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!
Playlist
| Nursery rhymes and fingerplay songs to enjoy in May! Songs perfect for the fresh green season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| show_chart | Title | Playlist | Review |
| 1 | Zebra SwirlSakushi: Endou Kouzou / Sakkyoku: Inui Hiroki |  play_arrow | A hand-clapping song about taking a zebra’s stripes off and turning it into another animal |
| 2 | Caro’s eyeballwarabeuta |  play_arrow | A fun children’s song with a frog theme |
| 3 | Which child is a good child?warabeuta |  play_arrow | Choosing who’s “it” with a children’s song |
| 4 | A bamboo shoot has sprouted.warabeuta asobi |  play_arrow | Expressing bamboo shoot growth with a hand play |
| 5 | skylark skylarkwarabeuta asobi |  play_arrow | A children’s hand-clapping game/song themed around spring birds |
| 6 | Song of a little birdSakushi: Yoda Jun’ichi / Sakkyoku: Akutagawa Yasushi |  play_arrow | Sing together as a parent and child with nursery rhymes depicting May birds |
| 7 | School of MedakaSakushi: Chaki Shigeru / Sakkyoku: Nakata Yoshinao |  play_arrow | Medaka no Gakkō is a May children’s song |
| 8 | I want to scribble on the sky.sakushi: Yamagami Michio / sakkyoku: Izumi Taku |  play_arrow | A children's song that nurtures dreams in the season when fresh green shines |
| 9 | strollSakushi: Nakagawa Rieko / Sakkyoku Hisaishi Joe |  play_arrow | Enjoy a May stroll with the Totoro song |
| 10 | Let’s go to the park.Sakushi/Sakkyoku: Sakata Osamu |  play_arrow | A warm spring song that transcends generations |
| 11 | The Turtle’s ExcursionSakushi: Shinzawa Toshihiko / Sakkyoku: Nakagawa Hirotaka |  play_arrow | Soothe your heart with the laid-back turtle song |
| 12 | A strawberry is a strawberry.Sakushi: Kotaki Kiyomi / Sakkyoku: Fujita Taishi |  play_arrow | An enchanting track from NHK’s popular children’s songs |
| 13 | Mr. Ant on an errandsakushi: Sekine Eiichi / sakkyoku: Dan Ikuma |  play_arrow | A nostalgic children's song about a line of ants |
| 14 | The Bento Box SongSakushi: Kayama Yoshiko / Sakkyoku: Kobayashi Akihiro |  play_arrow | The Bento Box Song, a beloved classic among children |
| 15 | Story FingerSakushi: Kayama Yoshiko / Sakkyoku: Yuyama Akira |  play_arrow | A heartwarming nursery rhyme to enjoy with finger puppets |
| 16 | The Hungry Tummy Songsakushi: sakata hiroo / sakkyoku: onaka megumi |  play_arrow | The charm of a fun children's song that depicts hunger |
| 17 | Cute Hide and SeekSakushi: Satou Hachirou／Sakkyoku: Nakata Yoshinao |  play_arrow | A nursery rhyme about animals playing hide-and-seek |
| 18 | The Bento Bus SongSakushi / Sakkyoku: Shinju Mariko |  play_arrow | Ingredient Bus, a song loved by children with a fun tune |
| 19 | Hey, Kaba-kun!sakushi: nakagawa itsuko / sakkyoku: nakagawa hirotaka |  play_arrow | The charm of animals for children through hippopotamus songs |
| 20 | What color do you like?Sakushi: Sakata Osamu / Sakkyoku: Inui Yuki |  play_arrow | The charm of children’s songs that sing about the world of colors |
| 21 | Playing bus (pretend bus play)Sakushi: Kayama Yoshiko / Sakkyoku: Yuyama Akira |  play_arrow | A nursery rhyme about the excitement of riding a bus |
| 22 | ladybugSakushi: Shimizu Aki / Sakkyoku: Kobayashi Tsuyae |  play_arrow | A ladybug nursery rhyme, perfect to sing in spring |
| 23 | Roly-poly pill bugSakushi / Sakkyoku: Shinzawa Toshihiko |  play_arrow | A cute hand-play song for little creatures |
| 24 | Mr. ElephantSakushi: Mado Michio / Sakkyoku: Dan Ikuma |  play_arrow | A heartwarming nursery rhyme that sings of the love between parent and child |
| 25 | Happy ChildrenSakushi: Shinzawa Toshihiko / Sakkyoku: Nakagawa Hirotaka |  play_arrow | A heartwarming song that sings of children’s smiles and innocence |
| 26 | Raise the carp streamers.gaagaaS |  play_arrow | Hand play experience with the Koinobori raising song |
| 27 | dandelionwarabeuta asobi |  play_arrow | A nursery rhyme for parents and children to enjoy with dandelion fluff play |
| 28 | cream stewSakushi: Abe Megumi / Sakkyoku: Nakagori Toshihiko |  play_arrow | Perfect for food education with cooking fingerplay songs |
| 29 | All set and ready to go!nagata maya/hanada yuuichirou |  play_arrow | A children’s song that makes getting ready fun |
| 30 | yomogi-jōbu nowarabeuta asobi |  play_arrow | Children’s song games for Boys’ Day (Tango no Sekku) |
| 31 | Close It, Open Itsakushisha fushou |  play_arrow | The hand-play song was composed by Rousseau and spread in Japan. |
| 32 | Mysterious PocketSakushi: Mado Michio / Sakkyoku: Watanabe Shigeru |  play_arrow | A nursery rhyme where tapping your pocket makes the candy increase |
| 33 | Number SongSakushi: Yume Niji Ni / Sakkyoku: Kotani Hajime |  play_arrow | A song that sings by likening numbers to shapes |
| 34 | What color do you like?Sakushi: Sakata Osamu / Sakkyoku: Inui Yuki |  play_arrow | A famous song that celebrates the joy of choosing colors with crayons |
| 35 | Panda Rabbit Koalasakushi: takada hiroo / sakkyoku: inui hiroki |  play_arrow | Introduction to songs featuring animals |
| 36 | The Hungry Tummy Songsakushi: sakata hiroo / sakkyoku: onaka megumi |  | A nursery rhyme depicting the state of hungry children |
| 37 | Cradle SongSakushi: Kitahara Hakushū / Sakkyoku: Kusakawa Shin |  play_arrow | Gentle Lullaby Cradle for Mother’s Day |
| 38 | Happy Children’s DaySakushi: Maki Fusayu / Sakkyoku: Hara Kenichi |  play_arrow | A Ministry of Education shoka (school song) themed around Children's Day |
| 39 | Height comparisonSakushi: Umino Atsushi / Sakkyoku: Nakayama Shinpei |  play_arrow | A children's song depicting the customs of the Boys' Festival (Tango no Sekku) |
| 40 | Tea PickingMonbushō shōka |  play_arrow | Chatsumi is a Ministry of Education shoka (school song) from 1912. |
| 41 | carp streamerSakushi: Kondō Miyako / Sakkyoku: Fumei |  play_arrow | A children's song about a family of carp streamers |
| 42 | Stroll MarchSakushi/Sakkyoku: Tsujibayashi Miho |  play_arrow | Outdoor play in spring is fun, and the walking march is popular. |
| 43 | Tan-go Festivalsakushi/sakkyoku: ichigokurabu |  play_arrow | A children's song that celebrates a child's growth during the Tango no Sekku (Boys' Festival) |
| 44 | motherSakushi: Tanaka Nana / Sakkyoku: Nakada Yoshinao |  play_arrow | Gratitude to my mother and the importance of housework |
| 45 | The Very Hungry CaterpillarGensaku: Erikku Karu / Yakushi: Mori Hisashi / Sakkyoku: Shinzawa Toshihiko |  play_arrow | The song and picture book of The Very Hungry Caterpillar |
| 46 | Summer has comeSakushi: Sasaki Nobutsuna / Sakkyoku: Koyama Sakunosuke |  play_arrow | A song that depicts the early-summer scenery of May and the arrival of summer |
| 47 | PicnicYakushi: Hagiwara Eiichi / Sakkyoku: Igirisu min’yō |  play_arrow | Introducing the origins and appeal of the picnic song |
| 48 | Koinobori Swimming Through Space!machi akari |  play_arrow | A fun parody song about carp streamers swimming through space |
| 49 | Warm and leisurely strollingSakushi: Sakata Hiroo / Sakkyoku: Komori Akihiro |  play_arrow | Let's enjoy a warm, leisurely walk. |
| 50 | Fruit TarōSakushi: Okuhara Yume / Sakkyoku: Bearuguraundo |  play_arrow | Move your body with Fruit Taro |
| 51 | soap bubbleSakushi: Noguchi Ujō / Sakkyoku: Nakayama Shinpei |  play_arrow | A children's song, fitting for early summer, that expresses a pure wish toward soap bubbles. |
| 52 | On the busSakushi sakkyoku: Taniguchi Kunihiro |  play_arrow | Hand play songs to make bus rides fun |
| 53 | Oh, the pastures are greenLyrics: Czechoslovak folk song · Ugo Nakada / Composition: Czechoslovak folk song |  play_arrow | A folk song sung in the verdant month of May |
| 54 | The Hill Where Mandarin Orange Blossoms BloomSakushi: Katō Shōgo / Sakkyoku: Kainuma Minoru |  play_arrow | Mikan blossoms bloom in May |
| 55 | TulipSakushi: Kondo Miyako / Sakkyoku: Inoue Takeshi |  play_arrow | About the tulip song and flowers. They bloom in spring and come in nine colors. |
| 56 | Koi in the pondMonbushō shōka |  play_arrow | The fun of playing with carp streamers and koi in a pond |
| 57 | The skylark sings.Sakushi: Azuma Kume / Sakkyoku: Taki Rentaro |  play_arrow | Searching for a skylark in a children's song depicting a spring scene |
| 58 | Tea Pickingsakushi sakkyoku: fushō |  play_arrow | Early Summer’s New Tea Season and the Eighty-Eighth Night |
| 59 | A-I-U-E-O nigirisakushi/sakkyoku: shuu saeko |  play_arrow | Singing about the joy of making rice balls and the bonds of family |
| 60 | Let’s go to the zoo.Sakushi: Umino Yōji / Sakkyoku: T. Paxton |  play_arrow | A fun song for a field trip to the zoo |
| 61 | Watermelon-producing regionsakushi: takada sankuzou/genkyoku: amerika min’yō |  | A song with Japanese lyrics of Old McDonald’s farm |
| 62 | cherry |  play_arrow | A hand-play song themed around cherries |
| 63 | Applause for you!sakushi: aritarou/sakkyoku: masuda tarou |  play_arrow | A healing song that conveys gratitude and support through applause |
| 64 | Song of a little birdsakushi: Yoda Jun’ichi / sakkyoku: Akutagawa Yasushi |  play_arrow | An adorable nursery rhyme of a little bird calling out to its parent. |
| 65 | Bamboo shoots are sprouting.warabeuta |  play_arrow | Warm children's hearts with spring hand-play songs |
| 66 | lazyboneswarabe uta |  play_arrow | Celebrate the arrival of spring with a horsetail (tsukushi) children's song |
| 67 | one bamboo shootwarabe uta |  play_arrow | A spring children’s song: playing the roles of the demon and the bamboo shoot. |
| 68 | Churippu sharippuwarabe uta |  play_arrow | Connecting children's hearts through nursery rhymes |
| 69 | Opened, openedwarabe uta |  play_arrow | A spring children's song, singing of nature and tradition |
| 70 | If you’re happy and you know it, clap your handsAmerika min’yō (sakushi: Kimura Toshihito) |  play_arrow | A hand-clapping song filled with peace and friendship: 'Ue o Muite Arukou' (Sukiyaki) |
| 71 | What color do you like?Sakushi/Sakkyoku: Sakata Osamu |  play_arrow | A song to nurture children's sensibility through colors |
| 72 | Piglet-raccoon dog-fox-catSakushi/Sakkyoku: Yamamoto Naozumi |  play_arrow | Let's have fun with Naosumi Yamamoto's hand-play nursery rhymes |
| 73 | Get on the busSakushi/Sakkyoku: Taniguchi Kunihiro |  play_arrow | The charm of a nursery rhyme that delights in the bus’s jostling |
| 74 | Animal Exercises 1-2-3sakushi/sakkyoku: Abe Naomi |  play_arrow | A fun kids’ exercise song with animal movements |
| 75 | Picnic Marchsakushi: Ide Takao / sakkyoku: Koshibe Nobuyoshi |  play_arrow | A song from an NHK children’s program that’s popular at events like sports days |
| 76 | Squeeze, squeeze, kashiwa mochi.Sakushi: Sakura Tomoko / Sakkyoku: Ozawa Tatsuyuki |  play_arrow | Enjoying with children using the Kashiwa-mochi hand-play song |
| 77 | The Hill Where Mandarin Orange Blossoms BloomSakushi: Katō Shōgo / Sakkyoku: Kainuma Minoru |  play_arrow | A postwar children’s song depicting feelings toward one’s mother |
| 78 | rainbowSakushi: Shinzawa Toshihiko / Sakkyoku: Nakagawa Hirotaka |  play_arrow | A gem of a song that sings of hope with a rainbow theme |
| 79 | soap bubbleSakushi: Noguchi Ujō / Sakkyoku: Nakayama Shinpei |  play_arrow | A beloved classic with a gentle melody is still cherished today |
| 80 | dandelionSakushi: Kadokura Satoshi / Sakkyoku: Horikoshi Kiyoshi |  play_arrow | Dandelion, a classic that sings of hope and strength |
| 81 | Picnicdeguchi takashi |  play_arrow | Takashi Deguchi’s Field Picnic Hand-Play Song |
| 82 | Dog PolicemanSakushi: Satō Yoshimi / Sakkyoku: Ōnaka Megumi |  play_arrow | A nursery rhyme story of a lost kitten and a police dog |
| 83 | Toy Cha-Cha-ChaSakushi: Nosaka Akiyuki / Sakkyoku: Koshibe Nobuyoshi |  play_arrow | A toy song was remade into a nursery rhyme. |
| 84 | koinobori (carp streamers)sakushi: fushō / sakkyoku: Hirota Ryūtarō |  | The song of carp streamers that symbolizes Children's Day |
| 85 | cuckooDoitsu min’yō |  play_arrow | A nursery rhyme from the German-speaking world; there are multiple versions of the Japanese lyrics. |
| 86 | A caterpillar |  play_arrow | Children fascinated by bugs in a springtime park |
| 87 | one bamboo shootwarabe uta |  play_arrow | A tag game of pulling up bamboo shoots |
| 88 | To the Sun in the Palm of Your HandSakushi: Yanase Takashi / Sakkyoku: Izumi Taku |  play_arrow | Lyrics by Takashi Yanase, a classic loved by many generations |
| 89 | Let’s draw a picture in the blue sky.Sakushi: Kazumi Kazuki / Sakkyoku: Hajime Kamishiba |  play_arrow | The Appeal of Songs That Nurture Children's Dreams and Hopes |
| 90 | Bamboo Shoot ExercisesSakushi: Nakazawa Yoshihiro / Sakkyoku: Koshibe Nobuyoshi |  play_arrow | Supporting children's growth through fun gymnastics |
| 91 | tea pickingbunkashō shōka |  play_arrow | A masterpiece portraying Japan’s traditional culture and natural beauty |
| 92 | a big drumSakushi: Kobayashi Junichi / Sakkyoku: Nakada Yoshinao |  play_arrow | How to sing a children's song that enjoys the sound of drums |
| 93 | scarecrowMonbushō shōka |  play_arrow | A song from the Meiji era themed around a scarecrow |
| 94 | shoulder tapSakushi: Saijō Yaso / Sakkyoku: Nakayama Shinpei |  play_arrow | Let's give a shoulder massage on Mother's Day. |
| 95 | Me wearing armorSakushi/Sakkyoku: pasu |  play_arrow | New children's song about armor and helmets |
| 96 | rice plantingSakushi: Inoue Takeru / Sakkyoku: Nakayama Shinpei |  play_arrow | A Ministry of Education song from 1942 (Showa 17). A song that portrays a time when rice was precious. |
| 97 | KintaroSakushi: Ishihara Wasaburō / Sakkyoku: Tamura Torazō |  play_arrow | A Ministry of Education song that sings of Kintarō’s figure |
| 98 | Song of MaySakkyoku: Mōtsaruto / Sakushi: Aoyagi Zengo |  play_arrow | Spring Song composed by Mozart |