Wonderful sports day / athletic festival

Elementary schoolers can dance to it! Recommended dance songs and choreography for sports day

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
Editor-in-Chief, RAG MUSICHane Keisuke
Editor-in-chief of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. After working in a music studio and handling wedding sound, joined the RAG MUSIC editorial team in 2016. Experienced with a variety of instruments: marching band in elementary school, clarinet in junior high school wind ensemble, and drums in a band from high school onward. Drawing on my own musical activities and the experience gained through my work, I produce daily articles, including various song introductions, features on music festivals around the country, and live reports. In music, I enjoy not only rock from Japan and abroad but, lately, a wide range of J-pop as well.

Every year, one of the biggest highlights at elementary school sports festivals is the dance! Dance songs are often a must-have part of the program.

Many people probably struggle with choosing the right music.

Here, we’ll introduce dance songs recommended for elementary school students.

We’ve gathered the latest popular tracks as well as fun, timeless favorites.

We’ve also prepared choreography videos, focusing on routines that are easy to learn even for busy people.

Packed with ideas to help both kids and adults enjoy the sports festival together—be sure to use this as a reference!

Elementary Schoolers Can Dance! Recommended Dance Songs & Choreography for Sports Day (91–100)

School HeavenDream5

From Dream5 / Gakuen Tengoku / Album 'DAYS'

School HeavenDream5

Dream5 is a five-member dance and vocal unit that emerged from the music segment of the NHK Educational TV program “Tensai TV-kun MAX,” also known for the huge hit “Yo-kai Exercise No.

1.” Their cover of Finger 5’s “Gakuen Tengoku,” included on their second mini-album “DAYS,” was chosen as the theme song for BeeTV’s “How Far Will Akiko Wada Let Us Go!?” The call-and-response and high-energy ensemble make it perfect for group dance routines.

With lyrics about school life that everyone can relate to, it’s an uplifting tune loved across generations.

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Hoshino Takashi

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The world is smiling at you.Little Glee Monster

Dance choreography for sports days and recitals! Little Glee Monster: “Sekai wa Anata ni Waraikaketeiru” (The World Is Smiling at You)

The world is smiling at you.Little Glee Monster

Little Glee Monster is a female vocal group that delivers songs that make listeners feel bright and positive.

Each member is known for exceptional vocal ability.

Among their tracks, the one we’d love to see danced to at a sports day is “Sekai wa Anata ni Waraikaketeiru” (“The World Is Smiling at You”).

Released in 2018, the song was chosen as Coca-Cola’s annual image song for that year.

It’s a catchy pop tune with vibrant, colorful sounds.

The rhythm is easy to dance to even for beginners, making it perfect for large-group sports day dances!

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Elementary schoolers can dance! Recommended dance songs and choreography for sports day (101–110)

MUSIC VIDEOOkazaki Taiiku

Okazaki Taiiku 'MUSIC VIDEO' Music Video

MUSIC VIDEOOkazaki Taiiku

This is a song that expresses the feelings of a music video creator.

If you focus on the lyrics, it might not be the best fit for children or a school sports festival, but the track is very catchy and up-tempo, with a solid structure, so I think it would be fun to come up with choreography for it.

It’s an electronic, programmed sound that sits between dance and pop.

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[Game] DoraemonHoshino Gen

Tried dancing Doraemon! [Playtime] [Dance] [Kirari Nursery School]

[Game] DoraemonHoshino Gen

How about having the kids dance to a song from Doraemon, which they love? “Doraemon” by Gen Hoshino—used as the theme song for the film Doraemon the Movie: Nobita’s Treasure Island and as the opening theme for the Doraemon TV anime—is perfect.

Since it’s a song many children already know, they’ll pick it up quickly and enjoy dancing to it.

It’s also a great idea to have them wear costumes inspired by Doraemon and the various other characters from the anime.

There are plenty of dance videos on video platforms with simple, easy-to-follow choreography for young children, so be sure to use those as references!

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Hold me hula-hula danceMizutani Chieko & Harumio

Chieko Mizutani & Mireo Haru “Hold Me, Hula-Hula Dance VIDEO”

Hold me hula-hula danceMizutani Chieko & Harumio

When this song starts playing at a school sports festival, you can’t help but feel excited.

Some people might not know who sings it, but if you get creative with the dance outfits, it could be obvious at a glance.

The video also shows a simple dance, but since it’s quite minimal, let’s add a few tweaks there as well.

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DynamiteBTS

[Sports Day Friendly!] BTS Dynamite Easy Dance Choreography [Full Song Version]

DynamiteBTS

Released in August 2020, BTS’s Dynamite became a massive hit worldwide! Isn’t this a song that not only elementary school students but almost everyone knows? That’s how huge the boom was.

While the official choreography is tough for younger kids, there are lots of easy dance tutorials for beginners, and the tempo isn’t too fast, so it’s a great choice.

It does take practice, but I bet many kids feel, “I want to be able to dance to this song!” Try inviting the audience to clap along and give it a go!

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[Dance] ChantAdo

Reiwa 6 School Year Dance Performance: “Sho” (Elder/Oldest Kindergarten Class)

[Dance] ChantAdo

How about trying a dance to “Show” sung by Ado, a familiar tune from Universal Studios Japan’s Halloween Horror Nights? It’s a very popular song, so many kids have probably heard it.

In the video, the choreography for the chorus is the same as the one actually performed at Universal Studios Japan.

The tempo is fast, so the moves might be tricky, but even simple choreography becomes impactful when everyone’s in sync.

Give it a try!

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