[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 (31–40)
Goldfish’s NapSakushi: Kashima Naruaki / Sakkyoku: Hirota Ryūtarō
Goldfish scooping is a must at fun summer festivals! There are probably many children who scoop goldfish at the festival and then raise them at home.
A children’s song with that very theme is “Kingyo no Hirune” (Goldfish Napping).
Its gentle melody brings a calm that could lull not only the goldfish but also the listener into a drowsy afternoon nap.
The lyrics describe a goldfish dozing off, and when someone says, “If you wake up, I’ll give you a tasty meal,” the goldfish opens its eyes.
If you want to wake up your pet goldfish at home, why not try imitating this song?
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.
Rainy MoonSakushi: Noguchi Ujō / Sakkyoku: Nakayama Shinpei
With its beautifully nostalgic melody, just reading the lyrics conjures vivid scenes—“Amefuri Otsukisan” truly sings the heart of Japan.
It first appeared in the Taishō era in the children’s magazine Kodomo no Kuni, under the original title “Amefuri Otsuki.” Later, when it was recorded, it was combined with “Kumo no Kage,” a piece introduced in the same magazine as a sequel, and thus reborn as “Amefuri Otsukisan.” While the melody is easy to remember, the words used in the lyrics can be difficult for young children to understand, so it might be nice for mothers or fathers to sing it together with their children on a rainy summer night.
Glide, glide, glide through the sea.
This song is packed with the excitement of exploring the sea.
Swimming alongside sailors and meeting creatures like seahorses and turtles will spark children’s curiosity.
The song has been featured on Pokémon Kids TV and is popular with kids.
It’s perfect for parents and children to enjoy together with hand motions! If you show pictures of sea creatures while singing, it might help nurture language and knowledge through play.
swim goggles
This is a very charming fingerplay song where children peer through “glasses” made with both hands to look for sea creatures.
Asking “What’s there next?” sparks their imagination.
The song has been performed by various creators, with some videos on YouTube surpassing one million views—proof of its popularity.
Its widespread use as early childhood material also attests to how enjoyable it is.
If you freely change the creatures in the lyrics and tell them, “The ocean is full of mysteries!”, you may further draw out children’s curiosity and spirit of inquiry.
[Childcare] Summer Songs: Full of Fun! Summer Nursery Rhymes & Hand-Play Songs (41–50)
Fruit punch!gaagaaS
It’s a super lively dance song with the theme of desserts you crave in summer.
Like a fruit punch that becomes even tastier when colorful fruits come together, it conveys the joy of everyone dancing as one.
The dance video released in 2020 has been viewed over 2 million times, and the song is even used at AEON Group facilities.
On hot summer days when you’re craving cold, delicious fruit, pick your favorite fruit with your child, get into character, and dance your heart out!
La-la-la! Tropicarnival!gaagaaS
This is a kids’ exercise song with a cheerful rhythm that evokes a tropical carnival.
By shouting together and copying the adorable moves—like sticking your bottom out with a playful pop—it’s sure to spread smiles all around.
Created by the children’s music duo gaagaaS, the song has been adopted by over 1,100 childcare facilities since August 2024 as part of measures to cope with extreme heat.
It’s perfect for indoor play on hot summer days or for parents and children to move together.
Through the dance, you might just add another happy summer memory.