Collection of winter nursery rhymes, folk songs, and children's songs. Includes fun winter hand-play songs too.
Do you like winter?Although winter is very cold, there are many unique ways to enjoy it: you can see a beautiful silver world created by pure white snow, and you can feel a special kind of warmth you can only experience in winter, like hot pot dishes or sitting in a kamakura snow hut.There are also lots of fun events like Christmas and New Year’s!Children are probably looking forward to making snowmen, having snowball fights, and enjoying Christmas presents and cakes, aren’t they?In this article, we’ll introduce nursery rhymes, folk songs, traditional children’s songs, and hand-play songs themed around various aspects of “winter.”There are many songs that will turn a winter that’s “just cold” into wonderful memories, so please give them a listen!
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Collection of winter children's songs, folk songs, and nursery rhymes. Fun winter finger-play songs too (41–50)
Snow KobōzuSakkyoku: Fushō
This is a Japanese children’s song sung to the same melody as “The Spool Song.” The melody uses a traditional tune that is loved around the world, and when lyrics are set to this melody overseas, it is often sung as a song about spools or spinning thread.
In contrast, it seems that only Japan has set lyrics about snow to this melody.
snowMonbushō shōka
Isn’t this a song that everyone has heard at least once somewhere? When it snows, this tune inevitably comes to mind.
Many people might think “konko” is an onomatopoeia for falling snow, but it’s said to come from the imperative of “to come,” meaning “come, come—fall.” In the song, after the snow stops, there’s a line that suggests the withered trees disappear and the warm spring eventually arrives.
Even in the cold winter, let’s sing and look forward to the gentle arrival of spring!
Brr, it’s so cold.
The children’s song “Oosamu Kosamu” evokes the harsh cold of winter.
It depicts a child coming down from the mountain saying, “It’s cold.” If you take the lyrics literally, you might think the child is crying from the cold, but it actually expresses that the child has come down from the mountain while saying it’s cold.
Outdoors in winter feels cold no matter where you are, but it makes you wonder just how frigid that mountain must be if the child came down because of the cold! Although the lyrics don’t say the child is crying, in reality they might have been so cold and chilled that they did shed tears.
You can also enjoy it as a round, so give it a try!
Octopus Song
Kites have been loved in Japan for a very long time.
Some of you might remember flying them at New Year’s when you were children.
This song is about that.
It first appeared in 1911 in the collection ‘Jinjō Shōgaku Shōka’ (Elementary School Songs), and its original title was said to be ‘Kaminowashi no Uta’ (Song of the Paper Kite).
The first verse is well known, but there are actually three verses.
The relaxed melody evokes the image of a kite soaring in the sky.
Every now and then, it’s nice to listen to a nostalgic song like this and let your thoughts wander to the good old days.
Let’s decorate with holly.
It’s a piece with a bright, lighthearted melody that seems to blow away the chill of winter.
Based on a traditional Welsh festive song, it is widely loved as a tune that symbolizes the joy and celebratory atmosphere of Christmas.
The repeated “fa-la-la” phrase enhances the sense of fun and creates a heartwarming mood.
It is sung around the world, especially in English-speaking countries, and in Japan, Isao Matsuzaki’s Japanese translation is included as No.
129 in the Hymnal Second Volume.
It has also influenced pop culture, appearing, for example, in the opening scene of the film The Addams Family.
It’s perfect for singing and enjoying with family and friends during the Christmas season, so be sure to try singing it together.
fir tree
Beloved as a classic that colors the winter season, this piece is a German-born Christmas carol cherished around the world.
It originally began as a folk song on the theme of romance, but was adapted into its current form in 1824 by Ernst Anschütz.
Through the image of the lush evergreen fir tree, the work expresses sincerity, hope, and an unchanging beauty.
In Japan, it has been covered by many artists and has become an essential song for the Christmas season.
It was also featured on NHK’s “Meikyoku Album,” with a broadcast performance by the Tokyo Junior Chorus and the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra.
With a warm atmosphere that seems to make one forget the winter cold, this song is sure to make Christmas time with family and friends all the more special.
little foxSakushi: Katsu Tsuguo / Sakkyoku: Gaikoku Kyoku
This song is themed around a winter mountain where a little fox lives.
The lyrics describe how the little fox spends its days in the cold, snowy mountains.
The song was originally written as a German children’s song.
It became popular in Japan after the poet Katsuo Masao added Japanese lyrics.
Unlike the Japanese version, the original German lyrics are actually a bit scary.
In Japan, however, a pop-style melody was paired with cute lyrics.
On YouTube and other platforms, you can find videos of people dancing as if they were little foxes along with the song, so it’s also recommended to sing and dance to it as a way to warm up your body in the cold!