No prep needed! Indoor activities for 3-year-olds, including movement play and group games.

Circuit play

Hachiman Nursery School (Fukui City) – Elephant Class (2-year-olds) circuit play! Balance beam, tunnel, and more, held in February 2016.

“Circuit play” refers to an obstacle course for children.

They have fun by jumping off platforms and crawling through tunnels.

Around age three, their motor skills develop quite a bit, so definitely give it a try.

Kids love activities where they can really move their bodies, so it’s highly recommended!

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sasashina

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Drop the Handkerchief

Folklore Play Newspaper #9: “Drop the Handkerchief”

Here’s a game I recommend that can be played both outdoors and indoors: “Dropping the Handkerchief.” The rules are very simple.

Everyone except the ‘It’ sits in a circle facing inward with their heads down.

‘It’ runs around the outside of the circle and secretly drops a handkerchief behind someone.

When the person notices the handkerchief, they chase ‘It’; if they manage to tag them, they’re safe.

If they can’t tag ‘It,’ they switch and become the new ‘It.’ Players try to spot exactly when the handkerchief is dropped, while ‘It’ can pretend to still be holding it even after dropping it—making for a fun game of bluffing and strategy.

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Ryo

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Touch & In-Game

Let’s play while learning power control! Here are some touch-and-in-game ideas.

These play ideas are recommended for kids who are good at tidying up and for those who struggle with it.

In this game, you keep tapping a balloon so it doesn’t fall while putting color balls scattered on the floor into a basket—it’s a unique combo.

Be careful: if you focus only on putting the balls in the basket, the balloon will drop! Try incorporating this into your activities.

Picture shiritori

Animal drawing shiritori♪ Drawing animals shiritori cheetah, raccoon dog, giraffe, pig, woodpecker, crayon, Sansan, Kumorin, toys, anime

Let me introduce a drawing shiritori game that gets everyone excited while you draw.

The drawing shiritori game can be enjoyed by two or more people.

First, decide on a theme for the first drawing in turn.

The first person draws a picture on paper based on the theme.

The next person looks at the previous person’s drawing and draws a picture that starts with the last letter of the previous drawing’s word.

Take turns and keep going.

It gets even more fun if you set final rules in advance, such as what happens if a word ends with “n” (which would normally end the game) or if someone can’t draw on their turn.

Have fun and give it a try!

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mayumi

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Copycat game

Let's try it with the teacher! 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!

Mimic Rhythm Game

Let's try it with the teacher! Copycat Game♪

A “Copycat Rhythm Game” that gets more and more fun as you play.

Here’s how to play: First, a caregiver or teacher stands in front of the children and, while saying “Can you do this? Can you do this?”, claps their hands or pats their knees.

The children imitate the actions and respond, “We can do this! We can do this!” The call-and-response makes it extra fun, so encourage everyone to say it loudly and cheerfully.

You can have them mimic anything, but be careful—if the movements are too complex, the children won’t be able to follow.

Start with simple actions and gradually increase the difficulty.

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sasashina

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Reverse hide-and-seek

Reverse hide-and-seek: When you spot the ‘it’ (the tagger), hide immediately! Who will be the last one remaining...?

The idea of adding a little twist to the usual game of hide-and-seek—reverse hide-and-seek—is really fun and highly recommended.

The rules are flipped: the seeker is the one who hides! Everyone else tries to find the hiding seeker.

If you’re lucky enough to find them, you then go hide somewhere yourself! The person who can’t find the last remaining hider loses.

You might feel like shouting “Found you!” when you spot them, but if you do, everyone else will rush over.

So in reverse hide-and-seek, even if you find the seeker, quietly go hide yourself.

It’s a thrilling game where you keep the joy of discovery to yourself.