[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.
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[Childcare] Perfect for June! Indoor play ideas to incorporate into childcare (41–50)
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.
Rhythm Play
Let’s try playing by moving our bodies to the rhythm! Rhythm play includes making sounds with your own body—like clapping your hands or stomping your feet—and moving along to the piano played by the teacher.
You can vary your movements to match the music’s dynamics, making them bigger or smaller, and keep moving while the music is playing, then stop sharply when the music stops.
Music lets you play in many different ways.
It’s also great to try instruments: use castanets or tambourines found in nurseries and kindergartens, or make your own instruments with items like plastic bottles and try playing them.
There are many ways to enjoy rhythm play, so try different activities suited to the child’s age.
Eurhythmics
Eurhythmics is an educational approach that, through engagement with music, promotes the development of children’s fundamental abilities such as motor skills, perception, and the senses.
To the rhythm of the piano, let’s crawl, walk, lie down—using our bodies to the fullest in ways suited to each child’s age! It can also help relieve stress for children who may feel down after many rainy days.
You can add your own twists, like incorporating children’s favorite nursery rhymes and anime songs, or doing exercises from picture books in time with the music!
gymnastics
When rainy weather makes it hard to go outside and you’re worried about not getting enough exercise, try doing some gymnastics indoors to really move your body! Dancing to kids’ favorite exercise songs like “Ebi-Kanikusu,” “Poupelle of Chimney Town,” or “Jamboree Mickey” is a great idea.
Using mats and balance beams to practice apparatus gymnastics is also recommended.
You could also move freely and work hard at gymnastics to the teacher’s piano accompaniment.
Be sure to do thorough stretches both before moving a lot and after you’re done to loosen up your body.
A frog you can make and play with
Here are some craft ideas themed around frogs, which often appear during the rainy season.
Try making projects that are fun both to create and to play with! There’s a wide range, such as castanets that make sounds using paper plates and small glass counters, or pieces that express a frog’s hopping motion with two paper cups.
If you want to make a more realistic frog, you could create one that croaks when you move a straw.
You can also combine a milk carton with a frog to make a snap-and-jump frog.
Try making these items to liven up indoor childcare activities on rainy days!