[Children's Songs] Cute songs recommended for childcare. List of popular nursery rhymes.
Kids love to sing!
Singing is a form of exercise, nurtures interest in language, and helps develop expressiveness and a sense of rhythm.
It’s also said that singing releases “happy hormones,” making it effective for relieving stress.
Bring plenty of music into daily life and sing freely together with your children.
This time, we’re introducing popular children’s songs we’d love you to sing and play with your kids!
We’ve collected everything from classic nursery rhymes passed down through the years to the latest hit songs.
You can search songs by category—animals, vehicles, food, and more—so you’re sure to find the perfect tune for your children.
If you add simple choreography or hand-play motions as well as singing, the kids will be thrilled!
Be sure to explore a variety of nursery rhymes and enjoy happy times with your children!
- [Childcare] Fun Songs for 2-Year-Olds to Sing! Recommended Song Collection
- Recommended for preschool recitals! Choral songs that 3-year-olds can adorably sing
- Get pumped with kids’ favorite songs! A memorable collection of classics that will make you want to sing along
- Choral songs that captivate 4-year-olds! A collection of heartfelt song ideas for junior kindergarten recitals
- Popular Songs Ranking for Toddlers
- Nursery rhymes to sing to your baby! Recommended songs enjoyable from 0 months
- [Hand Play] Popular with kids! A collection of trendy hand-play songs and nostalgic traditional children’s songs
- [For 1-year-olds] Fun Together! Recommended Songs and Hand Play Collection
- Get pumped with popular songs from “Okaasan to Issho”! A collection of timeless tunes everyone will want to sing together
- Ranking of Popular Children's Songs [2026]
- Childcare: Today's recommended fun songs
- [For 4-year-olds] Popular and classic songs to sing at recitals and seasonal events
- Fun to dance! A collection of dance songs for young children, recommended for childcare and sports day
The Food Song (1–10)
Song of DropsNEW!NEUTRINO
Drops of all colors are said to be made from the tears of God—an image brimming with gentle, romantic imagination—in the song “Drops no Uta.” Since it was featured on an NHK TV program in October 1963, it has long been loved as one of Japan’s representative children’s songs.
Recently, a cover version using the NEUTRINO vocal synthesis software has also drawn attention.
With its bright, lively melody and fun lyrics that introduce a variety of flavors and colors, it’s easy for three-year-olds to picture the scenes, making it perfect for choral performances at recitals.
For parents as well, it’s a wonderful time where fond memories overlap with the adorable sight of the children.
By all means, let everyone raise their voices together and sing it out with energy.
Ghost PancakesTokyo Haiji
There are many nursery rhymes about ghosts, but this one is interesting for its unique idea of ghosts making pancakes.
It starts off with a somewhat eerie tone, but turns cheerful partway through.
Listening to it makes you crave pancakes!
My Mixed JuiceShibuya Takeshi
It’s a song that says if you put everything in a blender, make a mixed juice, and drink it, something wonderful might happen today.
The childlike imagination in the lyrics is very cute.
If we sing this song, we might even be able to sneak in a vegetable mixed juice and they’ll drink it!
tomatoDaichi Omi
There are quite a few children’s songs that feature tomatoes, and perhaps their popularity comes from the cuteness of the name and the fact that it reads the same from top to bottom and bottom to top.
This particular song has lyrics by Takeshi Shoji and music by Megumi Oonaka.
It’s a nursery rhyme that charmingly personifies tomatoes—for example, saying they wear blue clothes when they’re children, but change into red clothes when they grow up.
Shopping at the bakeryozawa tatsuyuki
Bread that everyone loves.
Since this is a song about bread, just listening to it will make you want to eat some.
Be especially careful when you’re hungry.
Also, when singing, it can be fun to swap in the names of your favorite breads.
If you sing along with your children while eating, it might even help with food education.
Because it’s a song themed around a familiar food, it feels approachable and is easy to remember—that’s another plus.
By the way, my stomach growled while I was writing this.
I want to go to a bakery.
The Bento Box Song
A children’s song about making a bento.
Many of you probably remember it well, right? The ingredients that appear are rice balls and ginger, carrots, cherries, burdock root, butterbur, and shiitake mushrooms.
You can’t help but wish at least for a rolled omelet to be included.
Actually, there’s also a modern version of the song.
And what goes in it is—believe it or not—a sandwich.
It definitely feels tailored to the present day.
Still, the side dishes in that one are plain too…
By the way, both versions are popular as hand-play songs, and regardless of the side dishes, it’s still a favorite among children today!
The Curry Rice SongMineharu
It’s a simple song that introduces how to make curry.
It follows the basic steps: sauté the ingredients, simmer them, then add the roux—so even if you’ve never made curry before, try cooking along as you listen.
It’s also fun to make curry with your kids while playing this song.
Personally, I only just learned about adding pepper at the very end, so I’d like to try that next time.
By the way, the part that says “pork” can be swapped for chicken or beef, so sometimes it’s sung as “meat.” Be warned: if you listen while you’re hungry, it might really get your stomach rumbling.