Recommended children's songs and hand play songs for October! Music time in childcare that feels like autumn.
The season of children’s songs that warmly embrace the heart in October has arrived.
Crimson dragonflies at dusk, cosmos flowers, golden rice ready for harvest, and children going out to collect acorns and fallen leaves… Scenes that color autumn in Japan are beautifully depicted in the lyrics and melodies of these songs.
In this article, we introduce autumn children’s songs beloved in early childhood settings, as well as seasonal finger-play songs you can enjoy with kids.
Please sing these autumn songs—cherished across generations—together with your loved ones, children and adults alike!
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Recommended Nursery Rhymes & Fingerplay Songs for October! Autumn-Themed Music Time in Early Childhood Education (21–30)
Cute Hide and Seek
This is a song about chicks, sparrows, and koi playing hide-and-seek.
Everyone tries to hide, but some part of their body sticks out and gives them away.
Many of us probably played hide-and-seek as children.
And just like the animals in the song, when we were little we couldn’t hide very well—our feet or heads would stick out and we’d be found right away! It’s a charming children’s song that captures the innocent, adorable antics of the animals.
Mountain Musicians
Yama no Ongakuka (The Musicians of the Mountain) sets Japanese lyrics to the German folk song “Ich bin ein Musikante.” There are two well-known versions of the Japanese lyrics, but the one broadcast on NHK’s music program Minna no Uta may be more familiar to children.
Beloved animals play music in the mountains, and it looks so fun that kids who can play instruments will want to join in.
Cinderella’s Soup
Cinderella Soup, with lyrics by Keiko Oguro and music by Katsuhiko Nakamura.
Many of you may know it from being sung on NHK’s “Okaasan to Issho.” While the lyrics feature words like “Cinderella,” “carriage,” and “pumpkin,” reminiscent of the fairy tale Cinderella, the song is actually about a delicious soup that Mom made.
If you’re making pumpkin soup at home, this is definitely a song you’ll want to sing along to.
Voices of Insects
This song, which was reportedly written as “Mushi no Koe” at the time of its release, was first included in the 1912 Jinjo Shogaku Tokuhon Shoka (Elementary School Reader Songs).
You can feel its long history.
It’s a very memorable piece that represents autumn in Japan.
In 2007, it was selected for the “100 Best Japanese Songs.” It’s a unique song that features one insect sound after another, and it’s easy to understand—almost like a science field guide.
It’s not only fun to sing, but also to add hand motions, so try singing it with your child while using gestures.
Autumntum, the little dwarf of autumn
“Autumn Dwarfs, Autumntum” is a song with lyrics by Takao Ide and music by Wakako Fukuda.
As the title suggests, it features little autumn dwarfs.
The dwarfs work hard cleaning the sky together, painting apples with paint, gathering insects to practice singing… It’s such a wonderfully imaginative song.
I bet many children will want to imitate the dwarfs! Be sure to give it a try when autumn comes!
Seven-year-old child
Even if people know this song, it seems many don’t know the full chorus.
Thinking that even crows—who have a mischievous image—have cute chicks and work hard to raise them makes me feel a sense of closeness.
When I hear crows cawing, I feel the end of the day—and the end of autumn.
Shopping at the bakery
Here’s a fun hand-play song for autumn: “Buying Bread at the Bakery”! In this game, players split into customers who buy bread and shopkeepers who sell it.
The customers shop while naming the breads they want.
Can the shopkeepers sell all the requested breads without making a mistake? It’s a hand-play song that kids love—give it a try!