Lovely childcare

[Childcare] Recommended games to play in the warm month of April

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.

When the cold winter ends and spring arrives with warm sunshine, plants and insects come to life—and our hearts feel brighter too.

Many teachers at daycare centers and kindergartens may be looking to include activities that let children enjoy the spring season.

In this pleasantly warm and comfortable time of year, let’s enjoy lots of spring-specific play with the children.

Here, we’ll introduce recommended activities for April.

From games tied to spring events to activities featuring insects kids love and playful ways to connect with nature, there are plenty of ideas to help you enjoy spring to the fullest!

We’ve included activities you can do both indoors and outdoors, so please use them as a reference!

[Childcare] Recommended games to enjoy in the warm April weather (21–30)

Sakura sensory bottle

Spring “sensory play”: a cherry blossom sensory bottle #cherryblossom #babytoys #sensoryplay #hanami #shorts #sensoryplay #educational #kids

Sakura sensory bottle

When you see cherry blossoms in full bloom, your heart suddenly feels bright and cheerful, doesn’t it? How about making a sensory bottle using those cute pink cherry blossoms? Just put liquid starch (or clear glue) and cherry blossoms into an empty bottle or jar, then secure the lid with adhesive—and it’s done in no time.

Feel free to add beads or glitter if you like.

You’ll be soothed for sure by the gently drifting blossoms each time you tilt the bottle.

It’s a craft that both adults and children can enjoy, so give it a try!

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Let’s have fun searching for spring wildflowers

Let's play with nature! Spring wildflowers (1)

Let's have fun searching for spring wildflowers

When spring comes, you start finding lots of small, cute flowers along the roadside.

Dandelions, white clover, and fleabane are typical examples, and there are also edible plants like horsetails and mugwort.

How about going outside to look for these spring plants? Dandelions, which you see often and children also know well, actually come in two types: native Japanese and foreign varieties.

You can tell the difference by looking at the underside of the flower.

You can also have fun making rings from dandelions or flower crowns from white clover.

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In conclusion

We’ve introduced some perfect April activities recommended for kids—what did you think? Spring offers lots of uniquely warm-weather fun, and some children might already be itching to get outside.

Make the most of the warm spring and enjoy all the things that were hard to do during the cold winter!