Children’s Songs You Can Sing in August: Summer-Friendly Kids’ Songs and Fingerplay Rhymes
Here are nursery rhymes and fingerplay songs for August that you can sing and enjoy! We’ve got a full lineup: songs that capture the fun of summer, tunes about tasty foods you’ll crave in the heat, and songs perfect for August events.
We also introduce tracks you can enjoy with fingerplays and dances, so try using them for indoor play during the sweltering summer or for activities in childcare settings.
Many are classic summer songs that have been passed down for generations, making them perfect for family time at home as well.
Teach children summer songs and enjoy a delightful time together while reminiscing about the past!
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[Nursery Rhymes to Sing in August] Summer-Friendly Children’s Songs & Hand-Play Songs (71–80)
Summer MemoriesLyrics: Akiko Ema / Music: Yoshinao Nakata
This song is by the much-talked-about duo of Akiko Ema, a lyricist who represents the Showa era’s children’s songs, and the popular composer Yoshinao Nakata.
It was created at NHK’s request for a piece filled with postwar dreams and hope, and when it was first broadcast on a radio program in 1949, it reportedly received an enormous response.
Although the lyrics don’t explicitly sing of dreams or hope, the beautiful natural scenery cleanses the heart and seems to naturally stir dreams and hope.
In addition, Nakata’s melody avoids dramatic leaps; it’s gentle in tone yet very memorable and beautiful.
Crunchy shaved ice
This is “Gari-Gari Kakigōri,” a hand-play song about shaved ice that kids love.
In the old days, we used to work hard making shaved ice by hand, but now electric machines are the norm.
With just one switch, the shaved ice is ready in no time.
It’s very convenient, but making it yourself while singing this song would surely be fun, too.
fireworksLyrics by Takeshi Inoue / Music by Kan’ichi Shimofusa
When you think of summer, you think of fireworks—and when you think of children’s songs about fireworks, this is the one.
It was released in 1941, yet it’s still beloved by children today.
The lyrics use onomatopoeia that even kids can easily understand to describe the fireworks bursting, which is really cute.
The melody also has a festive feel, and when you hear it, you can’t help but open your hands wide and imitate the fireworks going up.
It’s a song that even preschool and kindergarten children can enjoy, so be sure to give it a listen when summer comes.
Vegetable Song
It’s a fun song to listen to, featuring lots of onomatopoeia with a vegetable theme.
The video also introduces hand motions, so it would be great to sing along with children while adding the hand play.
Since many vegetables are introduced, you can use illustrations or real photos to teach different kinds of vegetables.
August 31 is “Vegetable Day,” so it would be nice to prepare something to match that date.
Thunder God has arrived.
Rumble, rumble! Thunder that roars across the sky—there are probably even adults who aren’t good with it, right? If it scares grown-ups, it’s only natural that it would be scary for children, too.
People often say thunder is caused by ogres drumming above the clouds, and this song is also inspired by that “Kaminari-don” motif.
When thunder rumbles, you can play along with hand motions—like hiding your belly button—which makes it fun to sing.
It’s said you can also enjoy the song by freely adding more body parts to hide.
watermelon splitting
When it comes to fruits that symbolize summer, the first thing that comes to mind is watermelon, right? Its vivid red and green colors and crisp, juicy texture are refreshing—perfect for summer.
This song sings about playing suikawari (watermelon splitting).
The game of blindfolding yourself and trying to split a whole watermelon is a summertime activity enjoyed by both children and adults.
Picture a watermelon in your mind, move your hands along with it, and have fun singing!
bug-catching game
Even if you feel like you could never touch bugs now, many people probably enjoyed catching them as a matter of course when they were kids.
This song, “Mushitori Asobi,” is a recommended summer tune that lets children—and adults, too—enjoy bug-catching within the song and recapture a childlike spirit.
It was used on the popular TV program “Okaasan to Issho,” but since it’s an older song, you might try looking for the CD at a rental shop.
Only three bugs appear—dragonflies, butterflies, and a praying mantis—so it’s easy to remember, and as long as you can mimic gestures like searching for bugs and react when you spot and catch them, you can have fun dancing to it!