[Entrance Ceremony Songs] A Selection of Classic and Popular Tunes That Capture Elementary Schoolers’ Hearts!
First graders who have finished kindergarten or nursery school and will start elementary school this spring.
Children diving into the new environment of school are surely filled with both excitement and anxiety.
In this article, we introduce recommended entrance songs we’d love these new first graders to listen to.
There are plenty of graduation songs, but entrance songs can be surprisingly hard to find.
This time, in addition to classic children’s songs and choral pieces, we’ve also selected popular J-pop.
We’ve gathered powerful songs that can give kids the courage to head to elementary school with energy, so be sure to check them out!
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[Entrance Ceremony Songs] A Selection of Classic and Popular Tunes That Capture Elementary Schoolers’ Hearts (1–10)
A New FriendNEW!Misuzu Koyuki
At an entrance ceremony where children sit next to classmates they don’t yet know, there are surely some who feel nervous and full of anxiety in this new place.
This piece is a song about greeting those soon-to-be friends with a smile.
Its bright, cheerful melody conveys the excitement and fluttering anticipation of all that’s about to unfold.
Ms.
Misuzu Koyuki, who wrote the lyrics and composed the music, has created many other school songs as well.
To ease the tension of the entrance ceremony, we also recommend singing it together with the incoming students, accompanied by piano!
This is the friend-making factoryNEW!Kannuim Kumiko
An entrance ceremony is a place where you meet new friends for the first time.
Some children may feel anxious.
This work is aimed at those children, carrying a message to the friends with whom they’ll be spending fun times together.
You can almost feel the warm spring air, and it gives a cozy feeling.
Published as a magazine supplement in April 2014, this song features a very bright and energetic melody that leaves a strong impression.
At an entrance ceremony, you might be sitting next to a child you don’t know at all.
But once you start singing together, before you realize it, you’ve become good friends! It’s also recommended to sing it together with the children to ease the tension of the entrance ceremony.
Thump-thump, boom! First Graders
Written by Akira Ito and composed/arranged by Jun Sakurai, this song was released in 1986.
It’s famous as a graduation song for kindergartens and nursery schools, but it’s also perfect for entrance ceremonies! You can feel the children’s emotions—the mix of nervousness, wondering “What is elementary school like?” and “Will I make friends?”, and the bubbling excitement they can’t contain.
Listening to this song at the entrance ceremony will lift their spirits and might even make them think, “Maybe I’ll try becoming friends with the kid sitting next to me.”
[Entrance Ceremony Songs] Classic and Popular Picks That Capture Elementary Schoolers’ Hearts! (11–20)
First Grader March
The song “Ichinensei March,” written and composed by Toshihiko Shinzawa, delivers the fluttering excitement of brand-new first graders through a charming melody.
Its cheerful tune and optimistic lyrics heighten children’s anticipation for elementary school, while gently embracing the anxieties that come with a first-time place.
Singing it will surely make them think, “I’m excited for elementary school!” This adorable song is perfect for new first graders—be sure to listen and sing along.
Let’s be friends.
Let’s Be Friends is a choral piece themed around friends—the irreplaceable companions you meet in elementary school.
Its gentle, hope-filled lyrics and fun call-and-response parts have made it a popular song.
It would be wonderful if students could come to the entrance ceremony filled with the same excitement and kindness this song inspires!
To become friends
At entrance ceremonies, one thing that can make you a bit anxious is whether you’ll be able to make friends.
Among the many songs about friendship, “To Become Friends” stands out for the depth of its lyrics.
The rhythm of the chorus is lots of fun, it feels great to sing, and it’s a song that lets you take in the meaning of the words and think about what friendship really is.
When I Become a First Grader
Famous as a first-grader song, “When I Become a First Grader” is also often sung as a graduation song at kindergartens and nursery schools! If you know this song, you’ve probably thought at least once about “making lots of friends,” right? With that many friends, you can have all kinds of fun.
Even new first graders who feel anxious about their new environment might feel more excited after listening to this song.
Be sure to sing it as a song to cheer on new first graders!