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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- Make childcare more fun with winter quizzes! Seasonal ideas to get kids excited
[February] Get kids excited in childcare! A collection of indoor play and movement activity ideas (1–10)
Fun snow play in your room!
How about enjoying some snow play indoors? You can make “snow” by cutting thin paper like tissue or flower paper into small pieces.
The floor will turn completely white, and every movement will send fluffy flakes dancing—kids are sure to be thrilled! You can even make snowmen: stick double-sided tape on crumpled newspaper and roll it over the paper snow to collect it.
Add round stickers for eyes, and attach a construction-paper carrot nose and a bucket, and you’ll have a row of cute, wintry snowmen decorating the room.
Pack in lots of ideas that kids will love and have a blast with plenty of snow play!
Cha-cha-cha of the Snowman
Here’s a hand-play song with a wintery theme of “snow” and “snowmen.” In this song, you first use both hands to show snow falling and piling up.
Then, you touch your fingertips together to make the round shape of a snowman, and finally, you rotate your clenched hands in front of your chest to show a dancing snowman.
It’s short, but it sparks children’s imaginations and teaches them the joy of playing in the snow.
If the part where you clap quickly three times is difficult, slow down the overall tempo and enjoy it at a comfortable speed.
Let’s play with snow that doesn’t melt!
February is still very cold, and there are many snowy days, right? Lots of kids love playing in the snow, but going out in the cold raises worries about catching a cold.
In times like that, let’s make “non-melting snow” indoors and enjoy snow play! Because you can do it inside, there’s no shivering from the cold, and kids in areas without snowfall can enjoy snow play easily, too.
To make non-melting snow, prepare baking soda and hair rinse or conditioner.
Just mix these two, and you can enjoy non-melting snow indoors! Chill it in the refrigerator for a bit to enhance the snowy feel even more.
You can even enjoy the “crunch” sound, as if you’re stepping on real snow, when you touch it!
[February] Liven up childcare! A collection of indoor play and physical activity ideas (11–20)
Sinking Game
A thrilling “Sinking Game” where two dangers strike: a sinking ship and sharks swimming around it.
Lay out mats in several spots around a fairly large room to serve as ships, and have everyone stand on them, divided among the mats.
Teachers play the role of sharks circling the ships! When the shark-teacher shouts, “The ship is sinking!”, everyone must run from their current mat-ship to a different mat-ship.
While they’re off the ship (not on a mat), the sharks can attack, so they have to move quickly to another mat before they get eaten.
To crank up the excitement, sometimes fake them out by saying words like “cheese” or “cheetah” instead of “sinking!”
Curling game
Curling is becoming recognized as a winter sport for kids—why not try making a homemade version together? First, use an awl or similar tool to make a hole in the center of ten white or gray plastic bottle caps.
Make one side hole in two of the caps.
In the red cap, make two side holes.
Thread hair ties through the caps with side holes so they’re distributed evenly.
Roll and shape the ties, then tie them twice.
Align the caps so the side holes face the same direction.
Thread the hair tie through the side holes and make a knot; then thread the red cap onto the tie so it becomes the handle.
Adjust the shape, and you’re done! Make a curling brush using a cardboard tube from plastic wrap, and create a curling sheet from construction paper—then have fun playing!
Card Flipping Game
You can get active and play to your heart’s content indoors! Let me introduce the “Card Flipping Game.” It’s easy to make.
Prepare black and white construction paper, glue them back-to-back, and cut them into circles about 30 cm in diameter.
Make 20 to 30 of these.
To play, randomly place an equal number of white and black circles on the floor in your play area.
Divide into a White team and a Black team, then start! Within the time limit, flip the circles to your team’s color.
The team with the most circles showing their color at the end wins.
Since you keep flipping each other’s cards, it builds decision-making and quick reactions.
It’s great exercise, too.
Give it a try!
oshikura manju (a children’s pushing game)
Let me introduce “Oshikura Manju,” a traditional game that has long been loved in Japan.
It’s great for getting kids moving indoors, even on cold winter days.
First, make a circle.
Everyone steps into the circle and stands back-to-back to form a ring.
At the starting signal, sing the song while gently pushing against each other with your backs or hips.
If your feet or body step out of the circle, or if you put your hands on the floor, you lose.
The child who stays in the ring until the end wins.
You can also adjust the rules to suit different ages.
Please play safely and be mindful of everyone’s well-being.