For 4-year-olds! Introducing recommended indoor activities, group games, and crafts
At age four, children’s vocabulary grows, they start expressing their feelings and thoughts in words, and they can find their own favorite play activities and things they want to try.
This time, we’ve gathered play ideas that are perfect for the development of four-year-olds.
In addition to easy-to-implement indoor physical activities and group games, we also introduce many DIY toy-making ideas that let children freely enjoy expressing themselves while expanding their imagination.
We’ve collected many activities that, through playing with friends, help children experience the importance of following rules and the joy of sharing feelings.
Use these as a reference to find play ideas that match the children’s interests.
- [For 4-Year-Olds] A Collection of Indoor Play and Game Ideas That Get Everyone Excited
- [For 4-year-olds] Ideas for group games and craft activities that can be done indoors
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- Age 4: Simple and Fun! Handmade Toy Ideas
- For 3-Year-Olds! Indoor & Outdoor Physical Play and Game Ideas
- Ideas for indoor activities, games, and group play that 5-year-olds enjoy
- Games and activities everyone can enjoy together. A collection of fun play ideas.
- [Childcare] Recommended for 3-year-olds! Play ideas everyone can enjoy
- [Age 5] Exciting and fun! A special feature on ideas for at-home play
- Exciting for 4-year-olds! A collection of sports day event ideas for preschoolers (middle class)
- [Childcare] Fun for October! Craft ideas recommended for 4-year-olds
- Recommended for 3-year-olds! Fun indoor activities and group game ideas
For 4-Year-Olds! Introducing Recommended Indoor Activities, Group Games, and Crafts (21–30)
Churippu sharippu
Hold hands with your friends and play while calling each other’s names! Let me share the idea for “Churippu Sharippu.” There’s nothing to prepare, so just hum the song together and play.
There are moments in the song where you call out names, which makes it great for learning your friends’ names.
It’s especially recommended for classes with new or transferring children! You can adapt the way you play, so it’s an idea that children from infants to preschoolers can enjoy.
Be sure to try it in your activities.
Storm, storm—oh, great storm.
A game that seems great for developing children’s listening skills: “Arashi Arashi Oo-Arashi.” First, the children split into Trees and Squirrels.
The Tree children pair up, face each other, hold hands, and make a tunnel.
Each Squirrel child stands inside one of these tunnels.
Next, the caller says, “Arashi, arashi, oo-arashi,” and then calls one of the following: “Ookami ga kitazo” (A wolf is coming), “Kikori ga kitazo” (A woodcutter is coming), or “Oo-arashi ga kitazo” (A big storm is coming).
If “A wolf is coming,” the Squirrels move and run to a different Tree.
If “A woodcutter is coming,” the Tree children run, form new pairs with different partners, and go to the Squirrels.
If “A big storm is coming,” everyone runs: form new pairs with different partners and become Trees, or become Squirrels and go under a Tree.
giant ball
https://www.tiktok.com/@nacchi_asobi/video/7475009257109376264Let me introduce a giant ball that kids will be super excited about.
The method is very simple: inflate a garbage bag and tie it off to make a large ball shape.
Wrap duct tape around it, and you’re done.
If you change the colors of the tape as you stick it on, it becomes a visually fun ball as well.
Hold it, throw it—use your whole body and play freely with the giant ball.
Another plus is that, since it’s made of plastic, it won’t hurt even if it hits your head or body.
It might also be fun to make several of the same kind and play with them like a maze.
Ball shower
https://www.tiktok.com/@tomonite_official/video/7408751719787646224Let’s make and play with a ball shower! Prepare some colored balls, a pool noodle, a laundry mesh bag, and pipe cleaners.
Cut the pool noodle in half lengthwise, form it into a ring, and attach the laundry bag to the inside using the pipe cleaners.
Thread the pipe cleaners through the holes of the net and fix it all the way around.
Cut the net where the balls will go in, and the goal is complete.
After you toss the balls in, open the zipper and the balls will pour out from inside like a shower.
Kids will love this ball shower—give it a try!
Scratch play
Here’s a fun scratch-art activity you can enjoy indoors.
Prepare construction paper, bamboo skewers, pastel crayons, disposable chopsticks, and glue thinned with water.
First, use bright colors of pastel crayon to color the construction paper thoroughly so there are no gaps.
Then, cover the entire surface with black crayon, again making sure there are no gaps.
Use a bamboo skewer to scratch the surface and draw your picture by revealing the colors underneath.
Brush on a coat of glue thinned with water to seal the finished picture.
This makes the colors less likely to rub off on your hands.
Let it dry, and you’re done.
Give it a try!
straw airplane
Let me introduce a straw airplane.
Prepare a straw, a shorter sheet of construction paper, a longer sheet of construction paper, and cellophane tape, and let’s make it.
Roll up each of the short and long pieces of construction paper and tape them into rings.
Attach a strip of tape horizontally to one end of the straw, then stick the smaller paper ring to that end; do the same on the other end with the larger paper ring to complete it.
When flying and playing, make sure no one is around and use a wide, open space.
It could also be fun to race by launching multiple airplanes against each other.
Bingo game
Here’s a bingo game that also helps you learn the names of vegetables.
Prepare paper and a felt-tip pen, and draw a 3×3 grid.
In each square, write the name of a vegetable or draw a picture of one.
You’ll draw vegetable cards one by one; when the same vegetable appears, draw a circle and mark it on your grid.
There’s also a Skull card mixed in: if you draw the Skull card, the vegetable you just drew gets a cross (is canceled).
After the Skull card mode ends, you return to normal mode.
Try it out and see who can get a reach or bingo first!