Lovely childcare

For 3-Year-Olds! Indoor & Outdoor Physical Play and Game Ideas

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
9 years of experience as a nursery school teacherShibata Risa
I am an active nursery school teacher with 9 years of experience. After graduating from university, I worked at a daycare center. The time I spent happily with children—playing piano, singing songs, and doing finger-play—are priceless memories to me. Currently, while raising three children of my own, I work at an after-school day service, engaging with children and providing individualized developmental support. Drawing on my diverse experiences as a childcare worker and as a mother, I hope to express and convey my thoughts through writing.

At age three, children grow significantly in both body and mind, and their physical abilities and vocabulary increase.

During this stage, they can understand simple rules, which broadens the kinds of play they can enjoy.

Here, we’ve gathered fun movement activities and games that three-year-olds can do indoors and outdoors.

By moving their bodies together with friends and enjoying social interaction, they also learn the importance of following rules.

We’ve selected enjoyable activities that will make children think, “I want to try that!” So get creative and have fun playing together with everyone!

For 3-Year-Olds! Indoor & Outdoor Physical Play and Game Ideas (11–20)

Balance game

[For 3-year-olds] Let's build balance skills! Balance game!

Balance game

Let’s play a “Balance Game” using our bodies! Prepare equipment like a vaulting box, balance beam, foam blocks, trampoline, and mats, and set them up like a circuit.

Have the children tackle them one by one.

Can they balance their bodies well—standing on the vaulting box and jumping, or making it all the way across the balance beam without falling? To help develop the children’s problem-solving skills, adults should avoid stepping in as much as possible and simply keep a watchful eye.

If you want to increase the difficulty, try placing obstacles such as blocks on the balance beam.

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Where is the goldfish?

[For 3-year-olds] A big search with everyone! Where did the escaped goldfish go?!

Where is the goldfish?

Are you familiar with the picture book “The Runaway Goldfish”? It’s one of the most popular books among children, and it’s fun like a game as you search for the goldfish hiding in various places.

This activity, “Where’s the Goldfish?”, is based on that book.

Everyone looks for the goldfish that has hidden somewhere in the daycare room and returns it to the aquarium.

It’s a fun game that engages both mind and body, and finding the goldfish is so exciting.

Returning the goldfish to the tank also seems like a great way to nurture children’s kindness.

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Train play

Hachiman Nursery School Video News: The Elephant Class plays pretend trains in the hall

Train play

“Train play” recommended from around age two, when kids start walking! There aren’t any strict rules, so let them play freely.

If you make something to serve as the train cars—like a hula hoop or a square loop made from cardboard—the kids will get excited.

If you pretend mats or balance beams are the tracks, a simple game suddenly becomes much more fun!

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Color Search Game

[Color Hunt Game!!] Let's Play at Home with the Kids!!

Color Search Game

Let’s look for what colors are hiding around the room! Here are some ideas for a color-finding game.

This activity is appealing thanks to its simple and easy-to-understand rules.

Just color some paper with markers, put the pieces into a paper cup, and you’re ready to play! It feels exciting, like drawing lots.

As you play, it helps improve color recognition, making it a fun and educational activity.

Once you get used to the game, try drawing two pieces of paper and combining the two colors—that sounds fun too.

Give it a try!

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Butt-walking showdown

1st Butt-Walking Championship! in Okinawa

Butt-walking showdown

Let’s try racing by walking on our bottoms! Walking on your butt? It kind of feels like walking…

or hopping—such a strange movement.

Sit on the floor with your knees up, lift your feet, and move using only your butt.

It seems pretty tricky, right? Kids might be able to glide along more easily.

Set a finish line and see who can reach it the fastest! If adults do it, they might end up with sore muscles…

(lol).

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Ninja Game

[Exercise & Gymnastics for Kids] Recommended Rule-Based Game for 4- and 5-Year-Olds: 'Ninja Play' / Rule-based active games, exercises, and gymnastics educational videos to improve motor skills together with Mom

Ninja Game

This is a “Ninja Game,” a pretend-play activity kids love that also gets them moving, and it can be played indoors.

As ninjas, the children move while staying hidden: they follow closely behind the leading adult, circling around the spot.

When the adult turns around and says, “Who’s there?” the children must quickly crouch down to hide.

And when you think of ninjas, you think of shuriken.

The adult pretends to throw shuriken at the children’s heads and feet, and they try to dodge them: crouch if it’s aimed at the head, and jump if it’s aimed at the feet.

It’s a super exciting game that even younger preschoolers can enjoy.

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For 3-year-olds! Indoor and outdoor physical play and game ideas (21–30)

Drop the Handkerchief

Folklore Play Newspaper #9: “Drop the Handkerchief”

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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