Lovely childcare

[Sports Day] Circuit Ideas for 5-Year-Olds

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.

Five-year-olds are developing better body balance and are becoming able to do a variety of physical activities.

Many preschools and kindergartens include circuit courses in their sports days.

Here, we’ve gathered circuit activities that children can enjoy at sports day.

For example, by incorporating skills like the back hip circle on the bar, vaulting box, and jump rope, children can feel their own growth.

For five-year-olds, it’s their last sports day.

We hope it becomes a sports day where everyone has fun and feels a sense of achievement and satisfaction!

[Sports Day] For 5-Year-Olds | Circuit Ideas (11–20)

Circuit of/for interlocking mats

@mammybear_
Using 100-yen shop interlocking mats and non-slip plates, I made a bumpy road for circuit play. It doesn’t take up much space and is easy to put away.Childcare Made with items from a 100-yen shop #Circuit Play Children's play Recommended
♬ Excited! Cheerful and happy! Whistling ukulele! – harryfaoki

Let’s make a bumpy road! Here are some ideas for a circuit course using interlocking foam mats.

You’ll need interlocking mats from a 100-yen shop, a utility knife, small bowls, and tape.

First, cut the mats into circular shapes.

Next, fit the bowls into the holes and secure them with tape.

Finally, flip the mats over, and you’re done! The key is to place the bowls to match a child’s stride.

Interlocking mats are great because you can assemble the course in any shape you like!

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Balance Stone Circuit

How about incorporating balance stones—stepping-stone-inspired toys—into part of your circuit? Balance stones are designed with safety in mind, so you can enjoy them with peace of mind.

Another big advantage is that practicing with them can help improve balance skills.

By adding balance stones to a circuit, you can discover a different kind of fun compared to using them on their own.

Try setting them up together with other obstacles like tunnels or climbing hills.

They can also help with designing the flow of your circuit.

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Circuit of/with polypropylene ribbon (Suzuran tape)

Tanabata Circuit! [Ages 0–2] | Minami Senrioka Yui-en [Nursery/Kindergarten Event]

Circuit of/with polypropylene ribbon (Suzuran tape)

Let’s go through a curtain swaying in the breeze! Here’s an idea for a circuit using ribbon tape (suzuran tape).

All you need is ribbon tape.

Cut the tape into long strips and attach them to make a ribbon-tape curtain! Some children will use their hands to push the strips aside as they move forward, while others will dash through the curtain dynamically—showing their unique personalities.

For cautious children, reduce the amount of tape so they can see what’s beyond the curtain, which will help them feel more at ease.

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Cardboard kart circuit

[3-year-olds] We made carts and had a race!

Cardboard kart circuit

Let’s have fun with decorations too! Here are some ideas for a cardboard kart circuit.

What you’ll need: a kart made from cardboard, hats made from construction paper, crayons or colored pencils, coloring pages, double-sided tape, building blocks, and balloons.

Some kids may have played go-kart or racing kart games before, right? Hop into a cardboard kart and race along a course made from blocks! It’s also great to arrange it as a parent-child activity.

Since decorating the cardboard karts is part of the fun, the making process looks exciting too!

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Handmade ball circuit

[Ages 1–2] Can You Predict the Movement? Handmade Ball Play

Handmade ball circuit

Let’s use a variety of balls! Here are some ideas for a handmade ball circuit.

Prepare palm-sized balls, large balls you can hold with both hands, newspaper, cushioning material, tape, and bags or baskets big enough to hold the balls.

Try events like rolling balls along the floor or collecting balls in bags or baskets—use balls of different sizes and materials to build spatial awareness through play! Using balls that differ in weight and texture will also stimulate children’s senses.

Give it a try!

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A circuit made with pool cues

[Ages 0–5] Seven Types of Indoor Educational and Physical Play! [Nursery School/Kindergarten]

A circuit made with pool cues

Let’s play while getting creative! Here are some circuit (obstacle course) ideas you can make with pool noodles.

All you need are pool noodles and a utility knife or scissors.

Cut the long pool noodles in half and use them for the course! Place the halved pool noodles on the floor and include a tightrope-walk section where kids crawl or walk along them.

You can also roll balls along the top of the noodles, or connect them into circles to make ring shapes—great ideas to try!

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[Sports Day] For 5-year-olds | Circuit Ideas (21–30)

stepping stones

[For ages 3–5] Let’s go to the world of Mario!!

stepping stones

Why not try incorporating a stepping-stone activity that uses balance? You don’t need to prepare actual stones—anything that can serve as a stepping stone is fine.

Specialized toys like balance stones work well, and mats or cushions are also great.

Adding decorations as an arrangement is also recommended.

For example, if you put tape on a Bilibo to make it look like a turtle shell, you can create a game-like atmosphere.

Try coming up with decorations that match the theme of your circuit.

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