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 (51–60)
Do-Re-Mi Song Game
It’s a rhythm game that uses the well-known Do-Re-Mi song.
After finishing one phrase, the player randomly names a scale degree and passes the turn to the next person.
The person chosen must sing a phrase that matches that scale.
It’s a test of quick thinking.
Bingo Relay
Let me introduce a game called “Bingo Relay,” which gets kids using both their heads and bodies.
You’ll need bingo squares—prepare nine items you can use to mark off spaces, like mini hoops.
If you’re outside, you can draw circles on the ground instead.
Arrange them in a 3×3 grid.
Divide the children into two teams, and have only the first three players on each team hold their team markers.
At the signal, the first player from each team runs to the bingo grid and places their marker inside a ring.
When they’re done, they run back, tag the next player, and switch.
The team that first completes a line—vertical, horizontal, or diagonal—wins.
Starting from the third move onward, players should move one of their own team’s already placed pieces instead of adding a new one.
It’s a fun game that requires quick thinking!
Eurhythmics
With rhythmics perfect for February childcare, I plan to help children enjoy moving their bodies.
How about incorporating pretend activities like bean-throwing and chocolate-making with songs themed around Setsubun and Valentine’s Day? By putting on masks to the beat or handing out handmade hearts, children can experience the fun of events through music.
On days with light snowfall, rhythmics inspired by snowflakes and snowmen are also recommended.
Let’s nurture creativity together with the children by weaving in elements of each season!
Animal Role-Playing Game
Let me introduce the Animal Role-Play Game, where you pretend to be animals.
The rules are simple: you become the animal given as the prompt and play by running around cones or avoiding obstacles.
Because you move your whole body, it can really liven up parties and gatherings.
Wearing animal masks or making animal sounds while you play is also recommended.
When you start the game, make sure to secure a spacious area and play safely to avoid injuries!
[February] Liven Up Childcare! A Collection of Indoor Play & Physical Activity Ideas (61–70)
Playing in the snow indoors
Kids get super excited when it snows, don’t they? Children touching snow for the first time are surprised by how cold it is, and they’ll be fascinated by how quickly it melts.
So why not enjoy some snow play indoors? Outside, there’s the worry of catching a cold, but indoors they can play as much as they like in warmth, so it’s reassuring.
Buckets and shovels are great, of course, and it also sounds fun to use sand-play toys that can make pretend ice cream.
When there’s no real snow, you can make snow that doesn’t melt just by mixing conditioner and baking soda.
Be sure to have fun playing with snow indoors!
Sand play with handmade moon sand
When it’s cold, kids inevitably end up playing indoors more.
Even if they want to play at the park or in the sandbox, the weather can make everything muddy, or it’s just too chilly to go out.
But with homemade moon sand, they can easily enjoy sand play indoors! Also known as kinetic sand, it has a mysterious, satisfying texture perfect for indoor play.
The ingredients are very simple—just flour and baby oil.
If you want to add color, prepare some food coloring.
Since all the materials are safe to touch, kids can play with peace of mind.
hand play song
At nursery schools and kindergartens, hand-action songs are perfect for enjoying time with children during chilly February.
“Oni no Pantsu” is recommended because the movements are easy to relate to and simple to imitate.
Through the choreography, children can develop cooperation in groups and a sense of rhythm.
It’s also fun to create costumes and props to match Setsubun or Valentine’s Day and add themed staging to the song.
With seasonally themed hand-action songs, you can enrich your moments of interaction with the children.