Teaching Japanese Children Songs

Rather than worksheets for babies and kids learning Japanese, it is better to work with songs to engage in language. We have worked with some favourite songs with great results. Three songs are listed below. Try them with your kids.

Under the Big Chestnut Tree

O-kii na kuri no ki no shita de

Anata to Watashi

Naka yoku asobimashou

O-kii na kuri no ki no shita de

Mrs. Gonbei’s baby

(same tune as Little Peter Rabbit but a song about a baby who caught a cold)

Gonbei san no akachan wa kaze hiita

Gonbei san no akachan wa kaze hiita

Gonbei san no akachan wa kaze hiita

Soko de awatete shippu shita

The Panda Song

Oide Oide Oide Oide Panda Panda

Oide Oide Oide Oide Usagi Usagi

Oide Oide Oide Oide Koara Koara

Panda Usagi Koara

Panda Usagi Koara

Panda Usagi Koara (chorus)

Ito Maki Maki

Ito maki maki Ito maki maki

Hiite hiite ton ton ton

Ito maki maki Ito maki maki

Hiite hiite ton ton ton

Dekita yo dekita

Kobito san no okutsu