaro
This song evokes the gentle atmosphere of spring and is truly perfect for the season around May.
The skylark mentioned in the title and lyrics is also said to be a bird that heralds spring.
Singing a song so full of spring might make you want to go look for skylarks or go see flowers that bloom in spring.
By the way, due to urbanization and the resulting decrease in green spaces like fields and meadows, skylarks have become difficult to spot nowadays.
It might be nice to try looking for them in a nature-rich place during Golden Week while singing this song.
Warm and leisurely strollingSakushi: Sakata Hiroo / Sakkyoku: Komori Akihiro
Warm, balmy May is the perfect season for a stroll, isn’t it? A song I recommend for such times is the children’s song “Poka Poka Teku Teku.” Its composer, Akihiro Komori, created many well-known children’s songs such as “Genkotsuyama no Tanuki-san” and “Obentō-bako no Uta.” This song describes marching along with friends on a sunny, beautiful day, swinging your arms and legs wide as you walk on and on.
Its poppy, lighthearted melody feels like it could keep your feet moving forever! It’s surprisingly fun to just wander endlessly with friends without deciding on a destination.
Be sure to sing this song and enjoy an unknown journey!
Nursery rhymes and fingerplay songs to enjoy in May! Perfect songs for the fresh green season (41–50)
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.
PicnicYakushi: Hagiwara Eiichi / Sakkyoku: Igirisu min’yō
With the warm, pleasant weather in May, it makes you want to pack a bento and head out for a picnic, doesn’t it? The perfect companion for such a fun picnic is the children’s song “Picnic.” This song, which depicts the cheerful walk toward a picnic at a ranch, is based on English and African American folk songs.
The scenes featuring ducks and goats at the ranch are especially fun, with parts where you imitate their calls! WANIMA’s song “Yatte Miyou,” which was featured in au’s Santaro commercial series and is based on the melody of this song, also became a hot topic!