[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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- Children’s Songs You Can Sing in August: Summer-Friendly Kids’ Songs and Fingerplay Rhymes
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- [Rainy Season Songs] Masterpieces and Rain Songs That Evoke the Rainy Season, Interpreted from Their Lyrics [2026]
- [Rain Songs] Songs to listen to on rainy days. A special feature on Japanese rain-themed songs [2026]
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[June Nursery Rhymes] Fun Hand-Play Songs and Traditional Children’s Songs Perfect for the Rainy Season (1–10)
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!
Vegetable SongNEW!
As the title suggests, “Yasai no Uta” (The Vegetable Song) features a variety of vegetables appearing one after another, letting you enjoy hand motions and gestures tailored to each one.
It’s a great educational song that helps children learn words to a catchy rhythm.
It has been loved for many years, including being recorded with vocals by Satoko Yamano on the album “Minna Daisuki Ekaki-uta • Asobi-uta,” released in May 2012.
Even on rainy days when you can’t play outside, let’s get everyone excited with this song at home or in preschool!
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!
[June Nursery Rhymes] Fun Hand-Play Songs and Traditional Children's Songs Perfect for the Rainy Season (11–20)
If it rainsNEW!
This is a children’s song created to help us enjoy the changing seasons.
It was included in Hiroshi Yatabe’s arranged and composed collection published in May 1998 and has long been cherished in early childhood education settings.
With short phrases and clear repetition, it depicts small creatures and natural scenes that get busy on rainy days, such as mother frogs.
The perspective of seeing rain not as unpleasant weather but as a time when frogs and nearby nature come to life is wonderful.
Try playing it together in kindergartens and nursery schools in June.
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!
Crocodile familyNEW!
This piece is a classic in preschools and kindergartens, where you use both hands to act out five family members like Dad and Mom.
As children make big movements with their fingers and arms and fully get into character to strike the poses, even little ones have a blast.
Even during the rainy season when you spend more time indoors, this song lets parents and kids, friends—everyone—move their bodies together and share some laughs.