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!
- Play activities recommended for childcare in February: ideas to enjoy seasonal events
- [Childcare] Play and craft ideas to include in February events
- [Childcare] Fun February Indoor Play Ideas That Work for Both Small and Large Groups
- Indoor games and recreational activities recommended for daycare and kindergarten
- [For Kids] Indoor Fun! Large-Group Recreational Activities and Games
- [Quiz] A Collection of Quizzes You Can Use in February Childcare
- Useful for childcare! Today’s recommended recreational activities, including fingerplay and games!
- Indoor games that different ages can enjoy! Ideas for fun everyone can get excited about together
- Indoor Games for Small Groups: Exciting Recreational Activities
- [For preschoolers] A collection of origami ideas to enjoy February, including Setsubun and Valentine’s Day
- [Childcare] Play Right Now! Recommended No-Prep Games
- Ideas for indoor play, physical activities, and games suited to the development of 2-year-olds
- Make childcare more fun with winter quizzes! Seasonal ideas to get kids excited
[February] Liven up childcare! A collection of indoor play and physical activity ideas (11–20)
Balloon play with static electricity
https://www.tiktok.com/@tomonite_official/video/7444067084918672647Many children and adults dislike static electricity, right? Here’s a game that lets you play with it.
You’ll need a balloon, a pen, a towel, and a piece of plastic.
First, draw a butterfly on the plastic with the pen and cut it out.
Rub the balloon and the butterfly with the towel.
Try not to touch the rubbed areas with your hands.
When you place the butterfly on the balloon, it will float thanks to static electricity! Compete to see who can keep their butterfly flying the longest.
You can also make your own rules to make it even more fun, so get creative and enjoy!
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.
Snow play to enjoy in your room
You can enjoy playing in the snow indoors, even in the cold winter! All you need is construction paper, an empty tissue box, crayons, and double-sided tape.
First, draw a big cloud on the construction paper with crayons and cut it out with scissors.
Next, make slits in the plastic opening of the empty tissue box.
Stick double-sided tape on one side of the box and attach the cloud to that side.
Finally, cut the construction paper into small pieces to look like snow and put them inside the box—that’s it! If you tap the bottom of the box, it will look like snow is falling.
It’s also fun to play a game with the kids where you gather the fallen snow together.
It even helps with clean-up!
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!
Hop-on-one-leg sumo
Let me introduce one of our traditional games, “Kenken Sumo.” It’s easy to enjoy both outdoors and indoors.
First, prepare a ring.
Inside the ring, face each other while standing on one leg, and try pushing and pulling your opponent.
If you step out of the ring or the raised foot touches the ground, you lose.
It’s fun to think about ways to push that break your opponent’s balance rather than relying only on strength.
Since being strong doesn’t guarantee a win, both kids and adults can enjoy it together.
Be sure to play with the children and have a great time!
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!
[February] Get kids excited in childcare! A collection of indoor play and movement activity ideas (21–30)
Sketchbook Theater
In this sketchbook theater, a transparent clear file is attached over the page, with a white sheet of paper inside.
What you first show the children is a simple illustration drawn in black pen on the clear file.
As the story progresses, remove the white paper from inside the clear file and let them see the picture of the ogre drawn behind it.
Characters like the crying “Waa-waa Ogre” and the “I-don’t-want-to-clean-up Ogre” make an appearance.
It’s wonderful content that not only drives away the ogres with bean-throwing, but also helps with guidance and reminders about good behavior.
