Lovely childcare

[For 2-year-olds] Let’s get moving! A collection of ideas for physical play and movement games

20 years of experience as a nursery teacher / kindergarten teacherhiyoko sensei
I’m Hiyoko-sensei, a former nursery school teacher from Hyogo Prefecture. Ever since I was five, my dream was to become a childcare worker, and before I knew it, 20 years had passed since I achieved that dream. Through singing and playing with the children, I kept working with the spirit of someone in their twenties, even as I increasingly felt my physical limits year by year (haha). From here on, I’d like to share helpful information carefully and thoughtfully, drawing on my on-site experience.
Nursery Teacher Mom Writertsukada moe
After working for five years at an after-school childcare club and three years at a nursery school, I began working as a freelance writer. I’m a mother of two children. Inspired by playing the flute in the school wind ensemble in elementary school, I joined a jazz club at university. I’ve also incorporated ukulele and piano performance into childcare. Playing, laughing, feeling sad, feeling frustrated—through all kinds of experiences, I want children to grow.

By the time children are around two years old, they can do a variety of movements and their play becomes more dynamic.

Are there any teachers who want their children to play a lot but are struggling with a limited repertoire of activities?

It would be wonderful if teachers could promote children’s development by playing together with them as they grow each day.

With that in mind, we’ve gathered recommended physical activities and games for two-year-olds.

We’ve included ideas that don’t require equipment and ones you can do indoors, so please use them as a reference.

[For 2-year-olds] Let’s get moving! A collection of exercise play and game ideas (1–10)

Moguradon’snursery rhyme

November nursery rhyme “Mogura-don”

Moguradon’s Nursery Rhyme

Let me introduce a mole-themed nursery rhyme game that friends or parents and children can enjoy together.

Everyone forms a circle and holds hands.

One person sits in the center as the mole.

When everyone calls out, “Mole, wake up!” the mole answers, “Okay!” and wakes up.

At the same moment, the people around should try to run away so they don’t get caught by the mole.

The mole chases and tags someone.

Next, the person who was tagged switches roles and becomes the mole.

You can make it even more fun by discussing and changing the lines you say during the game.

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Super Energetic ExerciseHiromichi Sato, Sugamo Children’s Choir

[Super Energetic!] 01 Super Energetic Exercises (Ages 2 and up)

Super Energetic Exercise Hiromichi Sato, Sugamo Children’s Chorus

Let me introduce a super-energizing exercise that makes you feel lively when you move your body.

To the rhythm of the song, become a crow or a sparrow—spread your arms wide and do big jumps and small jumps.

Become a little monkey and move both hands, copying up, down, left, and right motions to get your whole body moving.

Make a ghost pose, look back over your shoulder, and twist your body.

For the dinosaur moves, swing both arms and legs wide as you move forward, and practice balancing by hopping on one foot.

It’s a super exciting exercise that lets kids have fun while moving their hands, feet, and whole bodies!

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giant ball

https://www.tiktok.com/@nacchi_asobi/video/7475009257109376264

Let me introduce a giant ball that kids will be super excited about.

The method is very simple: inflate a garbage bag and tie it off to make a large ball shape.

Wrap duct tape around it, and you’re done.

If you change the colors of the tape as you stick it on, it becomes a visually fun ball as well.

Hold it, throw it—use your whole body and play freely with the giant ball.

Another plus is that, since it’s made of plastic, it won’t hurt even if it hits your head or body.

It might also be fun to make several of the same kind and play with them like a maze.

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[Age 2] Let’s Move Our Bodies! A Collection of Exercise Play and Game Ideas (11–20)

Circle-Triangle-Square Game

@user5410675310492 ♬ Yattemiyou – WANIMA

Let me introduce a circle-triangle-square game that makes outdoor play even more fun.

Draw circles, triangles, and squares on the ground.

The leader calls out a shape, and the other children run to that shape and get inside it before the leader can tag them.

It’s also fun to place colored cones inside the shapes and have the children run to the shape or color that’s called or associated.

With a bit of creativity, the game can be expanded in many ways.

It’s a recommended game that tests explosiveness, decision-making, and thinking skills.

Give it a try!

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Ball Collecting Game

@dukids3
A ball-collecting game that even 2-year-olds can play! They did their best to gather the balls into their own territory 🌟Naha Okinawa #English Translation #nursery Naha Nursery School Okinawa Nursery School　#bilingual Job Opening #international Naha International Okinawa City Nursery School Aspiring childcare worker Recruiting childcare workers Employment Okinawa relocation #dukids #DewKids Translation Parenting Au pair　Okinawa childcare worker　Translation　Omoromachi　Uruma City Nursery School　Okinawa International Ball play
♬ Merry × Merry Xmas★ – E – Girls

Here’s a ball-collecting game that even 2-year-olds can really enjoy.

The rules are very simple: scatter colorful balls on the floor and have the children put them into hula hoops placed on the floor.

The person who gathers the most balls in their hoop wins.

You can play individually or make teams of two or three and play a team match.

Grab the balls, put them in the hoops, run around, and move your bodies a lot.

It’s recommended to play in a spacious area to prevent children from bumping into each other.

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Come-here game

[Toddler Play] “Come here, come here” game — a play activity that even 3-year-olds can do!

Come-here game

Even though the rules are super simple, let’s try playing the “Come Here, Come Here Game,” which kids are guaranteed to love! Divide into a teacher and children.

The teacher gently beckons to the children, saying “Come here, come here.” While the teacher is saying it, the children move slowly toward the teacher without running.

When the teacher suddenly says, “Come here, come here…

It’s a ghost!” the children have to run away so they don’t get caught.

Once everyone gets used to it, you can make it even more exciting by faking them out with similar-sounding words to “ghost,” like “pot” or “mother.”

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Hoop Musical Chairs

[Nursery Teacher | Outdoor Play] Hula Hoop

Hoop Musical Chairs

Let’s use our bodies and brains to play! Here’s an idea for a hula hoop musical chairs game.

Prepare about 10 small hula hoops in various colors.

While everyone hums a song with a deserted-island theme, walk around the hula hoops.

When the teacher calls out “1, 2, 3,” everyone steps onto a hula hoop island.

If you gradually reduce the number of hula hoops as you play, it’ll get exciting and suspenseful! Once everyone gets used to the game, try specifying which color hoop to enter, or say objects related to a color and have everyone connect the clue to the color as they play.

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