![[Childcare] Incorporate cloth play into childcare and introduce a variety of activities](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/9kVIxUUdqRE/maxresdefault.webp)
[Childcare] Incorporate cloth play into childcare and introduce a variety of activities
Fabrics like scarves and towels can be imagined into many shapes and are easy for children to handle.
Many teachers probably want to incorporate fabric play into their childcare but aren’t sure what ideas to try.
So this time, we’re introducing play ideas that use fabric!
The possibilities are endless: you can use them with traditional children’s songs or for imaginative play, tailored to the children’s ages.
They’re easy to adapt, so feel free to develop them into a variety of activities.
Master fabric play and broaden the range of your activities.
[Childcare] Incorporate fabric play into childcare and include a variety of activities (1–10)
Popcorn play with a towel
This game called “Popcorn” is played with two adults holding a large towel while the children throw balls or rolled-up cloth into it.
For the kids, tossing things in is fun, and it’s also exciting when the towel is pulled tight at the end and the balls or cloth pop up like popcorn.
It’s a good idea to adjust the throwing distance by age to change the difficulty.
It also seems fun to make it a team competition and count how many go in, as practice for the ball-toss event often held at sports days.
Pretend play with a handkerchief
Pretend play with a handkerchief is a game that sparks children’s imagination and curiosity.
If you roll the handkerchief up, it can become a sushi roll or a Swiss roll; fold it into a triangle and it can be an onigiri rice ball or a sandwich.
It’s exciting to wonder what you can make next.
You can turn it into a quiz by giving hints and guiding them to the answer with questions like “What do you think this is?”, or ask “What does this look like?” and let the children imagine freely.
It also sounds fun to hand them towels and have them make something in their own way.
sheet swing
Let’s have some fun with a swing using a bed sheet.
Place one child at a time on the sheet, and have two adults firmly hold the ends.
Then slowly lift and gently sway side to side.
Even children who are too young to sit on a regular swing can easily experience the sensation of swinging this way.
Be careful not to swing too much, as it can be dangerous.
If the child seems scared, slow down a little.
If you don’t have a sheet, try using a large towel instead.
smooch smooch cluck cluck
“Chuchu-Kokko” is a game where you sway a soft cloth like a scarf up and down to the rhythm of a song, then toss it up at the end and try to catch it.
Will the children be able to catch the gently floating cloth? They can throw it themselves and play, or they can catch a scarf tossed by an adult—either is fine.
It might be fun for preschoolers to increase the number of scarves and try catching two at once.
For infants, lightly draping the scarf over their head so it floats down softly will likely delight them.
Wind Ninja!
Let’s pretend to be “Wind Ninjas” and have some fun! This dance is recommended for children aged four and up.
It’s not just choreography—there are lots of ninja techniques built in, like pairing up to become a helicopter, spinning around to touch, and more.
Even children who aren’t confident with dancing may enjoy this.
Ninja play is easy to incorporate into early childhood activities, and since this game also has parts where teams dance, it helps everyone feel a sense of unity.
It’s also great for sports days and recitals.
Scarf Dance: The Wind Is CallingKazuto Ozawa
Singer-songwriter and play-writer Kazuto Ozawa’s scarf dance “The Wind Is Calling” features choreography that expresses many kinds of wind.
Some moves are as simple as gently swinging the arms forward and back, while others use the whole body as if flailing about.
The clear variation in tempo makes it easy for children to learn, and simply moving their bodies with a big “whoosh” is likely great fun for them.
It’s also recommended as a performance piece for sports days and school recitals.
[Children’s song] Nigiri Pacchiri
![[Children’s song] Nigiri Pacchiri](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ki4HToll3xo/sddefault.jpg)
“Nigiri Pacchiri” is a game where you roll a cloth into a ball in your hands to the rhythm of a song, then let it fluff open at the end, imagining it as a living creature.
The basic version is a chick, but there’s also a sparrow variation.
Because the cloth stays hidden in your hands until the very end, children get excited, wondering, “What’s going to happen?” and “What will come out?” You can also ask the kids, “What should come out next?” and then reveal the creature they choose.