Japanese for Kids: Resources and Family Activities

---

Are you trying to raise a bilingual (or maybe even multilingual!) baby? Teaching your child Japanese is a great choice!

Children and adults can both learn languages, and learning Japanese together can give your family a reason to use it regularly. If you are still learning, use accurate audio and books alongside your own speech, keep activities age-appropriate and treat imperfect attempts as practice rather than a language model your child must copy.

While trying to teach my own son Japanese, I’ve learned there are some unique difficulties. For instance, my son can’t really read too much yet, but he recognizes the alphabet. Reading Japanese children’s books is more difficult because he doesn’t yet understand the kana and kanji, but he recognizes the text is different. Not seeing familiar words seems to distract him from the book. Likewise, some books have cultural differences he doesn’t yet understand. So these are things I have to explain or tackle with him along the way.

But, trying to teach him Japanese has been incredibly rewarding. And I’ve learned a lot, too. I’ve learned Japanese onomatopoeia (because what kid doesn’t love animal sounds and effects?) and loads of vocabulary you would only pick up from a children’s book. So even if you’re new to it, don’t be shy about giving it your best and teaching your child what you know.

Use these Japanese-for-kids resources as starting points, then keep the activity short enough that your child still wants to come back to it.

Editor's note: Before we get started, if you’re looking for an online Japanese course, here’s the course we recommend: Japanese Uncovered – Learn Japanese Through the Power of Story, a course with a fascinating new method by Olly Richards. You can try it for free for 7 days!

Learn Japanese for Kids: Infants

Japanese Lullabies

Lullabies can make Japanese part of a calm, shared routine. Sing along, repeat one short phrase and use accurate recordings as a model, without treating background music as a substitute for interaction.

You can search YouTube for 子守唄 (komoriuta, “lullaby”). Try individual recordings such as “Lullaby for the Beloved” or ねんねんころり (Nennen Korori). Another useful search is 日本の子守唄ベスト (Nihon no komoriuta besuto, “best Japanese lullabies”). Preview any video yourself before sharing it with a child, since search results and recommendations change.

Searching in Japanese can surface more Japanese-language results. Check the channel and each video first rather than relying on the recommendation feed.

Japanese Nursery Rhymes and Music for Kids

There are many Japanese nursery-rhyme videos on YouTube. If your child already enjoys a song in another language, search for a Japanese version, then check that the language and video are suitable before using it together.

My son enjoys nursery rhymes and songs, including this JapanesePod101 compilation. どんぐりころころ (Donguri Korokoro, “The Rolling Acorn”) is a well-known Japanese children’s song. Another example is ボーロのうた (Bōro no Uta).

You can also try “Baby Shark” (the video title is チビザメ, Chibi-zame, “little shark”).

For my son, songs with clear pictures work well because we can connect a word with what is happening on screen. Spotify also has Japanese children’s music, although its catalogue and family controls vary by location and plan.

Learn Japanese for Kids: Toddlers Cartoons

Cartoons can offer repeated, contextual language, but they are not automatically easier than other material. Watch a short segment with your child, pause when useful and choose shows whose pace and themes suit their age.

Here are three long-running Japanese series that families may recognise. Check current availability, age ratings and individual episodes before choosing one.

ドラえもん (Doraemon)

Doraemon is a long-running Japanese series about a robot cat sent from the 22nd century by Sewashi, Nobita’s great-great-grandson, to help Nobita change his family’s future. Doraemon’s four-dimensional pocket supplies the gadgets that drive many of the stories.

The series is light-hearted and has a wide range of stories, including episodes that draw on history or folk tales. Its dialogue and plot complexity vary by episode.

サザエさん (Sazae-san)

Sazae-san follows Sazae, who lives in Tokyo with her extended family. Its domestic settings can expose learners to everyday family vocabulary, but the show’s pace, humour and cultural references may need an adult’s help.

アンパンマン (Anpanman)

アンパン (anpan) is a sweet bun typically filled with red-bean paste. Anpanman stars a bread-headed hero and his food-themed friends. It is often associated with younger children, though suitability still depends on the individual child and episode.

Learn Japanese for Kids: Reading with Toddlers

Japanese children’s books are available through bookshops, libraries and online retailers. Availability, format and shipping costs vary by location.

Examples include ぐりとぐら (Guri to Gura) and the Japanese edition of はらぺこあおむし (Harapeko Aomushi, The Very Hungry Caterpillar). Check that the listing is the Japanese edition you want before buying, as editions and sellers change.

Digital shops also carry bilingual and Japanese-language picture books. My son and I have read “Am I small?” わたし、ちいさい？ and “I Love My Dad” おとうさんだいすき. Preview the language level and format before buying, especially for a read-aloud.

If there is a Japanese community where you live, you can also see if they hold yard sales or if a Japanese friend would let you borrow books. I went to a few Japanese yard sales at our local Japanese Saturday School, and scored a lot of books that way!

As children grow, our free Japanese lessons guide includes reading resources. Asahi Elementary School Newspaper is another Japanese-language reading option; choose individual articles with the child’s reading level and interests in mind.

Learn Japanese for Kids: Kindergarten and Up

Japanese Games for Kids

Children of this age may enjoy short, supervised games on a shared device. Choose the tool and amount of screen time deliberately rather than assuming a child can use an app independently.

Apps can support early familiarity with kana, vocabulary and simple phrases, but they work best alongside shared talk, books and play. Bring one word from an app into a real activity, then reuse it in another context.

Here are two options to inspect with a parent or carer first:

• Duolingo has a Japanese course with vocabulary, kana and some kanji. Check its current age requirements, account settings and advertising options, then decide whether it suits your child and whether to use it together.
• Gus on the Go uses pictures and short activities to introduce basic Japanese vocabulary. Check the current app listing, price and privacy details before downloading.

Japanese Kana and Kanji for Kids

Apps can also support Japanese reading and writing practice. Dr. Moku has mnemonic-based materials for hiragana and katakana; check its current products and age suitability before choosing one.

Drops offers Japanese vocabulary practice. Some exercises may suit older children better, so try a short session together before making it a regular activity.

If you use older hardware, My Japanese Coach for Nintendo DS is available second-hand. Check the listing, condition and age suitability before buying; it is not necessary to use an old game to begin Japanese together.

Pen-and-paper practice can complement digital activities. You can find printable hiragana writing sheets, then keep each session short and stop before it becomes a battle.

Learning Japanese Together with Your Child

Choose one resource that suits your child’s age and interests, then use it together: pause, name what you see, repeat one line and bring the same words into play later. Check current prices, privacy terms, advertising and in-app purchases before giving a child independent access. For video, music and apps, follow your family’s screen-time plan and local professional guidance rather than treating language exposure as an exception.

Children and adults can learn Japanese together at many different ages. If you are not bilingual yet, start with material you can use accurately, share it with your child and keep building from there. The point is regular, enjoyable contact with Japanese, not getting everything perfect from day one.