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

Close It, Open ItNEW!sakushisha fushou

♪Musunde Hiraite – Musunde Hiraite | ♪Clasp Your Hands, Open Them, Clap Your Hands, Clasp Them [Japanese Song / Children's Song]

In dazzlingly fresh May greenery, don’t you feel like getting active and playing with the kids? That’s when the perfect choice is that familiar hand-play song with the motions of opening and closing your hands.

Simple yet irresistibly engaging for children, its melody is actually said to have its roots in an opera by the French thinker Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

In Japan, it became widely loved in its current form as a play song after being included in the May 1947 elementary school textbook First-Grade Music.

Its easy-to-remember rhythm and movements are also great for interacting with very young children who can’t speak yet.

How about trying it outdoors on a picnic, sitting face-to-face and playing together as parent and child?

Mysterious PocketNEW!Sakushi: Mado Michio / Sakkyoku: Watanabe Shigeru

Mysterious Pocket by Himawari 🌻 With Lyrics | Nursery Rhyme | Magic Pocket

A children’s song that sings of kids’ innocent wish: with every pat on their pocket, the treats keep multiplying.

Written by Michio Mado and composed by Shigeru Watanabe, this historic piece was first published in a magazine in September 1954.

The way the number increases with each pat makes you look forward to snack time on a field trip even more, doesn’t it? It has been widely loved, including a cover on idol group CoCo’s August 1993 release “Modern Doyō” and inclusion on a project album for the anime “Cheeky Fairy Mirmo!” Why not sing it with hand motions during a field trip or picnic as you feel the refreshing May breeze? If you prepare some biscuits and sing, the children’s smiles are sure to multiply too!

Number SongNEW!Sakushi: 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 SwirlNEW!Sakushi: 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?NEW!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?