[Childcare] Recommended for 3-year-olds! Play ideas everyone can enjoy
Three-year-olds start interacting much more with friends and teachers.
You want to watch them grow through a variety of play activities, right?
But when you’re busy every day, it’s hard to come up with new ideas for play…
For teachers with that concern, we’ve gathered play ideas recommended for three-year-olds.
Each idea is something the whole group can focus on and enjoy, so try choosing based on the weather and your class’s mood.
If one becomes a favorite, the children might say, “Teacher, let’s do that again!”
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- At-home play for 3-year-olds! Let’s play freely with materials you have at home.
[Childcare] Recommended for 3-year-olds! Play ideas everyone can enjoy (21–30)
Ball Battle
@koutokugiht Let’s build all kinds of skills while having fun with a ball battle! Staff of the same age gave it a try 😆#Takatoku#GiftedToreraChild Development SupportDevelopmental SupportAfter-school day service#After-school day serviceKoutoku TikTok SquadCompanyCompany#IWantToGoViralCompanyCompany IntroductionDaily life #AtWork #Shikoku #TokushimaStaffDailyLife #CorporateAccountMid-career recruitmentNow Hiring #Service Manager for Child Development Support #Manager Responsible for Child Development Support #Nursery Teacher #Child Guidance Staff #Physical Therapist #Occupational Therapist #Speech-Language-Hearing Therapist#PT#OT#STRecruitmentRecruitmentInterviewNew staff memberNewcomer
♬ Original song – Koutoku TikTok Corps – Gifted Trailer
Build decision-making skills through play! Here’s a ball battle game idea.
For children, decision-making is an essential skill in everyday life and learning.
By developing the ability to think things through and choose, and to act appropriately based on the situation, they grow more independent and learn to think and make decisions on their own.
This time, let’s nurture decision-making skills while playing a ball battle game.
Pair up in twos and face each other; place some colored balls between you and you’re ready to go! If you lose rock-paper-scissors, run away quickly; if you win, watch your opponent’s movements and throw a ball.
Give it a try!
Party-gathering game
@homeltd It's fun to play as usual, and you can also connect it to the next activity! 😆😆Childcare#FreelanceNurseryTeacherTemporary custodyTemporary childcareChildcare
♬ Yattemiyou – WANIMA
No talking to friends allowed! Here’s an idea for a game where you gather teammates.
It’s a fun activity using cards with animal pictures on them.
However, you’re not allowed to talk to your friends during the game! Rely only on the animal sounds depicted on the cards handed out by the teacher or guardian to find others with matching cards.
The tricky part is calling out to your teammates while carefully distinguishing their calls.
Once everyone gets used to the rules, adding a time limit could make it even more exciting!
[Childcare] Recommended for 3-year-olds! Play ideas (31–40) that everyone can enjoy
Abdominal Muscle Chain Game
@machan.kidsbodyspecialty Fun ways to train your abs#Motor skillsCoreParent-child gymnastics#ParentingConcernsExercise Therapy
♬ Kids & Toys – FASSounds
A unique game to build core strength! Here’s an idea for an Ab Chain Game.
Your core plays an important role when standing, sitting, walking, and running.
Developing a strong core is essential for balance and good posture.
This time, let’s try the Ab Chain Game to train your core while having fun.
Get ready by lying on your back in a circle with your friends! Starting with the child holding the ball, use your abs to lift your upper body and pass the ball to the next friend.
The key is to hold the ball firmly with both hands!
chimney game

Let’s do our best not to lose to the chimney sweeper! Here’s an idea for a chimney game.
This is a unique game that uses balls and mats.
If your center doesn’t have mats, connected cardboard pieces will also work.
A teacher, transformed into a chimney sweeper, goes inside the chimney.
The children try to toss balls into the chimney so they won’t lose to the sweeper.
They can build skills by making strategies and watching for moments when the teacher lets their guard down.
Give it a try! If you have a large group, a key tip is to prepare more balls than the number of participants.
drawing relay

Here’s a drawing relay that everyone can get excited about.
Split into teams, and only the first person looks at the prompt.
The first person draws the prompt and passes it on to the next player.
The next player interprets the drawing and conveys it to the following player with another drawing.
The team whose final player’s drawing matches the original prompt the fastest wins.
It’s best to use simple prompts that are easy for kids to understand.
You can enjoy this game indoors or outdoors, so grab some paper and felt-tip pens and give it a try!
gomudan

Here’s how to play Gomu-dan (rubber band jumping).
First, prepare a flat elastic band, and have two people hold the ends.
Let’s start with a simple jump-over game.
Hold the band at ankle height and jump over it.
Even if your feet catch on the band, it’s a success as long as you make it through to the other side.
Try different ways of jumping, like two-footed jumps, backward two-footed jumps, and cartwheel jumps! You can also raise the height to increase the difficulty and excitement.
Be sure to keep the band pulled tight—if it’s slack, it can be dangerous.
Knock knock knock knock, Grandpa with a beard

Clench your hands and let’s play! We’re introducing the hand game “Ton ton ton ton Hige Jiisan.” Many parents and teachers have loved this game since they were little, so it might sound familiar to you, too.
Try playing it with children! It’s fun to clench your hands to the rhythm and transform into different grandpas as you play.
Through the game, kids can develop a sense of rhythm and hand-movement coordination—that’s a key benefit! There’s also a version featuring Anpanman characters that really gets everyone excited.
Be sure to give it a try!


