[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)
There's no such thing as ghosts.Lyrics by Minori Maki / Music by Akira Mine
Speaking of summer, it’s the season for ghost stories and spirits.
This song is a Japanese children’s song with lyrics by Minori Maki and music by Akira Mine, broadcast in 1966 on NHK’s program “Minna no Uta,” sung by Mieko Hirota.
In 2015, Kaela Kimura covered it, and it was selected as a required piece for the 2016 childcare worker practical exam, making it one of the children’s songs still actively used today.
Summer has comeLyrics by Nobutsuna Sasaki / Music by Sakunosuke Koyama
This is an old children’s song published in 1896, with lyrics by Nobutsuna Sasaki and music by Sakunosuke Koyama.
In 2007, it was selected as one of Japan’s 100 Favorite Songs.
The lyrics celebrate early-summer scenes such as deutzia flowers and cuckoos, and although its classical literary style may feel unfamiliar to children today, it is truly beautiful.
It is one of the Japanese songs we hope to keep singing and passing down.
Beyond the rainbowLyrics and Music: Osamu Sakata
The children’s song “Niji no Mukō ni” conjures up a dazzling summer scene that awaits beyond the gloomy, rainy monsoon season.
When the rain stops, what do we see? A rainbow, of course! The rainy season can be such a drag when you can’t even go out to play.
But just like in this song, thinking about the sparkling sun and beautiful rainbow that appear after the rain can fill you with hope, right? And beyond that rainbow you see, there are surely all kinds of dreams and hopes packed in! It’s a song that makes you look forward to the summer that comes after enduring the rainy season.
There’s also a hand-play version that matches the lyrics, so be sure to give that a try too!
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.
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.