[Children’s Songs for June] Fun finger-play songs and traditional nursery rhymes perfect for the rainy season
The rainy season makes you long for summer.
When it rains day after day, many children make teru-teru bozu and wish, “Please be sunny!”
Precisely because it’s a time when it’s hard to play outside as much as you’d like, why not have fun by singing children’s songs and hand-play songs together?
In this article, we’ll introduce children’s songs and hand-play songs that are perfect for June, the month of the rainy season.
We’ve selected a wide range, from famous songs like “Katatatsumuri” (Snail) to hand-play favorites popular with children in nursery schools and kindergartens.
Let’s change our perspective and turn a rainy day into a fun one!
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[June Nursery Rhymes] Fun Hand-Play Songs and Traditional Children’s Songs Perfect for the Rainy Season (1–10)
spool (of thread); winding thread; Itomaki (traditional toy spinning top), depending on contextNEW!
It’s a simple hand-play song with easy actions like twirling both hands and tapping lightly, so even small children can imitate it.
You can enjoy the excitement of creating cute items in time with the music.
Based on a Danish nursery rhyme, this piece was created by Yoshiko Kayama and Akihiro Komori.
It was released as a record in July 1983.
It was even used as material for Ken Shimura’s gags.
Have fun playing together as a parent and child while expanding your imagination!
Let’s clap our handsNEW!
“Let’s Clap Our Hands,” with lyrics in Japanese by Junichi Kobayashi and arrangement by Yoshinao Nakata, invites children to naturally enjoy expressing their emotions through actions like moving their hands, stamping their feet, and making crying or smiling faces.
Because the rules are very simple, it’s recommended even for little ones aged one or two.
It’s perfect for parent-child play or for singing together at daycare—great for many different situations!
Knock, knock, knock, knock, Grandpa with the beardNEW!
When it keeps raining and you can’t go outside, why not have fun indoors marching energetically and playing hand games? The familiar “Ton ton ton ton Hige Jiisan” is a delightful song full of smiles, where you touch different parts of your face to a rhythmic melody.
Make fists with both hands and become “Bearded Grandpa” or “Knobby Grandpa,” moving your hands and fingers a lot! Once you get used to it, try speeding up the song more and more, or personalize it by switching to the names of your favorite characters—that’s highly recommended.
Because the motions are simple and repetitive, even little children can quickly learn and join in.
At home or in preschool, let’s all sing happily together and laugh the rainclouds away!
[June Nursery Rhymes] Fun Hand-Play Songs and Traditional Children's Songs Perfect for the Rainy Season (11–20)
Song of DropsNEW!
With lyrics by Mado Michio and music by Oonaka Megumi, this work centers on a very charming story: the tears of God turn into sweet candies with colors and flavors and scatter across the world.
Broadcast on an NHK program in October 1963, it became widely known from there.
Passed down in song for many years, it was included in albums such as the NHK “Minna no Uta” 45th Anniversary Best Collection released in August 2006.
Let’s sing it out with energy while imagining the taste of the sweets!
Panda, rabbit, koalaNEW!
During the rainy season when you can’t go outside, why not pretend to be animals indoors? This is a song where you call out the names of popular animals—panda, rabbit, and koala—in order, and imitate them with your face and hands.
Just moving your body to the rhythm will naturally bring a smile to your face.
It aired in May 1990 as the Monthly Song on NHK’s “Okaasan to Issho” and remains a beloved favorite.
Lyrics by Hiroo Takada, music by Hiroki Inui.
Let’s all do it together and have a great time!
Piglet-raccoon dog-fox-catNEW!
This is a famous play song that has long been loved on NHK’s program “Okaasan to Issho,” with a vocal version by Yuko Kanzaki and Osamu Sakata released in February 2007.
Written and composed by Naosumi Yamamoto, it’s packed with the fun of wordplay that strings together four animals.
Its short lyrics and easy-to-remember melody are part of its charm, making it enjoyable even for small children.
When rainy seasons keep you indoors, why not sing it at home or in daycare?
The Clock SongNEW!
June often brings continuous rain that makes it hard to play outside.
A great activity for the rainy season is “Tokei no Uta” (The Clock Song), which is often sung in kindergartens and nurseries around the Time Day in June.
Use both hands as the long and short clock hands and pretend to be a clock.
To the fun “tick-tock” rhythm, your hands say “hello” to each other, then cross and give a tight hug—such a cute movement.
It’s also fun to imagine which hand is the grown-up and which is the child while you play.
Even on rainy days when you spend more time indoors, become a clock together with your child or friends, enjoy the hand game, and spend a delightful time with lots of smiles!