[Childcare] Perfect for June! Indoor play ideas to incorporate into childcare
June brings the rainy season, when outdoor play tends to decrease in childcare settings.
With so many days of unfavorable weather, teachers often struggle because the children can’t play to their hearts’ content.
So, we’ve gathered ideas for indoor activities here! We’ll introduce a variety of games, from ones that get kids moving to quieter activities they can enjoy calmly.
The more play options you have, the more smiles you’ll see from the children! Please use this as a reference so both children and adults can enjoy fun times together.
Children’s creations are treated as “works,” so we refer to them as “seisaku (制作)” in the text.
- [Childcare / Physical Play] Fun Activities to Get Moving
- [Childcare] Rainy days can be fun too! Recommended rainy-season craft ideas for June
- [Childcare] Have fun even on rainy days! Indoor play ideas
- [Childcare] Craft ideas perfect for June
- [Childcare] A roundup of June quizzes about the rainy season and rain—have fun with your kids!
- For 1-year-olds! Indoor play ideas that make rainy days fun
- [Childcare] Full of energy! Indoor activity ideas to get kids moving
- Craft ideas perfect for June for 2-year-olds
- Childcare: Ideas for activities to enjoy in July
- [Childcare] Fun February Indoor Play Ideas That Work for Both Small and Large Groups
- [Childcare] May Activities: Spring Outdoor & Indoor Play
- Fun summer activities for kids: ideas you’ll want to try in childcare and at home
- [Childcare] June wall display ideas
[Childcare] Perfect for June! Indoor play ideas to incorporate into childcare (41–50)
The pill bug fell over!
If you look carefully in parks and plazas, you can find pill bugs.
The way they curl up into a little ball when you touch them is amusing, and they’re a familiar insect that children know well.
Let’s play by imitating those pill bugs.
It’s a game you can play indoors even when it’s raining.
Since you sit and roll over, it’s also easy to incorporate as an indoor activity.
There are lots of fun motions: flapping arms and legs and rolling in time with a teacher’s or adult’s cue, doing finger plays, or crawling.
Let’s all become pill bugs together with your friends.
A rainbow made with torn paper collage
Here’s a craft idea for a rainbow torn-paper collage that will instantly brighten up indoor spaces during the gloomy rainy season.
Try making a collage by reusing colorful origami or scrap paper.
In torn-paper collages, you create pictures using small, torn pieces of paper, which helps develop finger strength through the tearing motion.
You’ll also use glue to attach the pieces, letting children enjoy the texture of the glue and learn how to use it properly.
Make a big rainbow collage to liven up your classroom!
Cat and Mouse
Which team will win? Here’s a game idea called Cats and Mice.
What you need are designated areas for each team.
Make the most of the room so the children can move around freely and play in a spacious environment.
Split into a Cat team and a Mouse team, and play a game where you try to return to your territory without getting caught by the teacher.
It’s a fun activity that makes kids burst into laughter, with the tension of listening carefully so they don’t mishear, and the exhilarating feeling of running away! In the end, which team will have more members? Give it a try!
Bomb game
The excitement just won’t stop! Here’s a fun idea for a bomb game.
It’s a great way to build concentration and decision-making skills while playing.
All you need is a device that can play music and a ball or balloon.
Have the participants stand in a circle facing each other.
While the music is playing, pass the ball to the person next to you.
When the music stops, whoever is holding the ball loses—simple as that.
It’s sure to be a hit with preschool classes!
Fruits Basket
Even on rainy days when you can’t play outside, a game that really livens up indoor time is Fruit Basket.
Arrange chairs in a circle, and the person standing calls out a group that has to move.
One person will be left without a chair, and that person calls the next group.
When the caller shouts “Fruit Basket!”, everyone must stand up and switch seats.
It’s great because the whole class in a kindergarten or nursery can play together.
By understanding the rules and acting accordingly, children build a sense of unity and enjoy the fun of cooperating.
playing with a ball
Let’s play with palm-sized colored balls with one-year-olds.
You can try color-sorting by sticking each ball onto a spot of the same color, or play “basketball” by tossing balls into a cardboard box—there are many ways to play depending on your ideas.
It’s best to interact while respecting the child’s feelings of “I want to try” and “I want to do it this way.” If possible, secure enough space so children can move between their favorite activity corners.
Even indoors, let’s get plenty of movement and have fun playing.
mat exercises
This activity uses mats—often strongly associated with cushioning during exercise—as tools for play.
Through games that involve moving heavy mats, participants can also enjoy the experience of working together.
Let them feel the weight of the mats in various ways, such as games where they tug mats against each other or compete to flip them over as quickly as possible.
The fewer people there are, the more strength is needed to move a mat, which not only helps them sense the weight but also appreciate the importance of cooperation.
