February: Liven up childcare! A collection of ideas for indoor play and physical activities
February brings plenty of seasonal events—like Setsubun and Valentine’s Day—even at daycare centers and kindergartens.
But when the cold days continue, there are many days when you can’t go outside.
That’s when activities that let children move their bodies freely indoors and recreations that incorporate winter’s unique seasonal feel come in handy.
From exercise games with an oni-slaying theme and traditional “kenken sumo” to ideas that let you enjoy a snowy play mood indoors, we’ll introduce lots of games perfect for February.
The content is enjoyable for infants through preschoolers, so please use it as a reference!
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[February] Liven Up Childcare! A Collection of Indoor Play & Physical Activity Ideas (61–70)
Morning Noon Night game
Here’s an introduction to the Morning-Afternoon-Night game.
You can play it anytime, anywhere, with any number of people, so it’s perfect for filling small gaps of time! When the teacher says “morning,” the children stand up.
For “afternoon,” they sit in seiza (kneel with legs folded under).
For “night,” they lie down right where they are.
The fun is in doing each action as quickly as possible.
Once they get used to it, try adding twists like “duck” or “monkey.” How will the children respond? Will they imitate the animals, get confused, or tell you, “Teacher, that’s wrong!”? That uncertainty is part of the fun of this game.
playing hot spring
Hot springs are often thought of as relaxing spaces for adults, but kids love them too! So this time, let’s try a pretend indoor hot spring.
Draw rocks on construction paper to make the outer walls, and fill the inside with strips of PE tape or sheets of bubble wrap.
Finally, decide on a name for your hot spring and put up a sign.
Get in together and ask the kids what they think.
They can have fun draping the crinkly PE tape over themselves or popping the bubble wrap—let them freely experience the hot spring through play.
Snowman Soccer
Perfect for warming up the body, here’s a snowman soccer idea.
All you need are a ball made by crumpling up newspaper and a goal made from cardboard.
Since the goal looks like a snowman, it’s called snowman soccer.
Why not start by getting familiar with the motion of kicking the ball? By changing the design of the goal, you could adapt it for other events like Setsubun or Valentine’s Day, too.
Snow play eurhythmics
Here’s a recommendation for a “Snow Play Eurhythmics” activity that’s perfect for chilly January days.
Let’s enjoy it together with the children using pretend play set to the classic winter song “Yuki” (Snow)! By moving their whole bodies, kids will warm up both physically and mentally.
First, tear newspaper into pieces to pretend it’s snow.
Next, play with the newspaper snow to the melody and rhythm of the song “Yuki.” Just like playing outside in real snow, you can have a snowball fight or make snowmen using the newspaper! It’s also great for helping children relieve stress, so why not give it a try?
Forehead Biscuit
Did you know that February 28 is Biscuit Day? On February 28, a doctor from the Edo period named Shibata Hōan wrote a letter to his home domain of Mito, describing the biscuit-making method he learned from the Dutch in Nagasaki.
Also, because the word “biscuit” comes from Latin meaning “baked twice,” a wordplay led to February 28 being designated as Biscuit Day.
A perfect indoor game for such a day is the “Forehead Biscuit.” You place a biscuit on your forehead and, without using your hands, use your facial muscles and eyelids to move it down to your mouth.
If you can eat it without dropping it, you win!
Wobbly Snowman
This is a snowman song-and-dance game, but surprise—it’s actually a versus, competitive game! It’s super fun, so let me share it with you.
First, dance while acting like a snowman to the rhythm of the song.
At the very end of the song—during the showdown part—play a hand-pushing sumo match.
Stay in character as a snowman: keep crouched and small while you play.
The one who falls over or lands on their bottom loses.
Make sure to prioritize safety by, for example, placing mats around the area.
Hand-pushing sumo can be enjoyed with three players, too! Definitely try it during the cold season.
hopscotch
The “kenpa” game where you go through rings with the hop pattern “kenpa-kenpa-kenpappa.” Since moving forward quickly eats up space indoors, we recommend trying this game in a slightly different way! For example, instead of moving forward, do the kenpa steps in place to the kenpa rhythm, or add handclaps to match your footwork.
You can also play in pairs and clap each other’s hands on the “pa,” or have everyone hold hands and do kenpa together.
This way, even in limited indoor space, you can have fun moving your body!