[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
- [Preschool] Recommended choral pieces for 3-year-olds
- 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 roundup of recommended dance songs for young children, perfect for daycare and sports days
Children’s Songs: Popular Nursery Rhymes (21–30)
Ho! Ho! Ho!Sakushi: Itō Akira / Sakkyoku: Koshibe Nobuyoshi
Despite its simple lyrics, “Ho! Ho! Ho!” is a delightful song with a bouncy melody and a smoothly flowing chorus.
In everyday life, children can feel down or sad at times.
But listening to this song somehow lifts their spirits.
The chorus is especially catchy and makes you want to sing along, so it’s highly recommended.
It’s also fun to sing and dance with simple gestures! Please enjoy it together with the children so they can have fun singing, too.
your smileHanada Yuuichirou, Nagata Maya
“Kimi no Egao” first appeared as the theme song for NHK’s “Okaasan to Issho,” broadcast in September 1985.
The song was written by Kazuki Takase (lyrics) and Yoshinori Tanaka (music).
It celebrates the brightness and happiness brought by children’s smiles, featuring a simple, warm melody.
With heartwarming lyrics perfect for a children’s program, it evokes the bond between parents and children.
It gently conveys a kindness that helps smiles spread naturally in everyday life.
Even today, it remains beloved by both children and adults.
Watch the CarnivalYokoyama Daisuke / Ono Atsuko
Let me introduce “Miteté Carnival,” a song that’s so fun it lifts your spirits just by listening! It aired in June 2024 on NHK’s “Okaasan to Issho.” The lyrics and music are by Takumi Murata, who is also the leader of the rock band “Carnavacation.” He creates music that fuses Brazilian sounds with pop, and he works on many songs for children as well.
For example, he wrote the September 2023 monthly song “Ninjin Engine Rocket” and the exercise song “Kao Taisou.” Through his music, Murata hopes to make the world as joyful as a carnival.
Be sure to sing along with your kids and make every day a little more fun!
Karada DandanSakushi: Yoshida Sensha / Sakkyoku: Kosugi Yasuo
The exercise song from NHK E-Tele’s “Okaasan to Issho,” called “Karada☆Dandan.” If your child goes to daycare or kindergarten, they probably already know it! In this song, you transform into all sorts of creatures like crabs, dinosaurs, and ninjas, making it a fun track to play while moving your body.
It might be a bit challenging for infants and toddlers, but children around preschool age should be able to dance through the whole thing.
It’s great for parents and kids to dance together, and it also works well for everyone to do as part of warm-up exercises!
Spring MeadowSakushi: Sakata Hiroo Sakkyoku: Ichikawa Toshiharu
This is a children’s song by poet-lyricist Hiroo Sakata and composer Toshiharu Ichikawa, a pioneer of educational music, depicting a foal galloping across a pasture.
It sings of a lively young horse running about in the spring breeze, with fresh grasses and flowers sprouting all around.
It has been included for many years in lower-grade music textbooks, featuring a comfortable vocal range and an easy-to-remember melody that thoughtfully draws out children’s natural singing voices.
It is featured in Educational Art Company’s elementary school music textbooks for the 2020 and 2024 school years, with accompanying teacher’s CDs and beginner piano scores available.
Expressing the vibrant feeling of spring through a bright, light rhythm, this piece is perfect for choral singing in early childhood settings as a new season begins, or for family sing-alongs at home.
If your child loves ranches or animals, try singing it together for fun!
Green light from the blue sky
Known as a song from “With Daddy,” “Blue-Sky Go Sign” is a lovely track that gives the impression that once you take the leap, there are wonderful days waiting under the blue sky.
The blue sky feels like the start of a fun time, doesn’t it? It’s a song that’s enjoyable just to sing, so how about singing it while keeping rhythm with castanets or a tambourine? It also works great as a dance number—with lively choreography, it’s perfect for events like sports days.
paprikaYonezu Kenshi
Paprika was written and composed by Kenshi Yonezu as the NHK 2020 support song.
After the dance music video by the children’s unit Foorin was released, Yonezu also announced his own self-cover.
It was chosen as the August–September song on NHK’s Minna no Uta, making it a hugely popular track known by many children.
It’s a fun song to sing or listen to, but since it has official choreography, be sure to try dancing along with your child.