[Childcare] Let’s all play! A collection of recommended ideas for group play and games

Pyramid Rock-Paper-Scissors

Pyramid Rock-Paper-Scissors: Guaranteed to be a hit! A recreational activity

Guaranteed to be a blast—let’s play Pyramid Rock-Paper-Scissors! First, split into a defense team and an offense team.

Draw pyramid-shaped lines on the ground and place the defenders on the lines.

For example, if there are 15 defenders, put 5 people on the longest bottom line, then 4 on the next, and so on, ending with a single person at the top—that person is the King! The offense team starts by challenging anyone among the 5 at the bottom to rock-paper-scissors; if they win, they move up.

At the end, they play rock-paper-scissors with the King, and if they win, they clear the game.

If they lose at any point, they go back to the starting point.

Losing to the King also sends you back to start.

It’s a fun game where luck is put to the test!

Dodgeball (line dodgeball)

Coordination Training Junior: Dodgeball (Hit-and-Out)

Here’s an introduction to “Nakaa-te,” a game that’s great fun with a large group.

Many of you may have played it when you were little.

While the finer rules can vary by age and experience, the basic idea is simple: players are divided into those inside and outside a boundary, and the people on the outside throw a ball to try to hit the people on the inside.

You can tweak it endlessly—make the boundary a square or a circle, use a larger or smaller ball, and so on.

If any children are afraid of getting hit, try using a soft ball so it doesn’t hurt.

You can play with as few as three people, so give it a try!

Morning Noon Night game

Indoor games for large groups starting from age 3! Even elementary school kids can have fun while practicing moving quickly!

Here’s an introduction to the Morning-Afternoon-Night game.

You can play it anytime, anywhere, with any number of people, so it’s perfect for filling small gaps of time! When the teacher says “morning,” the children stand up.

For “afternoon,” they sit in seiza (kneel with legs folded under).

For “night,” they lie down right where they are.

The fun is in doing each action as quickly as possible.

Once they get used to it, try adding twists like “duck” or “monkey.” How will the children respond? Will they imitate the animals, get confused, or tell you, “Teacher, that’s wrong!”? That uncertainty is part of the fun of this game.

Reverse hide-and-seek

Reverse hide-and-seek: When you spot the ‘it’ (the tagger), hide immediately! Who will be the last one remaining...?

The idea of adding a little twist to the usual game of hide-and-seek—reverse hide-and-seek—is really fun and highly recommended.

The rules are flipped: the seeker is the one who hides! Everyone else tries to find the hiding seeker.

If you’re lucky enough to find them, you then go hide somewhere yourself! The person who can’t find the last remaining hider loses.

You might feel like shouting “Found you!” when you spot them, but if you do, everyone else will rush over.

So in reverse hide-and-seek, even if you find the seeker, quietly go hide yourself.

It’s a thrilling game where you keep the joy of discovery to yourself.

Fish, Birds, Trees

[20 Easy Classroom Activity Ideas No.20] Gyōchōmoku (Fish-Bird-Tree)

Do you know the game called “Gyocho-moku”? It’s read “gyo-cho-moku.” First, everyone stands in a circle and choose one person as the leader; the leader stands in the center of the circle.

The leader says, “Gyocho-moku, mousu ka, mousanu ka,” and everyone else replies, “Mousu, mousu.” The leader then points at someone while saying one of “gyo” (fish), “cho” (bird), or “moku” (tree).

The person who is pointed at must answer accordingly—for example, if the leader says “gyo,” you should quickly name a fish; if they say “cho,” you might answer “duck”; if they say “moku,” you could say “cherry tree.” There are endless ways to tweak the rules and enjoy variations, so give it a try!

Handkerchief-snatching game

🧡No.2 [Parent-Child Play / Improve Athletic Ability] “Handkerchief Grab Game” Boosts Reflexes‼️ So fun 😄

The classic indoor game you can play even on rainy days, the “Handkerchief Grab,” has lots of fun variations depending on the rules.

In this version, players sit on chairs facing each other with their knees touching, place a handkerchief in the middle, and grab it when the whistle blows.

It works well with a larger group, or you can do head-to-head matches and make it a tournament.

There’s also a high-level version where someone keeps chatting to distract players, then blows the whistle when their attention slips.

It’s a recommended game that everyone can enjoy while training reflexes and coordination!

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hiyori

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Stacking paper cups

Mari-chan is furious! Paper cup stacking contest with friends! What’s Mari-chan’s time? HUGtto! Precure Three Siblings Mom Collaboration #37 Runrun Mama

Let me introduce a fun stacking game with paper cups.

Stack 15 paper cups into a pyramid shape, starting from the bottom.

Time each round and compete to see who can finish their pyramid the fastest.

Because you have to think about the best way to stack the cups as you go, it trains both concentration and problem-solving skills at the same time.

Plastic cups are smooth and glossy, so for children, paper cups are recommended.

Give it a try!

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mayumi

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