[For 4-Year-Olds] A Collection of Indoor Play and Game Ideas That Get Everyone Excited
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.
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[For 4-Year-Olds] A Special Feature on Indoor Play and Game Ideas (51–60)
drawing relay
Here’s a drawing relay that everyone can get excited about.
Split into teams, and only the first person looks at the prompt.
The first person draws the prompt and passes it on to the next player.
The next player interprets the drawing and conveys it to the following player with another drawing.
The team whose final player’s drawing matches the original prompt the fastest wins.
It’s best to use simple prompts that are easy for kids to understand.
You can enjoy this game indoors or outdoors, so grab some paper and felt-tip pens and give it a try!
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.
Cat and Mouse
Which team will win? Here’s a game idea called Cats and Mice.
What you need are designated areas for each team.
Make the most of the room so the children can move around freely and play in a spacious environment.
Split into a Cat team and a Mouse team, and play a game where you try to return to your territory without getting caught by the teacher.
It’s a fun activity that makes kids burst into laughter, with the tension of listening carefully so they don’t mishear, and the exhilarating feeling of running away! In the end, which team will have more members? Give it a try!
Mukkuri Kuma-san
Let’s enjoy traditional nursery rhymes! Here’s an idea using “Mukkuri Kuma-san.” Warabe-uta are traditional Japanese children’s songs that are fun because adults and kids can sing and play together.
They have a good rhythm, simple lyrics and melodies, and are easy for children to remember.
For Mukkuri Kuma-san, choose one child to be the bear, and have the other children hold hands and walk in a circle around the bear.
When the song ends, the bear chases everyone.
The person tagged by the bear becomes the next bear.
[For 4-year-olds] A collection of indoor play and game ideas that will get everyone excited (61–70)
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.
Sledding
Here’s a sledding-style activity using everyday towels.
Prepare two towels, each large enough for one child to sit or stand on.
Have the child ride on one towel, and hold the other towel in their hands while the teacher pulls, moving as if it were a sled.
If the towel is tied once and the child holds the tied section, it’s easier to grip even with weaker hand strength.
Balance is key during this sled play.
Whether the child stands or sits should be chosen based on their developmental stage, prioritizing the safer option.
Handkerchief-snatching game
The classic indoor game you can play even on rainy days, the “Handkerchief Grab,” has lots of fun variations depending on the rules.
In this version, players sit on chairs facing each other with their knees touching, place a handkerchief in the middle, and grab it when the whistle blows.
It works well with a larger group, or you can do head-to-head matches and make it a tournament.
There’s also a high-level version where someone keeps chatting to distract players, then blows the whistle when their attention slips.
It’s a recommended game that everyone can enjoy while training reflexes and coordination!
