For 1-year-olds! Indoor play ideas that make rainy days fun
Curious and full of energy, one-year-olds are always on the move.
On rainy days or when you can’t go outside, many teachers might find themselves wondering, “What can we play indoors with the children?”
So this time, we’re sharing plenty of ideas for activities that will captivate one-year-olds and keep them happily engaged indoors.
From energetic gross-motor play and eurhythmics to activities that make the most of different textures and ones that encourage lots of finger movement, we’ve gathered a wide range of play ideas that stimulate all five senses.
We’ve also included some activities that require no preparation, so you can start right away.
Find the perfect activities for your children and have fun together!
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For 1-year-olds! Indoor play ideas that are fun even on rainy days (21–30)
potato starch clay
All you need is potato starch and water! Let’s have some fun indoors with potato starch dough.
Unlike wheat flour, potato starch tends to cause fewer allergies, making it an easy and welcome choice for childcare settings.
Start by putting just the potato starch into a bowl and enjoy its silky, slightly squeaky texture.
Then gradually add water, mixing, squeezing, and rolling it as you go.
You and the children can experience the fascinating, ever-changing properties of the potato starch dough together.
To let kids play freely and wholeheartedly, it’s best to change them into clothes that can get messy and prepare the room by laying down a plastic sheet or newspapers before you start.
Copycat game
Let’s have fun with body mimicry! Here are some ideas for a copycat game that’s sure to make everyone smile.
While copying the teacher’s movements, strike unique poses like animals or heroes and play together.
You’ll find yourselves laughing and saying, “What is this?!” as you move your bodies.
While playing, kids build flexibility and balance, and the best part is learning through fun—“Can you really do this pose?” You might even discover some unexpected moves!
gymnastics
Gymnastics that nurture children’s sense of rhythm and physical abilities are great not only as indoor play but also as active play, since they let kids move their bodies to the fullest! For two-year-olds, many will try to imitate, so definitely consider incorporating them into your childcare activities.
There are plenty of exercise songs for toddlers, but if you want songs the children already know, it’s best to use the exercise songs from NHK’s “Okaasan to Issho” or classic favorites that have been around for years.
Pool cue play
Here’s an introduction to indoor play using pool noodles sold at 100-yen shops.
Please prepare some decorative balls and pool noodles.
Making tunnels with the noodles or lining them up as hurdles to jump over helps develop the ability to coordinate what children see with how they move their bodies.
In addition, activities like putting decorative balls into holes made from cross-sections of the noodles, or threading noodles onto a string, help build concentration and visual tracking skills.
Give various play ideas a try!
sensory toy play
Fun for all ages! Here are some sensory toy play ideas.
You’ll need: food storage bags, colored water, oil, adzuki beans, erasers, toy goldfish, beads, bells, hair gel, and tape.
Put the materials you prepared into the bag along with the hair gel! Changing up the colors and textures makes the feel different and more interesting.
Sensory toys are recommended not only for infants but also for preschoolers—they’re engaging to look at and touch, and kids will be totally absorbed.
Let’s make a ring.
Let’s use unwanted newspapers or scrap paper and some vinyl tape at the preschool to make rings.
There are endless ways to play with the rings! Hang them on hooks, use them like ring toss, or try spinning them by hand… As long as the activity isn’t dangerous, let the children enjoy using their own ideas.
Be especially careful about putting rings around the neck—this is dangerous, so keep a close watch.
If you use vinyl tape in a variety of colors, children can notice color differences and choose their favorites as they play.
It’s also a great idea to prepare rings in intentionally different sizes.
Let’s try sprinkling it lightly.
Let’s drop finely cut raffia tape from above and play with it like colorful rain.
The children will be fascinated by the way the tape flutters and by the pieces that land on the floor.
They’ll freely enjoy reaching out, rolling around, and exploring in their own ways.
Seeing them play to their hearts’ content is sure to bring smiles to our faces, too.
Preparation is simple, so it’s easy to incorporate on a sudden rainy day.
Please note that raffia tape can be very dangerous if children put it in their mouths, so supervise carefully and make sure to remove all pieces without leaving any behind when cleaning up.