Lovely childcare

[Childcare] Play and games for 0-year-old babies: Fun developmental and educational activities

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.
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICsasashina
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. During my student years at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, I studied a wide range of fields including sound, lighting, and video technology, building a foundation in comprehensive stage production and creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, consistently building experience in production and engaging in a variety of music-centered tasks. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting and what I feel and discover through daily interactions with my kids. I hope my work can be of help to you, even in a small way!

Just looking at tiny, adorable babies makes you feel happy, doesn’t it?

We tend to think that newborns spend most of their time sleeping, but it’s also a period of remarkable growth.

Interacting closely and playing together with familiar people provides babies with plenty of stimulation and has very positive effects on their physical and mental development, as well as on attachment formation.

Let’s actively incorporate lots of play not only at daycare but at home, too.

In this article, we’ll introduce plenty of activities you can enjoy together with your baby.

From bonding games and sensory play to activities using educational toys, a wide variety of play ideas are gathered here!

Find the perfect activities that match your baby’s age in months and developmental stage.

[Childcare] Play and games for 0-year-old babies: Fun developmental and educational activities (21–30)

Balloon play

Various Balloon Play! [0-Year-Olds] | Minami Senrioka Yuiku-en [Nursery/Kindergarten Event]

Balloon play

Here are some play ideas using round, fluffy balloons.

They’re light and soft, so even if they bump into you it doesn’t hurt, making them safe and enjoyable even for infants.

Fill the room with colorful balloons and enjoy watching them float and bounce, or wrap and stick vinyl tape around a balloon to make it like a ball—also lots of fun! You can also attach a plastic string and hang balloons from the ceiling for kids to touch, pack lots of balloons into a vacuum storage bag to make a balloon mat, and more—the possibilities are endless depending on your ideas.

Be sure to explore different ways to play together with the children and have fun!

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Interactive Play: “Totoko Stroll”

A hand-play song that delights babies: “Tottoko Stroll”

Interactive Play: “Totoko Stroll”

Tap-tap on your lap and enjoy a pretend walk with “Tottoko Sanpo.” It’s a perfect bonding activity for times when you’re mostly indoors.

Once you’ve got your baby on your lap or held in your arms and are ready to share the rhythm with their body, you’re all set! Move your baby gently to match the lyrics—like falling into a hole or being blown by the wind during the walk.

Adding sound effects such as “ston” (thud) or “hyuun” (whoosh) will make it even more fun by combining movement and sound.

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[Childcare] Play and games for 0-year-old babies: Fun activities for development and early learning (31–40)

Interactive play: “This is Dad’s tickle spot.”

Here Is Daddy’s Place [With Song] – Baby Hand-Play Song

Interactive play: “This is Dad’s tickle spot.”

The nursery rhyme “Koko wa Tōchan nindokoro” is sung as if speaking gently while softly touching the baby’s cheeks and forehead.

The tender sound of the word “nindokoro,” which means “a part that resembles someone,” along with the warmth and feel of a hand on the baby’s face, is very comforting for babies.

If you say, “Your right cheek looks just like Dad’s, and your left cheek looks just like Mom’s,” the baby will naturally smile.

You can also replace the words “Dad” and “Mom” in the lyrics with whatever names you actually want to use.

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Paku-Paku Bear

Pakupaku Kuma-san: a bear face sewn onto a large piece of felt with a zipper for its mouth.

Next to the bear, items like rice balls, bread, eggs, and vegetables are attached with snap buttons.

You can unfasten them and feed them to the bear—it’s a toy, right? The actions of unbuttoning and buttoning seem helpful for developing fine motor skills, and seeing the bear eagerly eat everything might spark children’s interest in food, making them think, “I want to try the same thing,” or “I wonder what it tastes like?”

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Let’s attach it to a hula hoop and play

Attach strips of plastic ribbon to a hula hoop, and it transforms into a toy with lots of ways to play! Let the children explore freely.

In preparation, fasten several long-cut strips of plastic ribbon to part of the hula hoop.

Using multiple colors makes it look nice.

Encourage the children to focus on activities like crawling through the hoop and touching the fluttering ribbons.

Having several hula hoops ready prevents squabbles.

It’s a great idea for plenty of indoor play.

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Let’s hang balloons and play

How about attaching curling ribbon to balloons and hanging them from above to play? Kids get super excited watching the balloons sway and bounce in the air when they touch them! If you’re incorporating this into childcare, it’s a good idea to prepare several so multiple children can play at the same time.

It’s also important to secure a space that’s large enough to prevent children from bumping into each other while playing.

If they show interest in the curling ribbon, it’s perfectly fine to let them tear it and play with it, too.

This activity provides various sensory stimuli, including visual and tactile.

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[0-Year-Olds] What Is Wind? Mysterious and Fun Wind Play!

[0-Year-Olds] What Is Wind? Mysterious and Fun Wind Play!

[0-Year-Olds] What Is Wind? Mysterious and Fun Wind Play!

This is an easy wind-themed activity recommended even for infants.

All you need is a piece of cardboard with thin strips of vinyl tape attached and a large fan.

When you flap the fan, the colorful vinyl strips flutter in the air, capturing the children’s interest.

It may seem ordinary to adults, but to children it’s something mysterious and fresh—“What is that?” Try commenting, “It’s swaying in the wind—so pretty,” or “It feels cool when the wind blows.” If possible, connect it to experiences outside the classroom too by saying things like, “You can feel the wind blowing, can’t you?”

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