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 as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is 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 for Cold January Days (21–30)

3 fun activities with yarn

[Play] Perfect for the cold season! Introducing yarn play [Nursery/Kindergarten]

3 fun activities with yarn

Winter is a season when the weather is unstable and infectious illnesses tend to spread, so kids end up spending more time playing indoors.

Some children may miss playing outside, but why not take this opportunity to try some crafting this winter? We’ll introduce three activities: making yarn bracelets, making yarn pom-poms, and knitting using a milk carton.

The bracelets are made with finger knitting, and the pom-poms are created by wrapping yarn around a U-shaped piece of cardboard.

Give these winter craft projects a try to help nurture children’s creativity.

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A picture-matching card game playable from age 3

https://www.tiktok.com/@hoiku.labo/video/7182103671222652162

This is a “picture matching card” game that even small children can enjoy.

Beforehand, prepare several pairs of cards by drawing the same picture on two sheets of paper and mounting them onto colored cardstock.

It’s nice to use New Year’s motifs for the designs—for example, kadomatsu, spinning tops, lion dance, Mt.

Fuji, osechi cuisine, and mochi.

Place all the cards face down and turn one card face up.

Players take turns choosing one card to flip over; if it matches the revealed picture, they win that round; if not, it’s the next player’s turn.

It’s a fun way to build observation skills, memory, and communication!

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Fun for New Year’s! Spinning Top Play

@heknsb2
Make parenting a little more fun! Childcare ideas from a former nursery teacher mom 🏠 @moeco_asobi Hello! I’m Moe 🧸 ˊ˗ This time, I made: [Fun for New Year’s! Spinny Top Play 🧡] I’ll keep tailoring posts to match your parenting and childcare concerns, so please stay tuned 🙏 ———————————————— Skills kids build through play 💪 1) Finger dexterity → Helps with everyday and learning skills like using chopsticks and pencils, buttoning clothes, and tying shoelaces! Using fingers a lot also stimulates the brain, positively affecting emotions and learning functions 🌱 2) Sense of color Choosing colors and drawing freely helps affirm a child’s sense of self and nurtures ideas that won’t lose in the AI era! 3) Imagination for how to play Simple tops can be adapted in many ways depending on your ideas! Examples → Top battles → Games (fortune draw, rock-paper-scissors) → Pretend shops, New Year’s play corners [What you need ☕️] - Paper plates (18 cm this time) - Plastic bottle caps (2 per person) - Glue, hot glue gun, adhesive, etc. - Things to decorate with (stickers, crayons, stamps, origami, etc.) [How to make ✂️] 1) Use a pencil to trace cap circles on both sides of the paper plate 2) Draw your designs 3) Attach the caps with glue (If at home, strong double-sided tape can just about work!) 4) Let dry and it’s done! [Play tips ⭐️] - It’s fun to combine things other than bottle caps too! - Small paper plates spin as well! ———————————————— Just by watching: - Tomorrow’s parenting gets a little easier 👶💖 - Parenting goes more smoothly 🍼 ˊ˗ See other posts here ➡️ @moeco_asobi For questions, DM me 💌 I’d be happy if you follow or leave a comment 🧸🧡 ———————————————— #momlife #parentingstruggles #lifewithkids #craftplay #athomeplay #craftactivities#ChildcareWorkerMomParenting New Year's games #NewYearGames January Crafts #WinterIndoorPlay
♬ Happy New Year – SONGSCULPT

Let’s make original spinning tops and have a contest to see whose spins the longest.

Prepare paper plates, plastic bottle caps, colored pens, and glue.

Draw illustrations on the paper plate using colored pens or crayons.

If you use a variety of colors and draw pictures or patterns, you’ll enjoy how the colors and designs change when the top spins.

Glue two plastic bottle caps together, one on top of the other, and it’s done.

Hold the cap part with your fingers, give it a strong twist, and it will spin very well.

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Perfect for New Year’s events! Mochitsuki (rice cake pounding) fun for parents and children

Speaking of New Year’s, it’s all about mochi, isn’t it? Freshly pounded mochi is something every child should experience at least once.

Traditional mochi pounding with a mallet and mortar takes strength, so it’s mainly a job for adults, but if possible, let the kids have a few turns—thump, thump—and give it a try.

Flipping the mochi quickly as the helper, tearing the soft, steaming mochi into pieces, and preparing the soy sauce, kinako, or walnut sauce will all feel novel to children and become precious memories.

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How to make a flapping toy

@taniguchi_s_y_d
Japanese traditional toy #diycrafts #tutorial #NewYearGames Tradition
Original Music – Taniguchi Shoyudo Co., Ltd. (Taniguchi Matsuosho-do)

The flip-flop toy, where connected boards topple over in a chain with a flapping motion, is fun to watch and makes satisfying sounds as it falls.

Let’s get glue, scissors, mat board, and origami paper ready and make one.

After preparing several pieces of mat board cut into rectangles, connect them with paper strips.

The key when connecting them is to attach the strips straight.

Be careful not to stick the strips in the wrong positions when linking the boards.

It’s also recommended to draw faces on the boards so their expressions change as they flip back and forth.

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Have fun with a hula hoop! Karuta game

Karuta isn’t just fun—it also helps kids learn the names of things and letters, and it builds concentration, listening skills, and reflexes.

Plus, playing with friends offers chances to teach one another, cooperate, and develop communication skills.

There are many kinds of karuta, from sets with cute illustrations to ones with quirky themes, so choosing a set can be fun too.

It could also be great to make your own karuta using pictures you draw yourselves!

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Easy Karuta That Kids Can Make Too!

@hoiku.labo
New Year’s craft activity: Easy DIY karuta with construction paper that kids can make!Childcare Nursery teacher / Childcare worker Kindergarten Teacher Childcare job openings Childcare Column #NurseryTeacherThings #IWantToConnectWithChildcareWorkers #Nursery School Craft #DaycarePreparation Nursery School Practicum Childcare student Aspiring childcare worker Childcare Job Lab Nursery teacher skills Job change activities #JobChange #nursery_teacher_job_change Nursery teacher employment Production #Craft work Production drawing paper #ConstructionPaperCrafts Poster Board Craft New Year’s craft Karuta
Year-end Song from 12/26 Onward – [Alexandros]

It looks like making easy-to-create karuta together with children would be fun.

Prepare glue, construction paper, illustrations, and felt-tip pens, and let’s get started.

Once you decide on the first letter for each karuta card, draw illustrations that match the letter.

It might be easier if you split up the illustration work.

After coloring, paste the drawings onto the construction paper that will be the base of the cards.

Stick a small circle of paper in the upper right corner and write the letter on it to finish.

Lay out the completed karuta cards, divide into a reader and players, and try playing.

If you choose a theme like animal karuta or food karuta, it may be easier to come up with ideas for the illustrations you want to make.

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