[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 (21–30)
tomatoSakushi: Shōji Takeshi／Sakkyoku: Ōnaka Megumi
Its title says it all: “Tomato,” themed around the summer vegetable.
The lyrics are striking in how they simply adore the tomato’s name and appearance.
In the first verse, the tomato’s name is treated almost like wordplay, and that cuteness is praised.
In the second verse, the song admires how a tomato starts out green and then turns red as it grows.
Those second-verse lyrics even let you learn about the stages that make a tomato turn into its cute red form! With such an adorable portrayal, kids who already love tomatoes may love them even more, and those who don’t might start to like tomatoes thanks to this song.
The frog’s fluteSakushi: Saitō Nobuo / Sakkyoku: Kainuma Minoru
When people hear “frogs,” many might think of rain, but on summer nights you can always hear their voices coming from somewhere, too.
The children’s song “Kaeru no Fue” (The Frog’s Flute) perfectly matches that summer night scene.
It portrays the distant croaking you hear at bedtime as frogs playing flutes, and sings about it.
The sound of those frog “flutes” is like a lullaby, bringing gentle moments to hot summer nights.
On a summer night when you can’t quite fall asleep, try listening closely to the frogs’ distant voices along with this song.
[Childcare] Summer songs. Full of fun! Summer nursery rhymes & hand-play songs (31–40)
seaInoue Takeshi
The children’s song “Umi” conjures up images of a gentle, beautifully blue sea.
Sung in English as “THE SEA” by American singer-songwriter Greg Irwin, the song celebrates the boundless expanse of the ocean.
The sun and moon rise and set along the horizon, the waves are calm yet at times turn fierce, and beyond the sea lies a world still unseen.
Along with the many scenes of the vast ocean, this song inspires dreams and hope for the world that stretches beyond the sea.
Whale ClockSakushi: Seki Kazuo / Sakkyoku: Shibuya Takeshi
This children’s song, “The Whale’s Clock,” is perfect for a refreshing summer day by the sea.
You might not easily spot a whale, but how about singing this tune when you go to the beach and enjoying a fun time? Just like the whale, seagulls and dolphins in the ocean ask the whale for the time.
Each time, the whale answers with a time that playfully relates to itself.
In the end, it even adds a little “ra,” turning it into a bit of a pun.
It’s a charming song featuring a very mischievous whale.
The Banana That Flew Awaysakushi: kataoka akira/sakkyoku: sakurai jun
Bananas are mainly grown on southern islands that evoke the hot summer season.
The playful children’s song “Tondetta Banana” (“The Banana That Flew Away”) tells a funny story of a banana flying off here and there.
It starts with two children fighting over a single banana, which suddenly flies away, then makes its way to a little bird and a crocodile.
In the end, it goes to a ship’s captain…
What happens after it reaches the captain? Be sure to sing the song and find out! The catchy phrase that plays whenever the scene changes is so memorable that many children can’t help but imitate it.
Song of Suihei-sanSuper Simple Songs
Let’s sing an ocean song called “Suihei-san no Uta,” with its relaxed, heartwarming melody and fun lyrics.
The playful words are packed with lots of sea creatures, making them tricky to memorize.
It’s a fun song featuring octopuses, jellyfish, seahorses, and more, and it’s a singing game where you see how many animal names you can remember as you sing.
Since it originally comes from an English song, it’s also helpful for children learning English.
Because so many different sea creatures appear, you might recognize some you already know.
You can learn, “Oh, so these kinds of creatures live in the sea,” test your memory, and enjoy singing it in lots of different ways.
Takoyaki
When you think of summer, you think of festivals; when you think of festivals, you think of food stalls; and then, of course, piping-hot takoyaki…
Let me introduce the fun hand-play song “Takoyaki” that naturally brings up those associations.
Its streamlined, simple melody and lyrics, along with easy-to-understand moves you can get at a glance, make it very easy to learn—even little kids can grasp it right away, which is great.
The clever touch of letting you learn the vowels a, i, u, e, o at the end of the lyrics is also delightful.
By all means, tie on a headband and enjoy it as if you were actually making takoyaki at a festival stall!
