[Childcare] Summer songs: Full of fun! Summer nursery rhymes & finger-play songs

The Curry Rice SongLyrics by Tomorogi Yukio / Music by Mine Akira

Curry Rice Song | Hand-play Video

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.

Sora Sora SomenLyrics by: Morichiyoko / Music by: Aiai

[NHK] Sora Sora Somen (Cover) with Choreography ★ Okaasan to Issho [Children’s Songs, Nursery Rhymes, Hand Play, Kids, Dance] Japanese Children’s Song, Nursery Rhymes

Sora Sora Somen, released in June 2021 as a monthly song on NHK’s long-running show Okaasan to Issho, is a recommended summer tune that kids can enjoy singing along to with hand motions.

The lyrics are fun, featuring somen noodles as a wanderer-like protagonist who keeps traveling until they meet their ideal dipping sauce.

With its high energy and guaranteed hype, it’s perfect for simple choreography and call-and-response parts that kids will love.

After singing, be sure to enjoy some somen together and beat the summer heat!

Transform! Rhinoceros BeetleLyrics: Yumearu / Music: Kahirosuzuki

Transform! Insect Songs Medley [All 5 Songs, 9 Minutes]

Many children probably go out during summer vacation to catch cool rhinoceros beetles with impressive horns.

For those kids, “Transform! Rhinoceros Beetle” is a great way to learn more about them.

The song follows the beetle’s journey from egg to larva to pupa, and finally into a cool adult rhinoceros beetle.

Set to a catchy pop melody, it describes the growth process in quite a bit of detail, making it educational too.

Sing along and have fun while you head out to look for rhinoceros beetles!

Pool exercisesLyrics by: Mitsuki Oyamada / Music by: Masashi Komatsubara

Pool Exercises / With Mother (Japanese kids' TV show) / Hand Play (fingerplay)

Speaking of summer, pools are a must for kids, right? Here’s a perfect song for your next pool outing: “Pool Taiso” (Pool Exercise).

The song describes how, when you get to the pool, it’s as if all kinds of creatures are already swimming around! Try moving your body and singing along by imitating the animals—if it’s a crab, make peace signs with both hands and mimic a crab, for example.

Since warm-ups are important before getting into the pool, why not sing and dance to this as part of your preparation?

hometownLyrics by Tatsuyuki Takano / Music by Teiichi Okano

Hometown (Furusato) / Opening lyric: ♪ Chasing hares / With easy-to-read lyrics [Japanese song, Japanese traditional song]

This song, written with the characters for “hometown” but read as “Furusato,” is well known as a choral piece.

Many of us may remember singing it rather haphazardly in the lower grades, then, as we got older, taking on the challenge of creating beautiful harmonies.

The lyrics were written by Tatsuyuki Takano, who was from Nakano City in Nagano Prefecture, and the city where he was born and raised is said to be the model for the song.

It’s an area that perfectly matches the image of “Japan’s hometown,” with fields, mountains, and traditional Japanese houses.

It would be wonderful if the memorable lyrics, melody, and scenery are passed down forever through this song.

echo gameLyrics by Ouchi Yasuyuki / Music by Akito Wakatsuki

Echo playtime ~Songs and nursery rhymes to enjoy in August~ #play #childcare #nurseryTeacher #children #athomePlay #musicPlay #songPlay #introduction #nurseryRhymes #summer #August #infants #toddlers #piano #song #video

When you shout “Yah-hoo!” loudly in the mountains, the mysterious echo answers back with the same “Yah-hoo~.” This children’s song is inspired by that echo, and it includes parts where the lyrics are repeated.

Even if you can’t sing the whole song, it seems fun to just sing the echo parts.

Those sections are very simple, so you can enjoy them together even with very young children.

We are children of the sea.Lyrics and composition: Ministry of Education shōka (school song)

We Are Children of the Sea [With Song] Children's Song / School Song

Ware wa Umi no Ko (We Are Children of the Sea), which also appears in music textbooks, is a Ministry of Education song first published in 1910 in the Elementary School Reader Songs.

In 2007, it was selected for the 100 Best Japanese Songs by Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs and the National PTA Council, making it one of Japan’s most emblematic songs in both name and substance.

Although the lyrics, which make extensive use of archaic language, can be somewhat difficult to understand, the content conveys the image of a boy born by the sea growing up strong and resilient.

Listening to its melody, which stirs a deep sense of nostalgia in Japanese people, you are reminded anew that Japan is a nation surrounded by the sea.