Chinese Songs for Kids by Topic: Mandarin Songs for the Classroom and How to Use Each One
6 min read
by Tim
Most lists of Chinese songs for kids are written for parents: an album, a playlist, a nursery rhyme you half remember. Fine for the car. Less useful at 8:15 on a Monday, when you need a song for this week's topic and a plan for what students actually do while it plays.
So this list is sorted the way Mandarin teachers plan: by topic. Every song below is a Chinese Buddy song you can find in the Song Topic Finder, and each one comes with one classroom move. Not a full lesson. One thing to do that gets the words out of the speaker and into students' mouths.
How do you choose a Mandarin song for your class?
- Topic first. Pick the song that fits the unit you're already teaching, not the catchiest one on the list.
- Short and repetitive. Beginners need the same few words many times. A chorus they can join by the second listen beats a clever verse.
- A job for hands. Point, hold up, stand, swap a word. Singing alone fades after a few minutes. Singing plus a job doesn't.
- All week. One song for five days beats five songs for one day each.
Chinese songs about greetings for the first week
- Wo Jiao Tim (我叫Tim): 你好, 我叫, 名字, 什么. Move: name circle. Each student sings the 我叫 line with their own name, then asks the next person 你叫什么名字？
- How Are You?: 你好吗, 我很好, 你呢. Move: run it as a door check. A student answers, then has to ask 你呢 back before going in.
- Greetings of the Day: 早安, 午安, 晚上好, 晚安. Move: show a sun or moon picture (or a clock time). The class sings the greeting that fits.
All the greetings songs are under Greetings & first-week songs. The free Basic Greetings Classroom Pack has five printable PDFs for 我叫Tim.
Chinese songs about numbers, time and money
- Numbers 1-10: 一 to 十. Move: students show each number with Chinese one-hand number signs as they sing.
- How Old Are You?: 你几岁, 我…岁. Move: partners ask each other, holding up fingers on 我…岁.
- How Much? Song: 多少钱, 一块钱, 两块钱. Move: a paper shop. Put prices on five classroom objects and let students buy with 多少钱.
- Days of the Week Song: 星期一 to 星期日. Move: sing it every morning and stop dead on today. The class shouts the day.
For a brain break that uses the same numbers, try 抱团 (Number Huddle) from 12 No-Prep Mandarin Classroom Games. More songs: Numbers, age, money & time.
Chinese songs about colors and shapes
- Basic Colors: 红色, 黄色, 蓝色, 绿色, 喜欢. Move: everyone holds up a crayon of the color they hear.
- Colors Song (12 Colors): adds 白色, 黑色, 粉红色, 紫色, 橘色. Move: save it for lesson two, when four colors feel easy.
- Zebra that Loves Pink: 斑很爱粉红色, 斑很讨厌黑色. Move: thumbs up on 爱, thumbs down on 讨厌. Then students say one color they love and one they hate.
- Shapes: 圆形, 方形, 心形, 星形. Move: draw each shape in the air with a finger while singing.
Want the whole lesson, not just the move? Teach Colors in Mandarin With a Song is a 45-minute plan built around one colors song. Songs: Colors & shapes.
Chinese songs about fruit and food
- Fruits: 苹果, 香蕉, 凤梨, 草莓, 葡萄. Move: stick fruit pictures on the board and play 拍苍蝇 (Flyswatter) from the games post.
- Foods: 米饭, 面条, 水饺, 我想吃. Move: each student points at a food picture and finishes 我想吃…
- Pearl Milk Tea: 珍珠奶茶, 我想喝, 半糖, 少冰. Move: a bubble tea counter. One student orders, one takes the order. Older students love this one.
- Are You Full?: 你吃饱了吗, 吃饱了. Move: use it as the line-up song after lunch.
Songs: Fruit & food.
Chinese songs about animals
- Two Tigers Song (两只老虎): 跑得快, 一只没有耳朵, 一只没有尾巴, 真奇怪. Move: act it out. Cover an ear, wag a missing tail, shrug on 真奇怪. The tune also takes any new words, which is how the colors lesson uses it.
- Right or Wrong: 大象, 老鼠, 对不对. Move: hold up the wrong animal picture on purpose. The class sings 对不对 and corrects you.
- Harry Hippo Song: 吃一碗米饭, 喝一杯可乐. Move: mime a bowl for 碗 and a cup for 杯. It's a painless first look at measure words.
Songs: Animals.
Chinese songs about the body and feelings
- Body Parts Song: 头发, 眼睛, 耳朵, 鼻子, 嘴巴, 手. Move: follow it with 老师说 (Teacher Says) using the same words.
- Head, Shoulders, Knees and Bones: 头, 肩膀, 膝盖, 脚. Move: sing it slow, then fast, then silent with only the actions.
- What's the Matter?: 你怎么了, 我很高兴, 我很难过, 我很紧张. Move: a morning feelings check. Students point to a face card and answer 你怎么了.
Songs: Body & feelings.
Chinese songs about family, school and the classroom
- Classroom Commands: 请坐下, 请起立, 请安静, 请举手, 注意听. Move: teach it in week one, then use the lines as your real commands all year. More routines like this in Stay in Mandarin.
- Family Members: 我爱我的妈妈, 这是我的家人. Move: students bring or draw a family photo and introduce one person with 这是我的…
- Weather Song: 天气, 晴天, 阴天, 雨天. Move: one student checks the window each morning and leads the matching verse.
Songs: Family, school & classroom.
Chinese songs for festivals and celebrations
- Story of Nian: 新年快乐, 恭喜发财, 红包拿来. Move: hand out paper red envelopes on 红包拿来. Chinese New Year 2027 falls on 6 February, and the Chinese New Year 2027 mini-unit builds a week around it.
- Mid-Autumn Festival and Dragon Boat Festival Song: 吃月饼, 赏月, 吃粽子. Move: keep them for those weeks and pair each with a real mooncake or zongzi picture.
- Happy Birthday: 祝你生日快乐. Move: sing it in Mandarin for every class birthday. Free, guaranteed practice.
Songs: Festivals & celebrations.
Songs for pinyin, tones and characters
- Pinyin Song: b p m f, d t n l, g k h. Move: students hold a hand in front of their mouth to feel the puff on p, t and k.
- Tones: the five Mandarin tones. Move: trace each tone in the air. More moves in Tone Practice That Doesn't Kill the Room.
- Mouth Radical Song: 口, 吃一口, 很可口. Move: after the song, race the mouth track in Radical Racers, our free radicals game.
Songs: Pinyin, tones & characters.
How do you get a whole week out of one song?
- Monday: listen and do the move.
- Tuesday: sing the chorus, then the whole song.
- Wednesday: swap one word and make a new verse.
- Thursday: a lyric gap-fill or word search. Six formats in Printable Mandarin Worksheets That Actually Get Used.
- Friday: small groups perform their own verse.
More ideas in 5 Fun Ways to Use Chinese Songs in Your Mandarin Classroom.
Where can you find the videos and worksheets?
Every song above is in the Song Topic Finder, where you can also search by Chinese word. If you'd like the song videos in one place, that's Song Club (videos only, no printables). If you'd like ready-made song worksheets for these topics, that's Club Lǎoshī.
Pick this week's topic. Pick one song. Give students a job while it plays.
More classroom song videos and printables live at chinesebuddy.com.
Tim is the original founder, creator and dreamer of all things on Chinese Buddy. He can be contacted here.
Cover photo: Aaron Burden, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons / Unsplash (cropped).
按主题分类的儿童中文歌：每首歌配一个课堂玩法
大部分儿童中文歌清单是写给家长的：一张专辑、一个歌单、一首你记得一半的儿歌。在车上听没问题。可是到了星期一早上八点一刻，你需要的是一首配合本周主题的歌，还有学生在歌声里到底要做什么。
所以这份清单按中文老师备课的方式来排：按主题。下面每首歌都是 Chinese Buddy 的歌，都能在 Song Topic Finder 里找到，每首配一个课堂玩法。不是整节课，只是一件事，让词语从音箱里走进学生嘴里。
怎样为你的班级选一首中文歌？
- 先看主题。选和你正在教的单元配套的歌，而不是清单上最好听的那首。
- 短，而且重复。初学者需要把同样几个词听很多遍。第二遍就能跟着唱的副歌，比巧妙的歌词更有用。
- 给手找点事做。指一指、举起来、站起来、换个词。光唱几分钟就没劲了，边唱边做就不会。
- 唱一整周。一首歌唱五天，比五首歌各唱一天好。
开学第一周的中文问候歌
- Wo Jiao Tim（我叫Tim）：你好、我叫、名字、什么。玩法：名字圈。每个学生用自己的名字唱"我叫"那句，然后问下一个人："你叫什么名字？"
- How Are You?：你好吗、我很好、你呢。玩法：在门口检查。学生回答后，必须反问一句"你呢"才能进教室。
- Greetings of the Day：早安、午安、晚上好、晚安。玩法：举起太阳或月亮的图（或者一个钟点），全班唱出对应的问候语。
所有问候歌都在 Greetings & first-week songs。免费 Basic Greetings 课堂资料包里有五份配合《我叫Tim》的可打印PDF。
关于数字、时间和钱的中文歌
- Numbers 1-10：一到十。玩法：边唱边用中国的单手数字手势比出每个数字。
- How Old Are You?：你几岁、我……岁。玩法：两人一组互相问，唱到"我……岁"时用手指比出年龄。
- How Much? Song：多少钱、一块钱、两块钱。玩法：纸上小商店。给五样教室里的东西标上价钱，让学生用"多少钱"来买。
- Days of the Week Song：星期一到星期日。玩法：每天早上唱，唱到今天突然停下，全班喊出今天星期几。
想要用同样数字的课间游戏，可以试试《12个零准备中文课堂游戏》里的"抱团"。更多歌曲：Numbers, age, money & time。
关于颜色和形状的中文歌
- Basic Colors：红色、黄色、蓝色、绿色、喜欢。玩法：听到哪个颜色，大家就举起那个颜色的蜡笔。
- Colors Song (12 Colors)：加上白色、黑色、粉红色、紫色、橘色。玩法：留到第二节课，等四种颜色已经很熟了再用。
- Zebra that Loves Pink：斑很爱粉红色、斑很讨厌黑色。玩法：唱到"爱"竖大拇指，唱到"讨厌"拇指朝下。然后学生说一个喜欢的颜色和一个讨厌的颜色。
- Shapes：圆形、方形、心形、星形。玩法：边唱边用手指在空中画出每个形状。
想要整节课而不只是一个玩法？《用一首歌教中文颜色》是一份围绕一首颜色歌的45分钟教案。歌曲：Colors & shapes。
关于水果和食物的中文歌
- Fruits：苹果、香蕉、凤梨、草莓、葡萄。玩法：把水果图贴在白板上，玩游戏文章里的拍苍蝇。
- Foods：米饭、面条、水饺、我想吃。玩法：每个学生指一张食物图，把"我想吃……"说完整。
- Pearl Milk Tea：珍珠奶茶、我想喝、半糖、少冰。玩法：开一家奶茶店。一个学生点单，一个学生接单。高年级学生特别喜欢。
- Are You Full?：你吃饱了吗、吃饱了。玩法：午饭后排队时唱。
歌曲：Fruit & food。
关于动物的中文歌
- Two Tigers Song（两只老虎）：跑得快、一只没有耳朵、一只没有尾巴、真奇怪。玩法：演出来。捂住一只耳朵，摇一摇不存在的尾巴，唱"真奇怪"时耸耸肩。这个曲调也可以填任何新词，颜色课就是这样用的。
- Right or Wrong：大象、老鼠、对不对。玩法：故意举错动物图片，全班唱"对不对"，然后纠正你。
- Harry Hippo Song：吃一碗米饭、喝一杯可乐。玩法："碗"做捧碗的动作，"杯"做拿杯子的动作。轻轻松松第一次接触量词。
歌曲：Animals。
关于身体和情绪的中文歌
- Body Parts Song：头发、眼睛、耳朵、鼻子、嘴巴、手。玩法：唱完用同样的词玩"老师说"。
- Head, Shoulders, Knees and Bones：头、肩膀、膝盖、脚。玩法：先慢唱，再快唱，最后不出声只做动作。
- What's the Matter?：你怎么了、我很高兴、我很难过、我很紧张。玩法：早上的心情检查。学生指一张表情卡，回答"你怎么了"。
歌曲：Body & feelings。
关于家庭、学校和教室的中文歌
- Classroom Commands：请坐下、请起立、请安静、请举手、注意听。玩法：开学第一周教会，然后一整年都用这些句子当真正的课堂指令。更多这样的常规见《坚持说中文》。
- Family Members：我爱我的妈妈、这是我的家人。玩法：学生带来或画一张全家福，用"这是我的……"介绍一个人。
- Weather Song：天气、晴天、阴天、雨天。玩法：每天早上请一个学生看看窗外，带唱对应的那段。
歌曲：Family, school & classroom。
节日和庆祝的中文歌
- Story of Nian：新年快乐、恭喜发财、红包拿来。玩法：唱到"红包拿来"时发纸红包。2027年春节是2月6日，《2027年春节课堂活动》围绕它安排了一整周。
- Mid-Autumn Festival 和 Dragon Boat Festival Song：吃月饼、赏月、吃粽子。玩法：留到节日那一周，配一张真的月饼或粽子图片。
- Happy Birthday：祝你生日快乐。玩法：班上每次有人过生日都用中文唱。免费又稳定的练习。
拼音、声调和汉字的歌
- Pinyin Song：b p m f、d t n l、g k h。玩法：学生把手放在嘴前，感受 p、t、k 送出的气。
- Tones：普通话的五个声调。玩法：在空中画出每个声调。更多方法见《不让教室冷场的声调练习》。
- Mouth Radical Song：口、吃一口、很可口。玩法：唱完去免费部首游戏《部首赛车》里跑一圈"口"字赛道。
歌曲：Pinyin, tones & characters。
怎样让一首歌用满一整周？
- 星期一：听歌，做玩法。
- 星期二：先唱副歌，再唱整首。
- 星期三：换一个词，编一段新歌词。
- 星期四：歌词填空或找词游戏。六种形式见《真正用得上的中文打印练习纸》。
- 星期五：小组表演自己编的那段。
更多点子见《在中文课堂上使用中文歌曲的5个好玩方法》。
哪里可以找到视频和练习纸？
上面每首歌都在 Song Topic Finder 里，也可以用中文词搜索。想把歌曲视频放在一个地方，可以看 Song Club（只有视频，没有打印资料）。想要这些主题的现成歌曲练习纸，可以看 Club Lǎoshī。
选好本周的主题。选一首歌。歌声响起时，给学生一件事做。
更多课堂歌曲视频和打印练习，见 chinesebuddy.com。
Tim 是 Chinese Buddy 的原创创始人、内容创作者和梦想实践者。如需联系，可在此留言。
