Children’s Songs You Can Sing in August: Summer-Friendly Kids’ Songs and Fingerplay Rhymes
Here are nursery rhymes and fingerplay songs for August that you can sing and enjoy! We’ve got a full lineup: songs that capture the fun of summer, tunes about tasty foods you’ll crave in the heat, and songs perfect for August events.
We also introduce tracks you can enjoy with fingerplays and dances, so try using them for indoor play during the sweltering summer or for activities in childcare settings.
Many are classic summer songs that have been passed down for generations, making them perfect for family time at home as well.
Teach children summer songs and enjoy a delightful time together while reminiscing about the past!
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- [For Seniors] Recommended Summer Songs for August [2026]
- [August Songs] Carefully selected masterpieces, classics, and the latest hits you’ll want to listen to in midsummer!
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- Recommended Summer Songs for Elementary School Kids | A Pick of Refreshing, Popular Tracks!
- [Childcare] Recommended songs and nursery rhymes for November: Fun autumn fingerplay songs
- [For Seniors in Their 80s] Recommended Summer Songs: From Enka and School Songs to Folk Songs
- Recommended summer songs for kids: Popular J-POP/Japanese hits [2026]
- Kids go wild! Popular hand games and fun sing-alongs
[Children’s Songs You Can Sing in August] Summer Fun Kids’ Songs & Hand-Play Songs (51–60)
Yah-ho-ho! Summer vacation!sakushi: itou akira / sakkyoku: kobayashi asei
When we were kids, the thing we most looked forward to as summer approached was probably summer vacation.
The children’s song “Yah-ho-ho! Summer Vacation” captures those feelings.
Its lyrics convey the excitement of a long break—missing your friends for a while, but bursting with things to look forward to.
It’s a perfect song to sing while imagining classic summer fun like trips, pools, shaved ice, and fireworks.
Keep singing it over and over until summer vacation ends and the new term begins!
Banana Parent and ChildSakushi: Seki Kazuo / Sakkyoku: Fukuda Kazuha
Banana songs really do suit summer, don’t they? Here’s a popular tune that’s been around since it aired on NHK’s “Okaasan to Issho” in 1982.
The lyrics are like a tongue twister, repeated while gradually speeding up, so it’s a song you can sing like a game.
What’s more, although it starts in 4/4 time, it ends with the tongue-twister section in 3/4, making it a tricky, high-difficulty piece.
If you listen to this song from a young age—before you even have much concept of time signatures—it might just help you in your future musical life!
Summer MemoriesSakushi: Ema Akiko / Sakkyoku: Nakata Yoshinao
This song is by the much-talked-about duo of Akiko Ema, a lyricist who represents the Showa era’s children’s songs, and the popular composer Yoshinao Nakata.
It was created at NHK’s request for a piece filled with postwar dreams and hope, and when it was first broadcast on a radio program in 1949, it reportedly received an enormous response.
Although the lyrics don’t explicitly sing of dreams or hope, the beautiful natural scenery cleanses the heart and seems to naturally stir dreams and hope.
In addition, Nakata’s melody avoids dramatic leaps; it’s gentle in tone yet very memorable and beautiful.
Crunchy shaved ice
This is “Gari-Gari Kakigōri,” a hand-play song about shaved ice that kids love.
In the old days, we used to work hard making shaved ice by hand, but now electric machines are the norm.
With just one switch, the shaved ice is ready in no time.
It’s very convenient, but making it yourself while singing this song would surely be fun, too.
[Children’s Songs You Can Sing in August] Summer-Fun Kids’ Songs & Hand-Play Songs (61–70)
Oh, the ranch is green.
Let’s move our bodies to the rhythm! Here are some ideas for “Oh, the Meadow is Green.” These ideas are perfect for summer, when the weather is nice and the air is crisp.
They’re especially recommended if you’re thinking, “What song should we sing this month?” or “I’m looking for something with a good rhythm!” The song “Oh, the Meadow is Green” is the Japanese version of the folk song “Ach, synku, synku”/“Ach, krásná louka” (often known in English as “Ah, Lovely Meadow”), which has been sung for a long time in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
By adding some choreography, you can enjoy engaging with the music even more.
Story Finger
Something kids are sure to love! Here are some ideas for “Ohanashi Yubisan.” On hot summer days, you probably spend more time indoors, right? We recommend using “Ohanashi Yubisan” as an introduction before physical play, picture books, or craft activities.
Children will be captivated by the movements and singing of teachers or parents, and their attention will naturally gather.
Another nice benefit is that they can learn the names of their fingers while playing! Give it a try.
The fish jumps.
A refreshing hand game! Let me share some ideas for “Sakana ga Hanete” (Fish Jumping).
When you think of summer, many people probably imagine watersides like rivers and the sea, right? This is a unique fish-themed hand game you’ll want to use before fish-related crafts or dances.
Before starting the game, it could be fun to ask the children how they would react if a fish suddenly jumped—boing!—out of the water.
In this playful activity, fish hop onto different parts of the body and stick there, then keep transforming one after another—such a unique hand game!