At-home play for 3-year-olds! Let’s play freely with materials you have at home.

Art project using tissue paper

[For Ages 3–4] Easy at Home! Tissue Paper Art to Nurture Sensitivity

How about some creative play using tissue paper? Enjoy the soft texture of the tissue paper, the fun of how it lets light pass through, and its colorful hues.

Prepare various sizes of tissue paper, water, a spray bottle, plastic bottles filled with colored water, a funnel, construction paper, glue, and so on.

First, have fun with the sensations by dropping, grabbing, and crumpling the tissue paper.

Next, mix tissue paper with colored water in a plastic bottle, shine light on it, and observe how the light passes through.

Finally, it’s also fun to stick dampened tissue paper onto a window or other glass surface.

You can then paste those pieces onto construction paper to make a lovely wall decoration!

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hiyori

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[On the Balcony] Playing with Soap Bubbles

[At-Home Time] Enjoy Fun Learning with Kids Using 100-Yen Store Items [Educational]

Let’s enjoy soap bubbles using items you can buy at 100-yen shops.

You can find bubble solutions in a variety of sizes, from large to small.

The blowing wands also come in many different shapes.

If blowing bubbles is difficult, a parent or guardian can blow them—just watching is fun, and you can also play by chasing and catching them.

Also, if you make a large loop with a hanger and pour the solution into a washbasin, you can play by enclosing your whole body in a giant soap bubble.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Indoor drive with cardboard

At-home play for a 3-year-old and a 0-year-old (cardboard car)

Moving vehicles are always popular with kids, aren’t they? If you make a car out of cardboard and set it on a dolly to move it around, they’ll be thrilled! Cover the outside of the cardboard with colorful paper and add a steering wheel inside.

It might also be fun to build a station or bus stop where they can get on and off, and even create signals or a railroad crossing around the house.

Be sure to securely fasten the car body to the dolly so it doesn’t slip off.

It’s also perfect for indoor fun when you can’t go outside.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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[Using Toys] Playing Store (Shop Pretend Play)

Playing shop (store) make-believe at home with a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old

How about playing store using toys? Playing a shop game by pretending that various items—like large LEGO bricks or building blocks—are products helps develop imagination, and the back-and-forth communication will improve their speaking skills.

On the caregiver’s side, try asking questions like “How much is this?” or “Do you have this one too?” to get the children thinking and observe their reactions.

Enjoying it together is the key to a successful play-store experience.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Cooking rice with origami

[No Prep Needed!] 10 Popular Indoor Educational Activities Kids Can Do Right Away

Let’s try a game where we make food out of origami and pretend to eat it.

If you scrunch up white paper and wrap it with black paper, you can make a rice ball.

Scrunch up red paper and add a green origami stem, and you’ll have a strawberry.

Use your imagination to create all kinds of foods! For example, making a chick’s beak and feeding the chick could be fun.

Using a spoon to feed scrunched paper or marbles is also perfect for practicing fine motor skills.

Once you get good with a spoon, try using chopsticks too.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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An educational game you can play using only dice

Ages 3–12 [Top 5 Picks Chosen by Pros!] Easy educational games you can play using only dice / TERU’s Parenting Study Group: Childcare, Early Learning, and Home Education for Young Children

This is a numbers-focused activity that children can enjoy from age three.

Understanding numerical concepts is helpful in everyday situations, like shopping or reading a clock.

This time, let’s explore numbers through play using dice.

You’ll need items like wooden blocks, stickers with numbers written on them, a box, and some dice.

First, help your child get used to the motion by practicing throwing the dice into the box.

After that, start with simple activities: throw the dice into the box and count the number of dots that appear together, or throw dice of different colors into the box and count which color appears the most.

Beginning with these simple games can help reduce any resistance to numbers.

Soap bubbles made with pipe cleaners

[Done in 1 minute] That bubble thing made with pipe cleaners is a huge hit with kids 🫧✨ #shorts #childcare #crafts

Like a magic wand! Let’s make a cute item that makes blowing bubbles even more fun.

First, prepare a cookie cutter in your favorite shape.

Shape a chenille stem (pipe cleaner) along the cutter and twist to secure it.

Next, thread a few beads of your choice onto the lower part of the stem.

To prevent the beads from slipping off, twist the tip into a small loop—and you’re done! The steps are simple and exciting to do, so try making it with family or friends and use it for your bubble play.

Scrap-wood Archery

[Crazy Archery Using Scrap Materials] #AtHomePlay #EasyActivities #ParentChildPlay #Crafts #ScrapMaterialPlay

Make and play with everyday materials! Here are some ideas for upcycled archery.

You’ll need: a paper tube, an awl, a straw, rubber bands, paper cups, tissue paper, and scissors.

First, use the awl to make a hole in the paper tube.

Cut off the accordion part of the straw, then ball up some tissue paper and attach it to the tip.

Cut a notch at the back of the straw where you can hook a rubber band, and you’re done! Stack paper cups to make a target.

Insert the straw into the hole in the paper tube, hook the rubber band, and launch.

Try experimenting with different ways to shoot!

Fishing for fish

I made a felt fishing toy / handmade / hand-crafted / educational toy

Fishing is one of the most popular pastimes for children.

So why not try making various sea creatures out of felt? In addition to fish, kids might be delighted to have creatures you wouldn’t normally catch when fishing, like sharks, dolphins, and turtles.

If you put a material inside that sticks to a magnet, they can enjoy “catching” them with a rod that has a magnet on the end.

You can make them by layering and gluing felt, or stuff them with cotton to give them a three-dimensional shape—both are recommended.

Since they’re toys, be sure to make them colorful!

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sasashina

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Race-to-the-top climbing game

Let’s make and play with construction paper! Here’s an idea for a “Race to the Top” game.

You’ll need construction paper, scissors, animal illustrations, glue, stickers, and tape.

First, cut the construction paper and tape the pieces together vertically.

Fold the paper to make creases, then fold the tip into a triangle and cut it off.

Attach the animal illustrations to the cut pieces, assemble them onto the construction paper, and you’re done! When you move the construction paper from side to side, the animal pictures climb upward.

Now, who can reach the goal the fastest? Give it a try!