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] Liven up childcare! A collection of indoor play and movement activity ideas (31–40)
Treasure Hunt Game
How about an easy indoor activity—a treasure hunt game? It’s a simple game where you hide a treasure somewhere in the house and search for it.
If you make the prize a snack, kids might love it.
Be sure to hide it somewhere they can reach.
Hand-push sumo
When it comes to games you can enjoy easily without any preparation, hand-pushing sumo is a classic.
You face off without moving your feet and only push with your hands.
If you lose your balance and even take a single step, you lose.
Timing when to relax your arms and using feints are key.
Once you get the hang of it, even kids can beat adults.
Drop the Handkerchief
Many people probably played this in elementary school.
A large group sits in a circle.
The tagger walks around the outside and secretly drops a handkerchief behind someone, then starts to run.
The person it was dropped behind chases the tagger; if the tagger manages to sit in the empty spot, that person loses, but if they catch the tagger before that, they win.
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.
Rock-paper-scissors game
This is a rock-paper-scissors game where quick reactions are the key.
Two players face each other and play rock-paper-scissors.
The winner chases the loser, and if the winner tags the loser, the winner wins.
The loser is safe if they touch the wall; if they manage to escape and touch the wall, they win.
If the rock-paper-scissors round is a tie, the two players should shake hands.
For three or more players, divide into teams.
Each team discusses what to throw, then everyone plays rock-paper-scissors at the same time.
Decide the result based on the proportion of players who managed to tag someone or touch the wall.
Any team that throws something different from what they decided in the discussion is out—disqualified.
[February] Liven Up Your Childcare! A Collection of Indoor Play & Physical Activity Ideas (41–50)
human disentanglement puzzle
This is a game that 5 or 6 people can enjoy.
Everyone stands in a circle and holds hands with someone across from them.
Arms then stretch out in various directions, creating a tangle in the center.
From there, without letting go of hands, players twist their bodies and duck under arms to untangle themselves.
That’s the rule of the game.
Stick-removal game
There’s that game where you build a sand mound in a sandbox, stick a twig in the center, and then remove the surrounding sand without knocking the stick over—called “stick topple,” right? This is a very similar game, and also a bit like Jenga, called the “Stick Pull Game.” You only need items you have at home: ten or more pencils or pens, and a small tape core or a roll of masking tape.
Thread the pencils through the core and twist them so they radiate outward.
Then, take turns pulling out one stick at a time; the person who causes it to collapse loses.