Children’s Song Medley: A playlist of classic and popular hits everyone knows
Nursery songs that have been sung for generations.
Many of you may have had your grandmother or mother sing them to you when you were little, or sung them yourselves with gestures at kindergarten, daycare, or school.
In this article, we’ve picked out classic nursery songs, focusing on those that children still love today.
From timeless favorites that evoke nostalgia to relatively new songs that have recently become popular in early childhood settings, we’ll introduce a wide range.
Please enjoy this playlist of nursery songs that will bring back memories of your early years.
- Ranking of Popular Children's Songs [2026]
- Nostalgic Children’s Songs, Folk Songs, and Nursery Rhymes: The Heart of Japan Passed Down Through Song
- [Children's Songs] Cute songs recommended for childcare. List of popular nursery rhymes.
- Japanese Shoka, Children's Songs, and Nursery Rhymes | Timeless masterpieces that resonate in the heart, passed down across generations
- Let's sing together! A collection of nursery rhymes everyone knows
- [Elementary School Music] List of Popular and Nostalgic Songs That Have Appeared in Textbooks
- A children's song from a popular fairy tale
- Get pumped with kids’ favorite songs! A memorable collection of classics that will make you want to sing along
- Lullabies: children's songs, folk songs, and nursery rhymes. Nostalgic songs for putting children to sleep.
- [Japanese Children's Songs] Carefully selected timeless masterpieces loved across generations!
- Nursery rhymes you’ll want to sing at karaoke: classic and popular songs everyone can enjoy together.
- [Minna no Uta] Tear-jerking masterpiece. A moving song you want to hear again.
- Childcare: Today's recommended fun songs
[Children’s Song Medley] A Classic & Popular Hit Playlist Everyone Knows (1–10)
Mysterious PocketSakushi: Mado Michio / Sakkyoku: Watanabe Shigeru
This song tells a dreamlike story in which biscuits multiply every time you pat your pocket.
You may have heard it as a child and tried patting your own pocket over and over.
Written by the poet Michio Mado and composed by Shigeru Watanabe, it was introduced in a childcare magazine in September 1954 and has been cherished across generations ever since.
The cute choreography of patting your pocket with a pop-pop motion is part of its charm, and there are even stories of children actually putting biscuits in their pockets and crushing them to crumbs.
It’s an early childhood song that has been loved for many years.
rabbit
Many children have probably heard the story that on the night of the harvest moon, there’s a little rabbit pounding rice cakes up on the moon.
This folk song depicts the shining moon in the sky and a rabbit hopping as it gazes at it.
Said to have been sung since the Edo period, this work features a melody imbued with uniquely Japanese sentiment, and its lyrics were shaped into their current form from a 1941 school textbook.
Just as people rejoice at the beautiful full moon, the rabbit, too, must be brimming with happiness.
It’s also lovely to listen while gazing at the autumn night sky, with a plate of dumplings set out beside you.
Picnic
A classic song with an upbeat melody that livens up your trip on the go! It portrays heading out for a picnic, whistling as you go over the hills, and conveys the excitement you feel before the fun times to come.
The piece is based on songs like the African American folk tune “She’ll Be Coming ’Round the Mountain,” and became widely known in Japan after it was broadcast on NHK’s “Minna no Uta” in April 1962.
The part where animals appear and you imitate their sounds is also great fun to sing together like a call-and-response!
[Children’s Song Medley] A Playlist of Classic and Popular Favorites Everyone Knows (11–20)
Picnic Marchsakushi: Ide Takao / sakkyoku: Koshibe Nobuyoshi
A lively, energetic march that makes you look forward to walks and picnics! This piece, created by the golden duo of lyricist Takao Ide and composer Nobuyoshi Koshibe, is a beloved classic from NHK’s puppet show “Nikoniko, Pun.” The lyrics gently speak to your own feet, turning simple walking time into a special adventure that sparks children’s imaginations.
When you hear the buoyant marching rhythm, it feels like you’re parading across a field with everyone, doesn’t it? It’s the perfect track for pre-outing background music or for parent-child playtime.
Ho! Ho! Ho!Sakushi: Itō Akira / Sakkyoku: Koshibe Nobuyoshi
A piece marked by cheerful chants that make you want to join in without thinking.
The swaying, rocking rhythm is so much fun, isn’t it? This song has become a beloved staple of NHK’s “Okaasan to Issho,” with a recorded vocal version by Kurumi Kobato in August 1999.
It was also included on the album released in December of the same year, “NHK ‘Okaasan to Issho: 40 Years, 300 Songs.’” It’s a playful song that values the sound of the words more than their meaning.
Be sure to move your bodies together as a parent and child!
Playing bus (pretend bus play)Sakushi: Kayama Yoshiko / Sakkyoku: Yuyama Akira
You can just picture everyone pretending to be the driver or passengers and having fun going out on the bus together.
In time with the lyrics, kids naturally move from simply singing to pretend play—handing over imaginary tickets, swaying side to side as if looking at the scenery, and more.
This song has been passed down by various singers, including Miyuki Mori, and is included on the album “Nakayoshi Asobi Uta: Songs Sung in Nursery Schools and Kindergartens.” It’s perfect not only for making bus rides more enjoyable, but also as a play song for indoor activities.
Mr. ElephantSakushi: Mado Michio / Sakkyoku: Dan Ikuma
Born as a gentle children’s song depicting the warm bond between parent and child, this piece was first broadcast on NHK Radio in May 1952.
With its calm waltz-like 3/4 melody and heartwarming lyrics, it continues to be featured in educational and children’s TV programs today.
It’s easy to picture a parent and baby elephant nestled close together.
Like a mild spring breeze, the tender melody rests close to the heart—perfect for parents and children to hum together.
Sing it while taking a stroll, and it will become an even more delightful memory.