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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.

Ideas for indoor play, physical activity, and games suited to the development of 2-year-olds (41–50)

ball toss (traditional Japanese beanbag/ball-throwing game)

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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!

sasashina
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Circuit of/with polypropylene ribbon (Suzuran tape)

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Circuit of/with polypropylene ribbon (Suzuran tape)

Let’s go through a curtain swaying in the breeze! Here’s an idea for a circuit using ribbon tape (suzuran tape).

All you need is ribbon tape.

Cut the tape into long strips and attach them to make a ribbon-tape curtain! Some children will use their hands to push the strips aside as they move forward, while others will dash through the curtain dynamically—showing their unique personalities.

For cautious children, reduce the amount of tape so they can see what’s beyond the curtain, which will help them feel more at ease.

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Ball passing

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Ball passing

Let’s try playing “Ball Pass,” a game you can enjoy with just one ball.

First, have the children line up in a single file.

Give the ball to the child at the front and keep passing it along to the next child.

If the ball makes it to the last child without being dropped, you’ve succeeded! It’s fun to change where the ball passes—over the head or under the legs—or split into two teams and turn it into a competition.

Because different passing methods engage different movements, try incorporating it into everyday play.

sasashina
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In conclusion

We introduced ideas for indoor activities and group games recommended for two-year-olds.

Two-year-olds often struggle between wanting to “do it myself!” and feeling frustrated when things don’t go as they hope, which can lead to tears or clashes with friends.

This, too, is part of their developmental stage, so let’s acknowledge their feelings and strive to provide individualized consideration and support that helps them gain a sense of accomplishment and confidence.

By actively incorporating a variety of play, we hope children come to feel that “it’s fun to be with friends!”