Ideas for indoor play, physical activities, and games suited to the development of 2-year-olds
Around the age of two, children’s vocabularies grow and they begin to assert their feelings more strongly.
As their walking stabilizes, they’re also able to perform a variety of whole-body movements.
Here, we’ll introduce recommended indoor activities that suit the physical and mental development of two-year-olds.
From active, full-body movement games to group games that involve playing with friends, and activities that let children freely express themselves—there are plenty of options that give kids a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction from “I did it by myself!”
Use these ideas as a reference and enjoy a fun time together indoors.
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Ideas for indoor play, physical activities, and games suitable for 2-year-olds (11–20)
bowling
Plastic bottle bowling you can freely enjoy making with leftover origami, stickers, scissors, and more.
Start by sticking on small stickers to use those fingertips, and let children feel the joy of “I did it!” with single snips of the scissors.
On a sheet of white construction paper, stick the colorful pieces you’ve cut and the stickers.
Wrap that around a plastic bottle, line them up, and the bowling tournament begins! Roll the ball and enjoy knocking the bottles down—it’s fun and also a full-body activity you can do indoors.
Daikon Game
Let me introduce the “Daikon Game,” a fun activity you can enjoy indoors while moving your body! Get everyone excited by having them pretend to be daikon radishes.
Lie down in a circle holding hands.
Stay in character as daikon and don’t let go of your friends’ hands so the ‘oni’ can’t pull you out.
The child who stays until the end wins! Rules vary by region, but if you link arms instead of holding hands, you can become even stronger daikon! It’s also fun to let the kids come up with ways to avoid being pulled out, so I highly recommend it.
Cleaning Eurhythmics
Let’s make use of handkerchiefs and organza fabric! Here are some ideas for “cleaning-themed eurhythmics.” Eurhythmics is an educational method that combines music and movement, and it’s said to be especially effective in early childhood.
This time, let’s play with a cleaning theme through cleaning eurhythmics.
By using handkerchiefs, children can move their hands and arms in time with the music.
A nice benefit is that they can develop a sense of force control and rhythm while having fun.
Using light, soft materials also makes them easier for children to handle!
Crawling through a tunnel
Crawling through a tunnel is surely a familiar game children have enjoyed since infancy.
You can make a tunnel with cardboard and play, or an adult can spread their legs so the child can crawl underneath.
There are also songs for tunnel-crawling, so it’s fun to play while playing those.
If an adult is being the tunnel, try adding variety by changing the width with how far you spread your legs, or suddenly making a tunnel while walking.
Crawling helps strengthen the core, so it’s also recommended to play this with children who have already learned to walk.
Playing with plastic bags
Versatile for all kinds of play! Here are some ideas for games using plastic bags.
These are unique activities you can enjoy with two-year-olds.
Plastic bags are light and sturdy, making them great for easy, varied play.
In the video, we introduce 10 different ways to play, such as inflating a bag to feel the breeze and making a ball using a bag.
Using familiar materials like plastic bags can help nurture creativity.
Let’s spend time full of smiles with the children!
ball toss (traditional Japanese beanbag/ball-throwing game)
Tamaire is a classic event at sports festivals.
In the original version, you aim at a basket set up high and throw balls into it.
But when playing with infants, it’s easier if you place the basket on the floor or mount it low on a wall.
Any kind of ball works, but it’s also fun to help them crumple newspaper to make paper balls.
Encourage them by saying, “Let’s aim for the basket! How many can we get in?” and have the children throw the balls at the basket.
At the end, put everything into the basket together—tidying up becomes part of the fun!
Ideas for indoor play, physical activities, and games suitable for 2-year-olds (21–30)
Playing with plastic raffia (Suzuran tape)
Let’s adapt the ways we play to suit children’s development! Here are some ideas for playing with suzuran tape.
Suzuran tape is a thin plastic tape known for its colorful appearance.
Because the material is light and flexible, you can cut it with scissors, tie it, or weave it, allowing for all kinds of creative variations and uses in different games.
This time, let’s try making a suzuran tape curtain, a suzuran tape “bath,” and suzuran tape pom-poms.
It sounds like these activities will spark excitement and fun.