Nursery rhymes to sing in spring: a collection of classic songs you'll want to sing with your children

Waltz of the MountainsSakushi: Kayama Yoshiko / Sakkyoku: Yuyama Akira

Waltz of the Mountains [Children’s Song]

Set to a cheerful triple-meter rhythm, this delightful piece depicts animals arriving one after another at a mountain kindergarten.

With lyrics by Miyoko Kayama and music by Akira Yuyama, it’s a children’s song.

As time progresses, different animals appear, making it a charming way to learn how to read a clock while singing.

The distinctive lyrics are perfect for rhythm play, too! During the spring enrollment season, why not hum along to this heart-lifting melody with your child and share the excitement of a new beginning?

Little Horsetail

Tsukushi Boy | Spring Song | A hand-play song/fun for preschool | With lyrics | Ichigo Club

This is an irresistibly cute song themed around horsetails that peek out from the spring fields.

Its humorous world—like telling the little horsetails sleeping underground that it’s time to wake up—speaks to children eagerly awaiting the arrival of warmer days.

The piece has long been loved; records show it was featured on the television program “Mama to Asobō! Pin Pon Pan,” which aired around the 1960s.

It’s perfect for humming on a warm April stroll with friends or family, or for lively group hand-play time at preschool!

Caro’s eyeballwarabeuta

Nursery rhyme “Kyāro no Medama” (Frog’s Eyeball) #Japanese traditional kids’ game

In dazzlingly green May, you can hear frogs calling from the rice paddies, can’t you? The perfect season to play this children’s song, whose rhythmic chants are such fun.

Its startling theme is cauterizing a frog’s eyeballs with moxa, but set to a lively beat it somehow turns into a delightfully playful song! Some say the sound of the words in the latter half may be connected to a song that was popular in the Meiji era.

It’s interesting to sing it while feeling a bit of history.

How to play is up to you—become a frog and jump, sit on an adult’s knee and bounce, and more.

Even on rainy days, moving your body indoors will lift your spirits! Imagine the frogs hopping, and raise your voices together as a parent and child to get excited.

Which child is a good child?warabeuta

May children’s song “Which child is the good child”

When children get together to play, do you ever wonder how to decide who’s “it” or who goes next? That’s exactly when this traditional children’s rhyme comes in handy.

You point to each child in turn in time with the rhythm, and the one chosen at the end becomes the next role—or gets a big hug—so everyone can enjoy both the thrill and the comfort it brings! It was also included on the album “NHK Nihongo de Asobo: Warabe-uta,” released in February 2007, and became widely known after being featured in segments of an educational TV program.

In dazzlingly green May, try forming a circle at a park on your walk or indoors, and enjoy the pleasant rhythm together with friends or as a parent and child.

Number SongSakushi: Yume Niji Ni / Sakkyoku: Kotani Hajime

Numbers Song, sung on Okaasan to Issho. It’s a popular song from Okaasan to Issho.

May’s warm, sunny weather makes playing outside a joy.

Some children may start noticing that all kinds of numbers are hidden in the scenery around them.

This song imagines numbers as the shapes of unique things, making it a super fun way to learn numbers while playing! The lyrics are by Niji Yume, the music by Hajime Kotani, and it was released in 1957.

It’s said that Niji Yume got the idea when looking at a factory chimney and the moon, which looked like “10”—amazing that a discovery from everyday life became a song, isn’t it? It was also broadcast on NHK’s “Okaasan to Issho,” so many of you may already know it.

We recommend using your body and eyes to play together as a parent and child—try making number shapes with your fingers, or look for the items mentioned in the lyrics while you’re out on a walk!

Zebra SwirlSakushi: Endou Kouzou / Sakkyoku: Inui Hiroki

[With Mother] Zebra Guruguru | Popular Kids' Song Sung by a Nursery Teacher: Children's Songs

With the balmy weather in May, it’s the perfect season for a fun trip to the zoo! A great recommendation for times like these is a delightful hand-play song themed around zebra stripes.

Written by Kozo Endo and composed by Hiroki Inui, this piece is full of unique wordplay in which you whirl and peel off the zebra’s stripes and transform it into another animal.

The song began being featured around 1982 on NHK’s children’s program “Okaasan to Issho,” and it was also included on a CD released in March 2000, making it a long-loved favorite across generations.

It’s great fun to mimic the motions of taking off and putting on the stripes to the lively rhythm! Whether on the bus ride to the zoo or during time at home, singing it together as a parent and child and laughing yourselves silly could be just the thing!

What color do you like?Sakushi: Sakata Osamu / Sakkyoku: Inui Yuki

What Colors Do You Like? 🖍️🌈 [Long Version] 10 Colors

In dazzlingly green May, many children are probably enjoying playing outside and drawing, don’t you think? Perfect for this season is this classic song that celebrates the fun of choosing your favorite colors with crayons.

Written and composed by Osamu Sakata and arranged by Hiroki Inui, the piece was broadcast in June 1992 as NHK’s “Song of the Month” on Okaasan to Issho, and has been beloved for many years.

The lyrics are charming, as they ask about colors like “red” and “blue,” as if completing a single picture.

It’s also included on the album “Donna iro ga Suki,” released in May 1992, the same year it aired, and has become a staple in early childhood settings.

If your child is starting to take an interest in colors, why not fill a whole sheet of drawing paper together with your favorite hues and have some fun?