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 and outdoor physical play and game ideas (41–50)

Evolution Rock-Paper-Scissors

@kidschallengeclub
Introducing Evolution Rock-Paper-Scissors! It’s a game where you keep playing rock-paper-scissors with lots of different people and evolve step by step! If you become a god within the time limit, you win! The kids suddenly start imitating grandpas and grandmas, and it’s so authentic I couldn’t stop laughing. It’s that kind of fun game!evolution Evolution Rock-Paper-Scissors Rock-paper-scissors Rock-Paper-Scissors Game baby #Grandma God Interesting
Invincibly Cute – Naoki Endo

An amusing game where you evolve by winning rock-paper-scissors: “Evolution Janken.” Aim to become a god within the time limit! Everyone starts as a baby.

Since you’re a baby, you crawl to move and play rock-paper-scissors with people you meet.

If you win, you evolve and can move by hands-and-knees crawling.

If you lose, keep belly-crawling and look for your next opponent.

It goes like this: belly-crawl, hands-and-knees crawl, bear walk, adult, elderly person, and finally, you become a god and the game ends.

Evolve within the time limit!

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Don Janken

After-school Children’s Classroom Physical Activity Program: “Don Janken”

Don Janken

Let’s try playing Don-Janken, a quick and exciting game you can enjoy anywhere! The rules are very simple: split into two teams and line up at opposite ends.

At the signal, the first person from each team runs forward, and when they meet, they play rock-paper-scissors.

If you win, you keep going; if you lose, the next teammate starts running.

You continue advancing by playing rock-paper-scissors, aiming to reach the opponent’s side.

It’s called Don-Janken because when you meet, you both stretch your hands forward, touch with a “don!” and stop.

Play carefully to avoid injuries.

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Dodgeball (line dodgeball)

Coordination Training Junior: Dodgeball (Hit-and-Out)

Dodgeball (line dodgeball)

Here’s an introduction to “Nakaa-te,” a game that’s great fun with a large group.

Many of you may have played it when you were little.

While the finer rules can vary by age and experience, the basic idea is simple: players are divided into those inside and outside a boundary, and the people on the outside throw a ball to try to hit the people on the inside.

You can tweak it endlessly—make the boundary a square or a circle, use a larger or smaller ball, and so on.

If any children are afraid of getting hit, try using a soft ball so it doesn’t hurt.

You can play with as few as three people, so give it a try!

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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...?

Reverse hide-and-seek

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.

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Jungle GuruguruTsubasa Suzuki

[Full-body Play / Pair Play] Jungle Guruguru / Tsubasa Suzuki & Hitomi Kudo [Action Song / Animals / Touch-and-Play / Parent-Child / Childcare / Kindergarten / Parenting / Children’s Song]

Jungle Guruguru Tsubasa Suzuki

Let me introduce Jungle Guruguru, a game where you can enjoy moving your whole body to a lively musical tempo.

You’ll enter the jungle while moving your body to the song.

Snakes, rhinos, tunnels, and more appear, so the children work together, using their bodies to get past each challenge.

In pairs, they can hold hands and spin around, and of course, it’s also a body-movement game that one person can fully enjoy on their own.

It’s the kind of play that will get everyone excited just by copying the teacher or friends.

At the end, you make it out of the jungle and finish with a high five! Be sure to have fun and get your body moving.

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Thunder Game

[Exercise & Gymnastics Kids Enjoy] The “Thunder Game” recommended from age 3 / Rule-based movement games and exercise-gymnastics educational videos to improve motor skills together with mom

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!

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Rock-Paper-Scissors Balance Game

[Kids’ Exercises You Can Do at Home] Rock-Paper-Scissors Balance & Power Challenge (For Preschoolers to Lower Elementary)

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.

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