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Lovely nursery rhymes, folk songs, and children's songs

Nursery rhymes I want to sing in July: fun summer songs

July, the beginning of summer, is hot but such a fun season, isn’t it?

How about singing joyfully in the hot summer to blow the heat away?

To prevent kids from getting heatstroke, spending time indoors singing fun songs is also recommended!

Here, we’ve gathered classic children’s songs and ones often sung at nurseries and kindergartens.

There are songs you can enjoy with hand play, too.

There are lots of songs children love, so sing and play together and feel the summer!

You can have a great time at home as well.

Use this as a guide so both kids and adults can have fun together!

Nursery rhymes to sing in July: Fun summer songs (71–80)

Mambo Jimbetatsu!Sakushi sakkyoku: Beppu Nodoka

[Dance Kids] Mambo Jim Betatsu! / gaagaaS [preschool/sea/fish/aquarium/sports day/recital/funny faces/parenting/children’s songs]
Mambo Jimbetatsu!Sakushi sakkyoku: Beppu Nodoka

This is a playful song where beloved ocean creatures like sunfish and whale sharks make one cheerful entrance after another to a lively beat.

Created by Nodoka Beppu, who draws inspiration from children’s smiles, the song features catchy phrases that make the most of the sounds of each animal’s name.

The video on the childcare website is also very popular, suggesting it’s widely enjoyed in real settings.

Dancing as if you’re ocean creatures might spark children’s rich expressive abilities.

Creepy-Crawly Sports DaySakushi sakkyoku: Koharu (Charan Po Rantan)

[NHK] Zokuzoku Sports Day (Cover) – Okaasan to Issho, Suipappa, Aquarium ★ Okaasan to Issho [Children’s Songs, Nursery Rhymes, Hand Play, Kids, Dance] Japanese Children’s Song
Creepy-Crawly Sports DaySakushi sakkyoku: Koharu (Charan Po Rantan)

It’s a fun, exciting song that makes you thrilled just imagining an aquarium sports day.

The lyrics depict jellyfish and dolphins moving rhythmically, sparking children’s rich imaginations.

First released on an NHK E-Tele program in July 2018, the piece was later included as a video on Komoriuta, an album by Charan-Po-Rantan, the group to which the creator, Koharu, belongs.

Just move your body to the music and you’ll feel like you’re in an aquarium! It’s perfect for summer indoor play or parent–child time—everyone can sing and dance along with energy.

It’s summer—time for the pool!Sakushi • Sakkyoku: Abe Naomi

[Hand Play] It’s summer, it’s pool time ♪ <with actions>
It’s summer—time for the pool!Sakushi • Sakkyoku: Abe Naomi

A song packed with the fun of becoming underwater creatures—swimming smoothly like a frog, floating gently like a jellyfish, and playing in full character.

The cheerful chorus everyone can sing together will boost the excitement for water play.

Created by Naomi Abe, a leading figure in children’s music, this piece is also included on the February 2016 album “Asobiuta-den: Shunkashūtō Tora no Maki.” It’s perfect as a warm-up before getting into the pool—sing while moving your body with lots of energy! Make summer memories by imitating underwater creatures together as parent and child.

Squid squid dolphinSakushi: Shimoyama Kei / Sakkyoku: Fukuda Wakako

Squid Squid Dolphin [Uta no Mama Papa] Okaasan to Issho - Children's Song, Hand Play
Squid squid dolphinSakushi: Shimoyama Kei / Sakkyoku: Fukuda Wakako

It’s a song where changing just one character—“ru”—turns it into a different creature, showcasing a brilliant wordplay idea.

Written by lyricist Kei Shimoyama and composed by Wakako Fukuda, this piece comically portrays a mischievous dolphin and an ink-squirting squid! The song was first performed on NHK’s “Okaasan to Issho” in January 1998 and was released as a single in August 1999.

The lively call-and-response lines in the lyrics make it perfect for parents and children to create their own original dance and have fun together.

Whale BusSakushi: Ide Takao / Sakkyoku: Shibuya Tsuyoshi

Whale Bus (Okaasan to Issho) / Daisuke Yokoyama & Takumi Mitani
Whale BusSakushi: Ide Takao / Sakkyoku: Shibuya Tsuyoshi

A giant sea creature transforms into a bus and sets off on a grand adventure to Antarctica, carrying fish passengers on board! This song, which unfolds in such a playful world, is a work by the renowned duo of lyricist Takao Ide and composer Takeshi Shibuya.

Since its debut on NHK’s “Okaasan to Issho” in June 2006, it has been lovingly passed down and sung by many performers.

If children sing while pretending to be the driver or the passengers, they can enjoy the exhilarating feeling of traveling through the sea, while also expanding their imaginations even further.

Let’s invite that girl and go to the beach.Sakushi: Ide Takao / Sakkyoku: Fukuda Wakako

Let's invite that kid and go to the sea – with subtitled lyrics [UtaSuki Video] Okaasan to Issho
Let's invite that girl and go to the beach.Sakushi: Ide Takao / Sakkyoku: Fukuda Wakako

It’s a song that makes your heart dance, like setting off on an adventure to the sea with friends.

The lyrics are wonderfully charming, expanding children’s rich imaginations with images of daydreaming about mermaids and pretending to be pirates! This piece was performed on NHK E-Tele’s “Okaasan to Issho,” with the audio released in March 2015, and it’s also included on the album “NHK Okaasan to Issho Special Stage: Welcome to the Midsummer Party.” With its light, danceable rhythm, it might be perfect for lively playtime where kids can move their bodies energetically with their friends.

Ms. HimawariSakushi: Koharu Kyuichiro / Sakkyoku: Nakata Yoshinao

Himawari-san by Himawari 🌻 with Lyrics | Summer Children's Song |
Ms. HimawariSakushi: Koharu Kyuichiro / Sakkyoku: Nakata Yoshinao

A song that portrays everyday summer life from a child’s innocent perspective, as if talking to a big flower under the blazing sun.

Lively scenes like playing with water guns and wearing straw hats also appear, making it easy to picture a joyful summer day just by listening.

This work is known as a classic often loved in childcare settings.

In addition to singing it at nurseries and kindergartens, it might be nice to sing it at home with your child, using hand motions to share the fun of summer.