[Childcare] Summer songs: Full of fun! Summer nursery rhymes & finger-play songs
When the rainy season ends, summer finally arrives! Here, we’ll introduce a variety of children’s songs to help you enjoy the season.
We’ve gathered songs that kids love, as well as hand-play songs often sung in nurseries and kindergartens.
Listening to these songs will make you look forward to the long-awaited summer even more.
Hand-play songs are also fun for little ones, so be sure to incorporate them into your childcare activities.
While the days will be getting hotter, some children’s songs can make you feel cooler just by listening.
Enjoy a fun-filled summer together with the children!
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[Childcare] Summer songs. Full of fun! Summer nursery rhymes & hand-play songs (61–70)
ice cream
Ice cream that both kids and adults love! It tastes especially good in the hot summer, doesn’t it? Here’s a hand-play activity themed around ice cream.
In this activity, the song includes hand motions like mixing ingredients such as milk and eggs and cooling them, so children can enjoy it as if they’re playing make-believe, which nurtures their imagination.
It’s perfect for food education, too.
We also recommend expanding the play by making different flavors based on the children’s requests—like strawberry, chocolate, grape, or melon! Give it a try and make some delicious ice cream together!
Let’s go to the forest.
When you want to feel like you’re in a forest, the perfect song is “Let’s Go to the Forest.” This warm, heartfelt song lets you feel the joy of playing in nature and the gentle comfort of the woods.
If you sing it while picturing the green trees, chirping birds, and the pleasant breeze, both the singer and the listeners will feel as if they’re actually in the forest.
The key is to sing each word clearly and brightly.
It’s a song full of charm that naturally brings joy—sing it with excitement, letting your body bounce to the rhythm, and you’ll find yourself having fun.
Morning on the Ranch
It is said that the lyrics of “Morning on the Ranch” were written with Iwase Farm in Kagamiishi, Fukushima Prefecture as their model.
The lyrics depict the ranch at daybreak, shrouded in mist, interweaving scenes of sound and light along with the people working on the ranch and the sheep.
Describing how morning arrives on the wide ranch and a new day begins, the song’s lyrics are also included in elementary school textbooks.
Asking children what kinds of animals might be on a ranch, or explaining the kinds of work people do there, may help them form a clearer image of the piece.
A quiet lakeside
“Shizukana Kohan” (Quiet Lakeside) is a German folk song to which Keizo Horiuchi added Japanese lyrics.
Its gentle tempo and catchy, memorable melody make it popular with children, who sing it cheerfully and with enthusiasm.
Because it’s a beloved song, many people of all ages know it, which is another reason it’s so enjoyable.
Forming a circle and holding hands while singing with the children can create a sense of unity and make it even more fun.
Since it’s a bright, lively tune, it’s also recommended for summer events.
wind chime
Hearing the sound of wind chimes in the hot summer gives you a sense of elegance, doesn’t it? With its relaxed tempo and gentle lyrics, “Wind Chimes” is a pleasant children’s song that evokes the feeling of summer.
It’s also great to sing while holding a baby for a nap or when they start to cry.
Showing what an actual wind chime looks like can make it easier to imagine the lyrics, too.
Try singing this wind chime song with children to make the summer heat feel cooler.
It might even become a song that reminds you of your summer memories.
loquatsakushi: mado michio / sakkyoku: isobe shigeru
Written by the poet Michio Mado, this song has lyrics and a melody so gentle that it leaves you with a warm, cozy feeling.
The image of loquats on the tree appearing not as single fruits but grouped together—and describing that closeness as them snuggling because they’re kind—is just wonderful, isn’t it? I’d be so happy if children could grow up with that kind of loving, rich imagination.
It even makes me crave loquats.
Song of the cicadasakushi: satou yoshimi / sakkyoku: nakata yoshinao
When the sound of cicadas reaches your ears, you can’t help but feel that summer has arrived.
If their chorus is too loud it can seem noisy, but the chirping of cicadas is closely linked with summer in Japan.
The children’s song “Cicada Song,” which is popular among kids, is highly recommended—if you sing it together while catching cicadas on a hot summer day, it makes the game even more fun.
Coming up with your own original dance moves could be enjoyable too!
