![[For 3-year-olds] Recommended for recital and performance days! Skits, songs, and other program ideas](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/toWgVmI9w1o/maxresdefault.webp)
The recital, one of the major events at nursery schools and kindergartens, is a valuable opportunity for parents to see how their children have grown.
In the younger classes, many children may be participating in a recital for the first time.
For teachers who are thinking, “We want to put on something that 3-year-olds will enjoy!” this is a must-read.
Here we introduce activity ideas that are perfectly suited to the developmental stage of 3-year-olds.
In addition to simple plays, we’ve gathered plenty of recommended ideas—songs, instrument play, and dances—that let 3-year-olds freely express their unique charm and individual personalities.
Find ideas that will excite the children and be sure to try them out.
- [Preschool] Recommended choral pieces for 3-year-olds
- [For 3-year-olds] Songs to sing at nursery schools and kindergartens! Popular and recommended songs
- Ideas for performances recommended for two-year-olds’ recitals and play events
- For 4-year-olds (middle preschool)! Performances such as plays and songs for recitals and school shows
- Recommended for 3-year-olds! Fun indoor activities and group game ideas
- [Childcare] Recommended for 3-year-olds! Play ideas everyone can enjoy
- No prep needed! Indoor activities for 3-year-olds, including movement play and group games.
- Ideas for Performances Recommended for 0-Year-Olds at Recitals and Play Events
- [Childcare] Recommended for 3-year-olds! Craft activity ideas
- [For 1-year-olds] Performance for the school recital
- [For 4-year-olds] Popular and classic songs to sing at recitals and seasonal events
- [Preschool] Great Dance Songs for Sports Day: Perfect for Younger Children
- [Childcare] Entertainment that excites a birthday party
[For 3-year-olds] Recommended for school recitals and performances! Program ideas like plays and songs (1–10)
[Play Theater] The Cat Doctor
![[Play Theater] The Cat Doctor](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/toWgVmI9w1o/sddefault.jpg)
A play activity based on Keropons’ panel theater “The Cat Doctor” is a great choice, letting children enjoy acting out feeling unwell in adorable ways and shouting the lively “meow” cue.
The cat doctor cures any illness with a spirited “meow.” The story goes: patients arrive again today… The plot moves along at a brisk pace, so children are likely to stay engaged during practice.
It works both as a fun casting activity and as pretend play that can be incorporated into early childhood education.
Be sure to bring out plenty of the children’s cute expressions in your staging.
[Play Acting] The Mitten
![[Play Acting] The Mitten](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9ejJ_E65rNI/sddefault.jpg)
How about a dramatized play based on the picture book “The Mitten,” originally a Ukrainian folktale? A theme that lets children feel the mitten’s warmth is perfect for wintertime recitals.
Three-year-olds, whose expressive abilities are growing, can fully become the animals and enjoy dramatic play.
Even in schools where children begin preparing for the recital from age three, this is a theme they can easily relate to.
With many different animals appearing, it’s also fun to practice by imitating and playing with other animals’ movements.
The exciting recital day is sure to be greeted with smiles.
[Dramatic Play] Ponta’s Vending Machine
![[Dramatic Play] Ponta’s Vending Machine](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/lzYD8QDjXdM/sddefault.jpg)
How about a dramatic play based on the picture book “Ponta’s Vending Machine”? Ponta is a tanuki who can transform leaves into other things.
Ponta makes a vending machine out of cardboard.
Then various characters come by and say what they want—that’s the story.
It’s a perfect theme for three-year-olds, helping them express the traits and feelings of different characters.
Plus, because a vending machine is a familiar motif for children, the story feels approachable.
It seems like something they can practice while having fun.
[Play] Kureyon no Kuro-kun (Black Crayon)
![[Play] Kureyon no Kuro-kun (Black Crayon)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/EpLK1p0-xlE/sddefault.jpg)
Kureyon no Kurokun is a popular picture book series, isn’t it? I bet many teachers are fans of the original, too.
The children transformed into crayons—red, green, and more—are so adorable you can’t help but exclaim, “How cute!” The story conveys messages about the importance of friends and the challenges of showing respect in a way that’s easy for children to understand.
It’s a perfect theme for three-year-olds who are just starting to notice differences between themselves and their friends.
It would be wonderful to include plenty of opportunities to read the original picture books and turn everyone into fans of the series together!
[Play] The “Please” Chair
![[Play] The “Please” Chair](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/oqYG4WReFjA/hqdefault.jpg)
The original picture book Dozo no Isu, which has many fans, is a story that expresses kindness and consideration for others.
Various animals place items they want to “offer” on the “Please Chair” made by a rabbit.
Each new animal that arrives takes what’s there and leaves something else in return…
Children can enjoy expressing themselves by becoming different animals, and it also seems like a good opportunity to learn about interacting with friends.
Although this theme tends to require lots of props, it’s also recommended to make them together with the children.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Play/Drama)
The picture book The Very Hungry Caterpillar depicts a caterpillar that eats many different foods and grows into a beautiful butterfly.
It’s one of the world’s most beloved stories, and children love it too.
So how about putting on a play activity based on The Very Hungry Caterpillar for a class of three-year-olds at their recital? The children, dressed as caterpillars, can sing and dance as they crawl through tunnels of different foods.
In the end, they transform into butterflies and flutter around the stage.
[Operetta] Friends Forever
![[Operetta] Friends Forever](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9JMx-Sz1WFw/sddefault.jpg)
An operetta is a type of musical theater in which the story unfolds through songs, dances, and spoken dialogue.
This piece, Always Friends, is a tale with the theme of kindness.
The setting is a forest where various animals are practicing for a concert.
However, Choppy, dressed like a ghost, comes to cause trouble.
At first glance, it seems like awful behavior, but there’s a reason Choppy acts that way.
The cute songs and dances are perfect for three-year-olds.
Why not try performing it at your recital?