Lovely childcare

[Childcare] Games and performances that liven up Children's Day

20 years of experience as a nursery teacher / kindergarten teacherhiyoko sensei
I’m Hiyoko-sensei, a former nursery school teacher from Hyogo Prefecture. Ever since I was five, my dream was to become a childcare worker, and before I knew it, 20 years had passed since I achieved that dream. Through singing and playing with the children, I kept working with the spirit of someone in their twenties, even as I increasingly felt my physical limits year by year (haha). From here on, I’d like to share helpful information carefully and thoughtfully, drawing on my on-site experience.
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.

May 5th is Children’s Day.

Also called Tango no Sekku, it’s a day to celebrate children’s healthy growth.

Many preschools and daycare centers, as well as families at home, likely celebrate Children’s Day.

As they gaze up at the carp streamers on display, the children eagerly look forward to the festivities.

So this time, we’ll introduce plenty of games and performances that will liven up Children’s Day.

From activities performed by teachers, such as panel theater and plays, to ones children can join and enjoy—like dance, choir, and puzzle-solving games—we’ve gathered a collection of perfect Children’s Day fun!

Amid the exciting, enjoyable time, we also want to share with the children the origins and traditions of Children’s Day.

Be sure to make good use of these ideas!

[Childcare] Games and Performances to Liven Up Children's Day (21–30)

Hand dance

Hanakappa Paradise (Hands)

Hand dance

It’s a dance where only the hands are shown, as if from a puppet-theater-style stage.

Create highlights by, for example, changing the color of the gloves partway through.

It’s only hand movements, but if they aren’t precisely synchronized, it will look sloppy, so practice hard! When everything is tightly in sync, the tempo feels good and it becomes a very satisfying dance to watch.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Magic Show

Educational Magic “Color-Changing Tea” – A big hit at daycare, kindergarten, and elementary school events! ‘Educational Magic’ for kids’ clubs and after-school programs, too.

Magic Show

How about gathering some simple magic tricks and putting on a magic show? These days, even 100-yen shops sell plenty of easy-to-use magic items.

Of course, even without special props, you could practice a little with things you have at home, like playing cards or coins, and put on a performance.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

[Childcare] Games and performances that liven up Children's Day (31–40)

Science show

Exciting, Heart-Pounding Science Show: Preschool Edition

Science show

How about putting on a science show like Dr.

Denjiro’s? Even if you can’t prepare any large-scale equipment, you can find ideas on the internet that seem pretty easy to do.

Children can join in and enjoy it as a participatory activity, too.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Curling Bingo Game

https://www.tiktok.com/@motoseisakujo/video/7491625674868821256

Make it with paper cups! Here’s an idea for a curling bingo game.

Curling is the sport where you slide heavy stones across an ice rink and try to place them as close as possible to the center of a target area called the house to score points, right? This time, let’s use paper cups as the stones and set the house as a 3×3 grid to enjoy a bingo-style game.

Split into two teams and, like tic-tac-toe, adjust your force and control your direction to line up three in a row vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Target practice with a candy box

[Easy Craft] A Shooting Gallery Game with Candy Boxes! Enjoy a Festival at Home [Wacky After School]

Target practice with a candy box

Let’s make and play! Here are some ideas for a target-shooting game using candy boxes.

Target games are one of those corners that really excite kids, right? This time, let’s try making one with candy boxes.

You’ll need empty candy boxes, a stapler, rubber bands, and double-sided tape or regular tape.

It seems you can even make a rubber band gun and a festival-style headband out of empty candy boxes, so give it a try! For the targets, just line up the candy boxes and assign point values to each—easy to set up and play.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Roulette

[Playable Crafts] Easy to Make! Roulette and Sugoroku (Paper Cups, Paper Plates, Bottle Caps) [Simple Crafts] Great for Home Play, Preschool Teachers, and Projects in Kindergartens and Nursery Schools

Roulette

Make it with paper plates! Here are some roulette ideas.

How about making a roulette and a sugoroku board to enjoy mini games? You will need paper plates, plastic bottle caps, construction paper, origami paper, paper cups, round stickers, pens, tape, scissors, glue, and so on.

You can finish it colorfully using construction paper and origami in your favorite colors, so have fun while making it.

It also sounds fun to complete it together with children in the senior kindergarten class or the toddler class!

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Sazae-san dance

Funabashi Kindergarten Entertainment - Sazae

Sazae-san dance

Sazae-san is a nationally beloved anime known by everyone from children to the elderly.

We’ll dance to the Sazae-san theme song—and everyone’s face will be Sazae-san! Masks are made by fitting our own faces into Sazae-san’s iconic hairstyle.

This guarantees a great time for all ages.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem