[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 (41–50)
soap bubbleSakushi: Noguchi Ujō / Sakkyoku: Nakayama Shinpei
Among the traditional songs and children’s tunes Japan is proud of, the beloved classic “Shabondama” (Soap Bubbles) is known by everyone, young and old alike, and its somewhat wistful melody resonates with the Japanese heart.
Singing this song while playing with soap bubbles on a hot summer day might even make you feel a little cooler.
As an aside, there are various interpretations of the lyrics’ melancholy meaning.
The most famous theory is that lyricist Ujō Noguchi imbued the song with feelings for his eldest daughter, who died shortly after birth, but it’s not certain whether that story is actually true.
Summer MemoriesSakushi: Ema Akiko / Sakkyoku: Nakata Yoshinao
As the lyrics say, when summer comes, the Japanese summer song that springs to mind is surely “Natsu no Omoide” (Summer Memories).
Many people probably sang it in chorus back in junior high school.
It appears in music textbooks, too, and it’s no exaggeration to call it a summer song deeply etched in the hearts of the Japanese.
“Natsu no Omoide” was released in 1949, with lyrics by Akiko Ema, famed for works like “Hana no Machi,” and music by Yoshinao Nakata, known for “Chiisai Aki Mitsuketa” and “Medaka no Gakkō.” It’s truly a piece born from the exceptional talents of these two creators.
water playSakushi: Azuma Kume / Sakkyoku: Taki Rentaro
It was included in the Kindergarten Song Collection published in 1901.
Using colloquial lyrics to create nursery songs for young children was considered groundbreaking at the time.
With its simple and short lyrics, it’s a song that even little children can enjoy clapping and playing along to.
The Curry Rice SongSakushi: Tomorogi Yukio / Sakkyoku: Mine Akira
Is there anyone who doesn’t like curry and rice? It’s such a beloved food that it even makes for a popular children’s song.
This song is a nursery rhyme that sings out a curry-and-rice recipe, complete with hand motions.
While enjoying the song, some kids might even end up wanting to actually make curry and rice.
Let’s encourage them to take on the challenge of cooking, too! I think it’s great for children to learn and have fun starting from the things they’re interested in and love.
Ms. Himawari
Sunflowers, with their large yellow blossoms facing the sun, are uplifting just to look at, aren’t they? How about singing this sunflower-themed song, “Himawari-san,” together with the children? Its slow, gentle melody is easy to get familiar with, and the many repeated lyrics make it simple even for younger kids to remember—one of its charms.
When everyone sings, try forming a sunflower shape with both hands or stretching tall and singing up toward the sky; it’s a great way to nurture children’s expressive skills, so it’s highly recommended.
If you sing with big smiles and lots of energy, their hearts and bodies may grow quickly—just like summer sunflowers!
Water Gun Song
Let me introduce a fingerplay for “The Water Gun Song,” perfect for water play or before getting into the pool.
This lively song lets kids feel the unique fun and sense of freedom of summertime water play.
The motion of pretending your fingers are a water gun and going “pew-pew” helps develop fingertip dexterity, imagination, and a sense of rhythm.
The tempo is slow, so even younger children can enjoy joining in.
Various plants and flowers like dahlias and maple leaves appear in the song, so showing real examples or photos may help children picture them more easily.
It’s also fun to swap in familiar plants and playground equipment from your schoolyard into the lyrics.
Give it a try!
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.
