A collection of ideas for infant/toddler play, recreation, and games
Play and games help keep children’s minds and bodies healthy and lively.
They nurture physical activity, thinking skills, imagination, and the ability to get along with friends.
Here, we’ve gathered activities and games that preschoolers can enjoy.
There are many kinds: group games, traditional play, pretend and make-believe activities, and sensory play.
You’ll find lots of favorites from nurseries and kindergartens, as well as easy games you can do at home.
Choose fun activities that match your child’s age and development, and enjoy them together!
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Ideas for Toddler Play, Recreation, and Games (111–120)
Balloon Play
Balloons floating softly in the air are very safe, so kids can play with them with peace of mind.
Here are some indoor games using balloons.
The “keep it off the floor” game naturally encourages kids to cooperate, calling out to each other to keep the balloon from touching the floor and getting excited together.
In the balloon passing game, form groups of about six and split into teams.
Enjoy sending the balloon from front to back, or passing it under the knees.
The team that can pass the balloon the fastest wins.
You can also stick a strip of plastic tape across the middle of the room and enjoy balloon volleyball or soccer.
Please choose and enjoy games suited to the children’s ages.
Ideas for Infant/Toddler Play, Recreation, and Games (121–130)
Balloon Shiritori
It’s a game where you pass a balloon around while playing shiritori, trying not to let the balloon fall.
When the previous person says a letter and passes the balloon, the next person must add a shiritori word before touching the balloon.
It may seem easy, but sometimes you can’t think of words when you’re focused on the balloon.
This game helps develop various skills in children—not only physical ability but also recognition skills and a sense of rhythm.
When playing indoors, trying it while seated offers a different kind of fun and is recommended! Feel free to adapt it to suit the age of the children.
Balloon target game
How about a balloon target game? Prepare several inflated balloons and stick them to a wall.
Instead of using real balls, crumpled newspaper balls are recommended.
Have the kids throw those “balls” at the balloons again and again! You can write numbers on the balloons to keep score, or draw different pictures on them and have the kids aim for the balloon with a specified picture—try adding various rules to make it fun.
cat’s cradle
Ayatori—cat’s cradle—is a classic game that everyone knows, but it takes a bit of skill.
Many people probably played it as children, and some might still do it whenever they have spare time.
How about trying ayatori, a game that kids, adults, and even seniors can enjoy together? There are countless ways to play, from very simple to quite complex.
For easy ones, there are shapes like a broom, a river, a ladder, or a tunnel.
It’s fun to quietly play by yourself, but you can also play by passing and taking turns with several people.
Where are you from?
The classic ball game “Antagata Dokosa.” You bounce the ball to the song “Antagata Dokosa.” Each time the syllable “sa” appears in the lyrics, pass the ball under one of your feet.
Near the end, there’s a part where “sa” comes up many times, so be careful not to let the ball roll away.
To finish, crouch down or hide the ball with your clothes.
playing store
Let’s try making play food for kids’ favorite pretend play—playing house and running a shop—using colored construction paper and other simple materials.
Roll colored paper into balls to make takoyaki, use yarn as noodles to make yakisoba, crumple white paper tightly to make rice balls (onigiri), link white and brown paper strips and roll them up to make curry rice, and use kitchen sponges to make shortcake.
Create all sorts of foods kids love.
These days, you can get colored paper and sponges at 100-yen shops, so it’s easy to make a variety of items.
tea kettle lid stand (chatsubo)
A “cha-tsubo” is a jar used to store tea leaves.
Since it is usually sealed with Japanese paper, it has no lid, and this fact is turned into a hand-play song.
You make one hand the tea jar and the other hand the lid, but as you switch which hand is the lid or the jar, it gets confusing and surprisingly lively.
The song has a good rhythm, so it’s a fun activity even just to sing.
