Lovely childcare

Have fun in childcare! A collection of play ideas to liven up cold days in January

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked for 10 years as a kindergarten teacher and for 7 years as an after-school childcare instructor, then took a post as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I also engaged in activities that shared Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational play, working with many children. Afterwards, through freelance writing, planning, and editing work at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and conveying ideas. Leveraging the perspective cultivated in educational settings and my experience as an editor, I aim to deliver practical information—focusing on fields related to music and children—that values both input and output. Hobbies include instruments, singing, handcrafts, toys, drawing, traditional play, the outdoors, books, DIY, and crafts. Special skill: spinning-top tricks.
20 years of experience as a nursery teacher / kindergarten teacherhiyoko sensei
I’m Hiyoko-sensei, a former nursery school teacher from Hyogo Prefecture. Ever since I was five, my dream was to become a childcare worker, and before I knew it, 20 years had passed since I achieved that dream. Through singing and playing with the children, I kept working with the spirit of someone in their twenties, even as I increasingly felt my physical limits year by year (haha). From here on, I’d like to share helpful information carefully and thoughtfully, drawing on my on-site experience.

When January comes, many teachers may want to incorporate New Year’s games and activities unique to the cold season.

Traditional games and action-based finger plays offer chances to engage with friends while experiencing Japanese culture.

Here, we introduce winter-specific play ideas such as Oshikura Manju, Fukuwarai, and kite flying.

We’ve picked a variety of activities—from ones that require no preparation to those where you can make the materials together with the children.

These are all activities that warm the body and spread smiles even on cold days.

Be sure to try them in your childcare setting!

Have Fun in Childcare! A Collection of Play Ideas to Liven Up Cold January Days (1–10)

Fun for adults too! “Fluffy Snow”

January hand game “Fluffy Snow♪” (with lyrics) – a winter hand play that childcare workers and moms and dads recommend, and that children love! Nursery rhyme & Japanese children’s song

Fun for adults too! “Fluffy Snow”

This is a fingerplay song where you build a snowman and look for numbers hidden in the lyrics.

It doesn’t include every number from 1 to 9, but there are surprisingly many hidden ones—see how many you can find.

In this fingerplay, the snowman’s eyes are made with mandarins, the nose with a carrot, and the eyebrows with a cucumber.

It’s fun to imagine what the face will look like.

Asking “What would you use to make yours?” will likely get everyone excited.

When it snows, try making the snowman you imagined.

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Cha-cha-cha of the Snowman

Recommended for January: Winter fingerplay song “Snowman Cha-Cha-Cha” #NurserySchool #NurseryTeacher #Shorts #ASKNurserySchool #PreschoolPracticum

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.

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Newspaper Rip-Rip! Eurhythmics with a Snow Song

[January Eurhythmics: Tearing Newspaper + Snow Song Eurhythmics] 🎵 A eurhythmics session that includes a snow-themed craft set, all doable while seated ✨ Parent–child eurhythmics and rhythm play

Newspaper Rip-Rip! Eurhythmics with a Snow Song

Here’s a eurhythmics activity that starts with a newspaper play element.

Give each child a sheet of newspaper and, at the cue of “1, 2, 3,” have them tear it into pieces.

Once it’s torn into small bits, pretend they’re snow and have fun letting it fall from above to the tune of the children’s song “Yuki” (Snow).

After the eurhythmics session, pack the used newspaper pieces into a clear bag to make a snowman.

It’s a winter-themed idea from start to finish, so please enjoy it with the children.

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Have Fun in Childcare! A Collection of Play Ideas to Liven Up Cold January Days (11–20)

[Hand game] Ramen

Ramen [Hand-Clapping Song]

[Hand game] Ramen

Let’s try playing a ramen-themed hand game, based on one of the foods kids love.

After pretending to make noodles and slurp them up, different kinds of ramen soup appear in turn.

For miso ramen, spread three fingers; for shio (salt) ramen, spread four fingers; for wakame ramen, mimic seaweed swaying gently with your hands.

It’s even more fun if you ask which ramen flavor the children like as you play.

You could also come up with other ramen flavors and invent new hand motions for them.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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[Hand Play Song] Nikuman Anman

Nikuman Anman | A popular winter hand-play song demonstrated by a childcare worker

[Hand Play Song] Nikuman Anman

We’d like to introduce “Nikuman Anman,” a hand-play song with simple lyrics and easy choreography that even small children can enjoy.

It’s a tune themed around nikuman (meat buns) and anman (sweet red bean paste buns), the kinds of steamed buns you crave in the cold winter, and its familiar, easy-to-remember melody is a key point.

The original song is a French folk tune and also serves as the melody for “Gu Choki Pa de Nani Tsukurou,” so many people have probably heard it before.

Not only do various types of Chinese-style steamed buns appear, but each has its own super-cute choreography as well.

You’re sure to find yourself smiling at the adorable children enjoying it.

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When it becomes a festive time, it’s New Year

[January/Winter hand play] Recommended by childcare workers! New Year’s game “Medetai nattara Oshōgatsu~♪” nursery rhyme, A Happy New Year

When it becomes a festive time, it's New Year

Here’s a fingerplay called “Medetai Nattara Oshogatsu” that will cheer up children who might feel a bit nervous returning to preschool after the winter break.

It includes fun, quirky movements that really capture their interest! The lyrics also feature classic New Year’s Osechi dishes, so everyone can enjoy the festive New Year mood together.

You can also swap the Osechi parts for traditional New Year’s games—like kite flying, hanetsuki (badminton-like paddle game), or karuta—to make it even more exciting.

Give it a try for inspiration!

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Theater Play: “Which New Year’s Game?”

Childcare Magazine “Monthly Hiroba” January 2023 Issue – Let’s Play Theater! Kao-Kao Theater “New Year’s Games: Which One, Which One?”

Theater Play: “Which New Year’s Game?”

Let’s have the children try a “Which New Year’s Game?” activity where they can show their facial expressions while playing! Cut a face-shaped hole in the center of a sketchbook, pop your face through it, and go off to look for New Year’s games.

Draw pictures of traditional New Year’s games—like kite flying and hanetsuki—on either the left or right page of the sketchbook, and enjoy a call-and-response with the children, asking “Which one? Which one?” It also helps them learn about New Year’s games.

The key is for the teacher to act it out a bit exaggeratedly!

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