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

Panda Rabbit KoalaNEW!sakushi: takada hiroo / sakkyoku: inui hiroki

Let's try the hand game 'Panda Usagi Koala' together!!

The fresh greenery of May feels great, and it’s the perfect season for a trip to the zoo, isn’t it? That’s when this song—featuring three kinds of animals appearing one after another—is perfect for parents and kids to sing and play together.

With lyrics by Hiroo Takada and music by Yuki Inui, it has been loved for many years, including being featured on the December 1990 album “NHK Okaasan to Issho Best 35.” Broadcast on NHK’s “Okaasan to Issho,” this piece is especially fun because you can imitate animals in time with the rhythmic calls! The simple choreography is easy to learn right away, making it perfect for getting everyone excited on a field trip bus or at a picnic.

Be sure to strike cute poses together and have fun!

Green breezesakushi: shimizu katsura / sakkyoku: kusakawa shin

Japanese children's song: Midori no Soyokaze (The Green Breeze)

When we think of spring, we often picture flowers in full bloom, but the fresh-green season that follows the cherry blossoms is also wonderfully pleasant.

Perfect for that time of year, the song “Midori no Soyokaze” (“Green Breeze”) features lyrics by Katsura Shimizu and music by Shin Kusakawa, and was released in 1948 (Showa 23).

Its refreshing, cheerful melody makes you feel as if you can sense the wind brushing past when you close your eyes.

It was also used in commercials: for Hebel Haus in 2006 and for Taisho Kampo Stomach Medicine in 2019.

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Let’s clap our handsSakushi: Kobayashi Jun’ichi / Sakkyoku: Chekosurobakia min’yō

Let's Clap Our Hands

When we think of children’s songs, we tend to imagine melodies that have been heard and sung since long ago and passed down in Japan.

But in fact, there are many songs where a foreign melody has Japanese lyrics added.

This song, “Te o Tatakimashou” (“Let’s Clap Our Hands”), is one of those; it’s said to originate from a Czech folk tune.

It’s also known as the folk dance song “Wooden Shoes.” Although the lyrics don’t mention spring, it’s one of the well-known hand-play songs associated with the idea that children will play with it after entering kindergarten or nursery school.

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TulipSakushi: Kondo Miyako / Sakkyoku: Inoue Takeshi

♪ Tulip – Tulip | ♪ Bloomed, bloomed, the tulip flowers [Japanese song / shoka]

Speaking of spring, it’s also the season when flowers begin to bloom.

How about singing “Tulips” (Chūrippu)? This piece was composed by Takeshi Inoue with lyrics by Miyako Kondo.

The song straightforwardly celebrates the beauty of tulips.

It’s said that Miyako Kondo came up with the lyrics after seeing tulips of various colors blooming in her home garden.

Let’s expand our imagination and picture just how those tulips might have been blooming.

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carp streamerSakushi: Kondō Miyako / Sakkyoku: Fushō

♪ Koinobori – Carp Streamers | Carp Streamers Higher Than the Rooftops; The Big Black Carp Is Father [Japanese Song / Shoka]

Koinobori is a well-known children’s song for spring, especially associated with May.

As Children’s Day on May 5 approaches, it’s one of those nursery rhymes you hear popping up everywhere.

And when you see carp streamers fluttering against the pleasant blue spring sky, this is the song that automatically starts playing in your head.

As kids, many of us sang it without knowing what “magoi” and “higoi” meant, but it might be nice to sing it with your child while explaining that the black carp is the magoi and the red carp is the higoi.

It’s a perfect spring song to sing while looking up at the sky together with grandpa and grandma.

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