Lovely childcare

Let’s get infants and one-year-olds excited at the sports day too! A collection of event ideas for parents and children to enjoy together.

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
9 years of experience as a nursery school teacherShibata Risa
I am an active nursery school teacher with 9 years of experience. After graduating from university, I worked at a daycare center. The time I spent happily with children—playing piano, singing songs, and doing finger-play—are priceless memories to me. Currently, while raising three children of my own, I work at an after-school day service, engaging with children and providing individualized developmental support. Drawing on my diverse experiences as a childcare worker and as a mother, I hope to express and convey my thoughts through writing.

When it comes to sports day, it’s all about parent-child events! Here are some wonderful activities that even infants and wobbly-walking 0-year-olds can enjoy.

From the “Animal Train” to “Kinraki Rappon,” there are plenty of hands-on activities tailored to children’s stages of growth.

Whether a child can sit up or still needs to be held, these events let everyone join in together.

They can transform into cute animals, play hand games, and sway happily with their parents.

Create joyful memories filled with sparkling smiles from the children!

Playtime Activities for Parents and Children (11–20)

Stroll March

[Koganei Nursery School] 2022 Sports Day, 0-year-old Parent-Child Play: “Strolling March”

Stroll March

Let me introduce “Osanpo March,” a dance song full of interactive elements like poking cheeks, tickling, and lots of cuddly contact.

It’s basically done with parents and children facing each other.

Besides the touch-and-play parts, there are plenty of moves that capture children’s interest, like pointing and playing peekaboo.

Even babies from 0 years old can enjoy it, so why not incorporate it into your sports day events? The song ends with a big hug, which naturally brings smiles to the children’s faces.

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Cherry Mambo

Wakaba Nursery School: 2023 Sports Day – Parent-Child Dance for 0- and 1-Year-Olds, “Cherry Mambo”

Cherry Mambo

Let me introduce the Cherry Mambo, known for its cute tune.

You and your child start by facing each other and holding both hands! Some children may be able to sit while others can stand, so please begin in a comfortable position that suits your child’s stage of development.

The activities focus on parent-child interaction, such as shaking hands and giving tight hugs.

It ends with a big overhead lift.

Enjoy dancing together while feeling the joy of connecting with your child.

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Cart-pulling relay

Parent-child basket-pulling relay #Childcare #Kindergarten #Daycare #ChildcareWorker #SportsDay

Cart-pulling relay

The basket-pulling relay, which is popular for parent-participation events, is one of the classic sports day activities at many preschools.

It’s especially great for infants who aren’t ready to run yet—by sitting in a box and being pulled by a parent, they can enjoy the exhilarating feeling of running themselves.

Even with simple rules—head toward the cone, turn around, and come back—it can be surprisingly demanding.

Children may feel the thrill of running, while parents may feel like they’ve run a long distance! It’s a really fun event, so definitely consider including it.

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Perfect for water sports

Tomobe Kindergarten Sports Day Event Description No. 4 “Go! Go! Summer”

Perfect for water sports

Let me introduce a fun swimming game that uses swim rings.

Have the children wear swim caps and wait with their bodies through the swim ring.

At the start signal, they run and dive through a “sea” made of streamer tape! On the other side, fish are waiting—have them set down the swim ring and go fishing for a fish.

Once they catch one, they run to the finish line holding their fish! For a parents’ event, you can have the parent carry the child while the child pretends to swim, or make the fish smaller for the parents’ fishing part to increase the difficulty and excitement.

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What kind of vehicle is it?

What Kind of Vehicle Is It? [CD Book: Play Song “Ta-daa!” (Toshihiko Shinzawa, Satoko Yamano, Asami Mori, Riiko Yamada, Shinpei Kaneko, Jumpei Chiba, Makiko Matsuiya)]

What kind of vehicle is it?

We’d like to introduce a dance song called “What Kind of Vehicle Is It?” that lets you enjoy expressive play and balance play.

In this song, the lyrics mention the names and features of vehicles that children know well, and parents and children move together in ways inspired by those vehicles.

There are example moves, but it’s fine to move however you like based on the lyrics.

For example, for a train, a parent can place their hands on the child’s shoulders to become a train together, or the parent can make a tunnel for the child to crawl through.

Have fun interacting with the children while moving your bodies!

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In conclusion

We introduced parent-child activities that can make sports day for infants and 0-year-olds even more enjoyable.

By transforming into animals, gently interacting to music, and moving your bodies together, you can spend a time full of smiles.

We hope it becomes a sports day that remains in your hearts as a precious memory.

Choose activities that match the children’s developmental stages and enjoy an irreplaceable time together.