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!
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Nursery rhymes I want to sing in July: Fun summer songs (31–40)
Vegetable Song
The song “Yasai no Uta” features lots of vegetables.
It’s super cute and easy to remember because it turns parts of the vegetables’ names and their characteristics into onomatopoeia in the lyrics.
It’s also great as a hand-play song and rhythm activity, so it’s a recommended tune.
July is when it really starts to feel like summer, and many kinds of summer vegetables come into season.
This song can help kids who don’t like certain veggies—and even the ones they usually eat—grow more fond of them.
It’s also nice to introduce each vegetable’s traits after you finish singing.
Camp da Hoi
This song has been beloved for many years on NHK’s popular program “Okaasan to Issho.” Its lyrics, full of energy, capture the fun of camping.
Set to a bright, cheerful melody, it portrays friendships that blossom through first-time experiences and new encounters.
Written and composed by Maki Maki in the 1960s, the song is loved by people of all ages, from children to adults.
It’s widely enjoyed at camps and outdoor activities, and is often sung with guitar or ukulele accompaniment.
It’s a staple for creating memories at summer camps and overnight childcare events.
When everyone raises their voices together, it’s sure to make the atmosphere even more fun!
To the Sun in the Palm of Your Hand
Since it was featured on Minna no Uta in 1962, “Tenohira wo Taiyou ni” has been beloved by many children.
The lyrics were written by Takashi Yanase, with the music crafted by Mariko Miyagi.
The words, which portray the mystery and vitality of life, are sure to energize both singers and listeners.
Another charm of the song is how easy it is to add simple choreography that matches the lyrics, such as raising your hands or mimicking animals.
Adding movement while singing can help you immerse yourself even more in the world of the song.
Hyokkori Hyoutan-jimaLyrics: Hisashi Inoue / Morihisa Yamamoto ・ Music: Seiichirō Uno
It’s an exhilarating song for setting off on an adventure, with lyrics by playwrights Hisashi Inoue and Morihisa Yamamoto and music by composer Seiichirō Uno.
Its buoyant melody carries a powerful message about overcoming any hardship together with your friends.
This track is famously known as the theme song for an NHK puppet show that began airing in April 1964—some of you may have been hooked on it back then! There are many videos available with choreography, so why not use them as a reference and get moving energetically with the kids?
Swim! Taiyaki-kunShimon Masato
This is a song by Masato Shimon that tells the story of a taiyaki who, fed up with its boring daily life and dreaming of freedom, runs away to the sea.
Released in December 1975, the song became a massive hit, topping the charts for 11 consecutive weeks as an insert song on the children’s program Hirake! Ponkikki.
Many listeners likely remember the taiyaki’s seafaring adventure set to a wistful melody—and its slightly bittersweet ending.
Through this piece, you can not only imagine the unique sight of a taiyaki setting out to sea, but also take the opportunity to think together with your child about the deeper question: What does freedom really mean?
Nursery rhymes to sing in July: Fun summer songs (41–50)
waves and seashells
For those looking for children’s songs with seaside or sandy beach motifs, “Nami to Kaigara” is a great choice.
Its lyrics, themed around “seashells,” pair well with a melody that evokes a bright, sunny sea.
Three different shells appear in the lyrics, so it could be fun to create illustrations of each and turn it into a quiz: “What kind of shell is this?” If you’re good at playing instruments like piano or percussion, perform along with the children’s singing.
Precisely because it’s a hot summer, enjoy a song that conjures up a refreshing beach.
Balloon Song
Animals and fruits of various kinds appear to match the colors of the balloons.
Since you can rearrange the animals and fruits into other items like cars or trains, you can sing it in many different ways without getting bored.
If you handcraft illustrations to match the lyrics and show them like a picture-story play while singing along to the melody, little children can enjoy singing while learning the different types of animals and fruits.
If you cut out balloons from colored paper and draw illustrations on the back or make them together, it also sounds like a fun summer craft.
