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)

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.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

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.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

[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?”

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

a round egg

Round Little Egg [Fingerplay Song]

a round egg

“Maarui Tamago” is a hand-play song themed around eggs, and the hand movements that match the onomatopoeia and mimetic words give a delightfully fun impression.

First, you put your hands together to represent a round egg.

Then you act out the egg cracking and a chick emerging from inside.

Since it features many onomatopoeic and mimetic expressions that children tend to love, it’s likely to capture their interest even more.

Another fun point is that sometimes a creature that doesn’t exist in real life hatches from the egg.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

ring play

What kinds of ring games are there for 0-year-olds?

ring play

Let’s play using rings like the ones used for ring toss! You can play in a ring-toss style by throwing rings onto targets, or simply use the rings on their own for a variety of fun activities.

Even if the 0-year-old children don’t touch the rings directly, it can be enjoyable for the teacher to spin the rings and show them, or to demonstrate how ring toss works.

If you have large rings like hula hoops, it might be nice to have the children crawl into the ring, or crawl through it like a tunnel.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem