[Childcare] Perfect Indoor Play Ideas for 0-Year-Olds!

ring play

What kinds of ring games are there for 0-year-olds?

Let’s play using rings like the ones used for ring toss! You can play in a ring-toss style by throwing rings onto targets, or simply use the rings on their own for a variety of fun activities.

Even if the 0-year-old children don’t touch the rings directly, it can be enjoyable for the teacher to spin the rings and show them, or to demonstrate how ring toss works.

If you have large rings like hula hoops, it might be nice to have the children crawl into the ring, or crawl through it like a tunnel.

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SAKI

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Tunnel play

[0-year-olds] Crawl and explore! Tunnel play

Tunnel play is highly recommended during the crawling stage.

Try setting up a tunnel indoors using mats or cardboard! You can cut round windows into the cardboard tunnel, add streamer tape at the entrances, and incorporate other creative touches to spark children’s curiosity and boost their excitement to “try it!” Create a fun tunnel that invites exploration.

When the caregiver pops out and says “Peekaboo!” you’re sure to see adorable smiles.

Let’s stimulate their curiosity and help them move their bodies a lot, playing energetically even indoors!

circuit play

Circuit Play [Ages 0–1] | Torikai Yuiku-en [Nursery School/Kindergarten]

A circuit play activity where children can move around and have fun on a course lined with various obstacles like mats and tunnels! There’s the “Wobbly Mat,” where a mat is placed inside a hula hoop and children crawl forward over it, the “Tunnel,” where they pass through a tube-shaped fabric, and the “Soft Balance Beam,” made of gentle materials and set low to the ground so children can walk across it.

Faced with one attraction after another, children will be eager and engaged.

Another great feature of circuit play is that you can flexibly adjust the activities to suit the children’s developmental stages.

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yuri

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Eurhythmics play

[0-year-olds] Eurhythmics play in time with music♪

How about trying some eurhythmics play that lets kids move their bodies energetically even indoors? Moving to music or piano is said to promote children’s sense of rhythm, concentration, expressiveness, and thinking skills.

First, the childcare teacher should cheerfully demonstrate in front of the children.

They’ll be drawn in by the teacher’s vibe and will want to imitate! For 0-year-olds, there are large individual differences in physical development, so it’s best to suggest movements and play styles suited to each child—those who are lying down, crawling, or already walking.

Let’s increase their opportunities to engage with music and stimulate all five senses!

sensory bag

[Handmade Squishies] Three Types of Educational Toys Babies Can Play With [How to Make & Objectives]

Why not try making a DIY sensory bag and have some fun? Sensory bags are said to stimulate a baby’s sight and hearing and promote brain development, and you can easily make them with items from a 100-yen shop.

First, put an appropriate amount of different textured liquids—such as liquid laundry starch, styling gel, or baby oil—into a zip-top bag.

Next, add color to the liquid with paint, drop in beads or marbles, and seal the bag tightly with tape so nothing leaks out.

The irresistibly squishy feel is surprisingly addictive.

The sparkle of the beads and the slow, gooey movement of the liquid are fascinating, so babies around 0 years old are sure to be captivated! Give it a try.

block play

[0-year-olds] Playing with large blocks ♬

Block play that lets you assemble pieces to create various shapes like houses and rooms.

When people hear “blocks,” many may picture small pieces like LEGO bricks, but there are actually large blocks bigger than a child’s face! With larger ones, you don’t have to worry about them ending up in their mouth.

The appeal of blocks is that there are so many ways to enjoy them—assembling, grabbing and tossing, or having a teacher build a house and letting the children go inside.

Let’s have fun playing freely while combining the pieces in all sorts of ways.

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yuri

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[0-year-olds] Exploring with cardboard boxes

[Age 0] Exploration play in a house made of cardboard!

If you’re going to play with cardboard boxes with 0-year-olds, try making a little house or a playpen so they can enjoy exploratory play.

Let the children join in from the stage of sticking decorations onto the cardboard, so they can experience the fun of making things too.

If you prepare decorations in various colors and shapes, the children can enjoy the differences while they decorate.

How they play is up to them, so let’s watch over them so each child can enjoy themselves to the fullest until they’re satisfied.

Feel free to keep adapting the setup to match how the children are playing!

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tsukada moe

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