[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!
- Nursery rhymes I want to sing in July: fun summer songs
- Children’s Songs You Can Sing in August: Summer-Friendly Kids’ Songs and Fingerplay Rhymes
- [Sea Nursery Rhymes] Fun children's songs themed around the sea
- A collection of summer-like songs: tracks that go perfectly with summer, like the sea and the sky.
- [Tanabata Children's Songs] Fun hand-play songs and a nostalgic collection of traditional nursery rhymes and folk songs
- [Children’s Songs for June] Fun finger-play songs and traditional nursery rhymes perfect for the rainy season
- Summer song medley. Timeless and popular tracks that color the summer.
- Nursery rhymes and fingerplay songs to enjoy in May! Songs perfect for the fresh green season
- Children’s songs, folk songs, and nursery rhymes about insects
- Recommended summer songs for kids: Popular J-POP/Japanese hits [2026]
- Get pumped with kids’ favorite songs! A memorable collection of classics that will make you want to sing along
- [Sunflower Songs] A selection of classic and popular tracks that give you energy in the hot summer
- Nursery rhymes, folk songs, and children's songs about food
[Childcare] Summer songs. Full of fun! Summer nursery rhymes & hand play songs (71–80)
The Goldfish’s Nap
The relaxed song “Goldfish’s Nap” is a popular children’s nursery rhyme.
If you sing it as a lullaby at nap time, some kids find it so soothing that they fall asleep right away.
The gentle movements of the goldfish—and the moments when it seems to pause completely—are adorable and make it feel as if the goldfish itself is napping.
The lyrics are easy to remember, so if you sing it repeatedly, children can sing along.
It’s also recommended to sing it together with a picture book that features goldfish.
When the Dock (Japanese knotweed) blooms
Let me introduce “When the Dock Blooms,” a song with a gentle melody and a bright tempo.
It’s a song about a flower called sukanpo (dock) that blooms in spring.
This warm children’s song evokes nostalgia, depicting children playing happily and energetically in the fields.
Because it includes repeated phrases that help you feel the season, even children around two years old can enjoy joining in.
Of course, it’s also a soothing piece for babies from 0 years old to listen to.
Be sure to try singing it with your children.
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.
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.
Mount FujiSakushi: Iwaya Kanao / Sakkyoku: Fushō
This is a children’s song and a Ministry of Education shoka (school song) with lyrics written by Iwaya Sazanami.
The composer is unknown.
It’s a famous piece that is also known by the title “Fuji-san.” Many people may have sung it in their childhood.
If you enjoy mountain climbing, you’ve probably heard it at least once.
Sea Dance
There are many songs with an ocean theme, but we want to protect our beautiful seas and encourage people to learn about them.
With that wish in mind, let’s sing “Umi Dance” during the summer beach season.
Its upbeat, catchy rhythm makes it a lively number that’s perfect for singing and dancing together.
The charm of the song is that you can have fun while learning about what’s good and bad for the marine environment.
Through the song and dance, you can discover what’s important to keep the seas surrounding Japan clean and healthy forever.
If you come up with choreography and dance together, it will be great fun for school plays and recitals, too.
