[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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[Childcare] Recommended for 3-year-olds! Play ideas everyone can enjoy (41–50)
Morning Noon Night game

Here’s an introduction to the Morning-Afternoon-Night game.
You can play it anytime, anywhere, with any number of people, so it’s perfect for filling small gaps of time! When the teacher says “morning,” the children stand up.
For “afternoon,” they sit in seiza (kneel with legs folded under).
For “night,” they lie down right where they are.
The fun is in doing each action as quickly as possible.
Once they get used to it, try adding twists like “duck” or “monkey.” How will the children respond? Will they imitate the animals, get confused, or tell you, “Teacher, that’s wrong!”? That uncertainty is part of the fun of this game.
Shape Finding Game
Let’s develop discovery skills, imagination, and expressive ability! Here’s an idea for a shape-finding game.
It’s a simple yet effective game where you look for shapes in everyday life.
Start with basic shapes like circles, triangles, and squares, and once you get used to it, raise the difficulty with stars, diamonds, pentagons, and more.
This will broaden interest and make the game more fun.
Plus, drawing the shapes you find on paper helps cultivate expressive skills and creativity, which is a great bonus.
It’s a playful way to deepen shape recognition and boost the power of discovery!
Thunder Game

Let me introduce a thunder-rock-paper-scissors game where moving your body to the chant is lots of fun.
Have the children lie down on their backs.
The teacher says, “Goro goro goro—DOkkaaan!” and the children should quickly roll their bodies to hide their belly buttons by turning over onto their stomachs.
The key is to roll fast so your belly button doesn’t get ‘taken.’ You can make it even more exciting by changing the volume of your voice or the speed of the chant.
Once everyone gets used to it, try switching the direction they roll to keep it fun!
Rock-Paper-Scissors Balance Game

Here’s a rock-paper-scissors balance game that gets your whole body moving.
Play rock-paper-scissors with your friends.
If you win, do a one-legged balance for 5 seconds.
If it’s a tie, spin around twice and then do a one-legged balance for 5 seconds.
If you lose, spin around three times and then do a one-legged balance for 5 seconds.
For children who find one-legged balancing difficult, it’s recommended to hold onto something while balancing.
When playing the rock-paper-scissors balance game, secure a spacious area and keep a safe distance from one another to ensure safety.
Crawling tail-chasing game

Let’s introduce a crawling tail-tag game that gets kids excited.
Give each child a “tail” made by braiding plastic ribbon (like florist’s raffia).
The teacher is “it” and chases the children.
At the start signal, the children crawl away to avoid being caught.
If a child gets their tail taken by “it,” they can rejoin the game after doing five jumps and putting the tail back on.
Try swapping who’s “it” or increasing the number of chasers to keep the game fun!
Handkerchief-snatching game

The classic indoor game you can play even on rainy days, the “Handkerchief Grab,” has lots of fun variations depending on the rules.
In this version, players sit on chairs facing each other with their knees touching, place a handkerchief in the middle, and grab it when the whistle blows.
It works well with a larger group, or you can do head-to-head matches and make it a tournament.
There’s also a high-level version where someone keeps chatting to distract players, then blows the whistle when their attention slips.
It’s a recommended game that everyone can enjoy while training reflexes and coordination!
Bomb Game

A simple “Bomb Game” you can play with a rubber ball.
The rules are like a preschool version of dodgeball: set up areas in advance using tape lines or mats, and have the children move from mat to mat while avoiding the ball.
First, explain, “The ball is a bomb, so you mustn’t get hit.” Start by tossing the ball gently with an easy arc, then raise the difficulty as they get used to it by changing the ball’s trajectory or throwing faster shots off the wall or floor.
The kids will love the thrill—guaranteed excitement!


