Childcare: Ideas for activities to enjoy in July
July brings alternating bouts of the rainy season and summer.
At nursery schools and kindergartens, you want to play a lot with the children, but there are surely days when the unpredictable weather makes preparation difficult.
So here, we’ve gathered ideas for games you can enjoy in July.
From activities related to Tanabata to fun water play, you can enjoy the season of July while feeling its atmosphere.
There are also games you can do indoors, so be prepared for rainy days, too.
Please use this as a reference to expand your repertoire and spend a fun time together with the children!
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[Childcare] Ideas for childcare activities to enjoy in July (61–70)
Water Carrying Race
When you think of summer, you think of water play! Try a water-carrying race using an inflatable pool or a large plastic container.
It’s especially fun with bigger groups, so it’s great for kindergartens and daycares where you can split into teams.
Fill a large pool or tub with water, and place an empty pool or container some distance away.
At the start signal, scoop up water and carry it to the empty container.
The team that transports the most water within the time limit wins.
It’s even more exciting if you prepare a variety of carriers—buckets, empty milk cartons, or even large trash bins that are hard for one person to carry.
Ghost busting with a water gun
Games where you shoot something down with a water gun are always exciting, right? If you play a game where you shoot down ghosts, it could really bring out the summer spirit and be a lot of fun.
Draw ghost illustrations and use newspaper or calligraphy paper to make something like a string, then hang them from a rope.
It’s easy if you clip them on with clothespins.
Aim for the string part and shoot it down with your water gun.
This way, even kids who are scared of ghosts might enjoy themselves while defeating them!
Drawing with ice
In summer, it’s best to keep even your playtime cool, right? So let’s try drawing with ice! You might wonder, “Can you really draw with ice?” but it’s actually very easy.
First, squeeze small amounts of your favorite watercolor paints into the compartments of an ice tray, then add water on top and mix to dissolve.
Cover the tray with aluminum foil, and insert straws through the foil into each paint-water compartment to create handles for holding the ice.
Freeze it, and your ice paints are ready! Use the colored ice to draw whatever you like.
You’ll be able to create artwork that feels wonderfully cool and refreshing.
Melt the ice to get the toy
When you think of summer, you just want to touch something cold like ice, right? If you’re looking for a fun activity that uses ice, I recommend a game where you freeze toys inside ice.
As you handle the ice, it gradually melts from your body heat, letting you retrieve the toys inside.
It’s easy to prepare but gets everyone excited, which is great.
flowing somen (nagashi-somen)
In summer it’s often too hot to feel like eating, but many people find they can still manage somen noodles because they go down so smoothly.
With recent summers being extremely hot, even kids can suffer from heat fatigue, so let’s build stamina while having fun with nagashi-somen.
Eating together in a lively atmosphere is sure to lift your spirits and restore your energy.
Milk carton fan making
One way to beat the summer heat is with a uchiwa fan! Let’s make an easy one using milk cartons.
Take two prepared, opened milk cartons and cut each into a circle.
Place a chopstick between them as a handle and stick the two circles together.
Next, cut a piece of construction paper into a circle as well and draw any picture you like.
Here’s a tip: color the entire paper randomly with different crayon colors, then cover it all with black crayon.
Scratch your drawing into the black layer using a chopstick or a toothpick, and you’ll easily create a fireworks scene in the night sky! If you spray the crayon drawing with hairspray, it will be less likely to smudge.
Paste your finished drawing onto the milk carton fan, and you’re done! It’s perfect to take with you to a fireworks festival, too!
Bon Odori (Bon dance)
Bon Odori is known as a summer festival event.
Some children may have seen adults dancing around a raised platform called a yagura.
Since many schools and preschools hold summer festivals in August, consider including Bon Odori as an August event.
There are plenty of Bon Odori songs for children, and some even feature popular characters singing and dancing.
While building a yagura and learning the choreography can be challenging, it will surely become a wonderful summer memory.
