Lovely childcare

[For 4-Year-Olds] A Collection of Indoor Play and Game Ideas That Get Everyone Excited

20 years of experience as a nursery teacher / kindergarten teacherhiyoko sensei
I’m Hiyoko-sensei, a former nursery school teacher from Hyogo Prefecture. Ever since I was five, my dream was to become a childcare worker, and before I knew it, 20 years had passed since I achieved that dream. Through singing and playing with the children, I kept working with the spirit of someone in their twenties, even as I increasingly felt my physical limits year by year (haha). From here on, I’d like to share helpful information carefully and thoughtfully, drawing on my on-site experience.
Nursery Teacher Mom Writertsukada moe
After working for five years at an after-school childcare club and three years at a nursery school, I began working as a freelance writer. I’m a mother of two children. Inspired by playing the flute in the school wind ensemble in elementary school, I joined a jazz club at university. I’ve also incorporated ukulele and piano performance into childcare. Playing, laughing, feeling sad, feeling frustrated—through all kinds of experiences, I want children to grow.

Four-year-olds are starting to interact more with their friends, which also means they experience more inner conflicts.

Be sure to include lots of fun activities and create times when everyone can laugh together.

In addition to outdoor play, it’s great to do plenty of games indoors so children can move their bodies and minds to the fullest.

Indoor play and games aren’t affected by the weather, so it’s reassuring to have a wide variety ready.

This time, we’re introducing a range of games—from classics to ones that engage the body and the mind.

We hope you enjoy a wonderful time filled with the children’s cheerful voices.

[For 4-Year-Olds] A Collection of Indoor Play and Game Ideas That Get Everyone Excited (21–30)

Sinking Game

[For Childcare Workers] Teacher Rio’s Active Play That Gets Kids Excited [The Sinking Game]

Sinking Game

Recommended when you want to be active and play indoors! Here are some ideas for a “Sinking Game.” The Sinking Game is a fun activity that gets everyone excited while enjoying communication.

Pretend the room is the ocean and create islands using mats and vaulting boxes.

Teachers or guardians play the role of sharks, and the unique rule is that the children run away so they don’t get caught by the sharks! As they play, children can develop listening and decision-making skills, so be sure to incorporate it into your activities!

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Storm, storm—oh, great storm.

[Indoor Play] Even MatsuJun was shocked?! Indoor play!!

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.

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[For 4-Year-Olds] A Special Feature on Fun Indoor Play and Game Ideas (31–40)

Bingo game

[Bingo Game] Parent-Child Play! For ages 4 to elementary school—there’s no way it won’t be a hit when all you do is write 9 vegetables! (Elementary school kids—time killers and games)

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!

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Moving House Game

[For toddlers, simple, movement play] Moving House Game

Moving House Game

Let’s move to a distant base! Here’s an idea for a “Moving House” game.

In this game, the cue word is “Moving House,” and children simply move from one mat to another.

Once they get used to it, teachers or guardians can try to interrupt them along the course.

The fun part is seeing whether they can complete the move while avoiding the teachers or guardians! It’s also a great idea for deepening bonds among the children by giving them a shared goal.

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Daikon Game

[Exercise & Gymnastics Kids Love] The “Daikon Game,” recommended from age 3 / Rule-based movement play and exercise-gymnastics educational video to improve motor skills together with Mom

Daikon Game

Let me introduce the “Daikon Game,” a fun activity you can enjoy indoors while moving your body! Get everyone excited by having them pretend to be daikon radishes.

Lie down in a circle holding hands.

Stay in character as daikon and don’t let go of your friends’ hands so the ‘oni’ can’t pull you out.

The child who stays until the end wins! Rules vary by region, but if you link arms instead of holding hands, you can become even stronger daikon! It’s also fun to let the kids come up with ways to avoid being pulled out, so I highly recommend it.

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Ball shower

@tomonite_official
This looks so fun! ✨ Even on days when you can’t play outside, you can enjoy it at home 😍 Please check the instructions for the materials and products you use, and pay attention to the usage environment and weight limits. Also, when playing, do it together with an adult and keep safety in mind as you use this as a reference. We featured a post from Instagram by @ari_mama.kosodate ✨ Thank you for the wonderful post. ↓↓↓ ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿【Kids Get Excited! A Shower of Balls】＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿ This is Tomonite @tomonite_official. Even on busy days, we want family time to be full of smiles! We share: 🏠 Time-saving housework and parenting hacks 💎 Useful items with great time and cost performance 👶 Relatable parenting moments and heartwarming videos ✨ A request ✨ Your likes and comments are a big encouragement! If you found this post helpful or enjoyed it, we’d be happy if you leave a comment with a 👶 emoji! Please use this idea as a reference while keeping safety in mind. All posts introduced by Tomonite are shared with permission from the original posters. Comments that may hurt others may be hidden by our team. We’d be delighted if everyone could enjoy lots of friendly interactions while keeping the conversation comfortable for all ✨#AtHomePlay Ball play #ParentingHack work
♬ Super Mario Bros. – Overworld – 8-Bit Arcade

Let’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!

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Play with tissue paper flowers

[At-Home Play] Indoor activities using tissue paper that you can enjoy with your child

Play with tissue paper flowers

Here’s a rainy-day activity using tissue paper that kids can enjoy.

Prepare light-colored construction paper, tissue paper, and a spray mister.

Tear the tissue paper by hand.

Let the children choose their favorite colors.

Tearing the tissue into thinner pieces helps the colors bleed more easily and makes the tissue fluffy—highly recommended.

Gather the torn tissue pieces on the construction paper, then mist them with water.

As the tissue becomes damp, the colors blend together so kids can enjoy the color changes, as well as the tactile sensation of the paper transforming.

Once it’s completely dry, the tissue pieces stick together, creating a single, very colorful sheet.

It’s an activity with tissue paper that’s fun right to the end.

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