![[Childcare] DIY Ideas for Circuit Play](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/Fzjw5_7ic5g/maxresdefault.webp)
On rainy days when you can’t go outside, kids have so much extra energy, don’t they?
That’s when circuit play is highly recommended.
Circuit play, which involves a variety of whole-body movements, is perfect for kids who love to be active!
Through play, you can naturally promote the development of their motor skills.
In this article, we’ll introduce DIY ideas you can use for circuit play!
From tunnels and balance beams to stepping stones, there are plenty of ideas you can make with everyday recyclables and items from the dollar store.
Choose options that suit your children’s ages and developmental stages, and give them a try.
Once you build them sturdily, you can reuse them again and again—not just for everyday care, but also for sports days, parent observation days, and many other occasions.
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[Childcare] Handmade Circuit Play Ideas (1–10)
Sensory Mat Made with 100-Yen Store Materials!
A sensory mat is an item you can enjoy by touching it with your hands or feet! Prepare interlocking floor mats and attach items that offer interesting textures or sounds—like kitchen sponges, CD discs, squeaky pet toys, or mops—to each piece.
Then simply connect the mats so children can walk or crawl over them, and you’re done! It’s great because you can easily make it with everyday items.
If you assemble the pieces like a dice cube, it transforms into a toy for exploring touch with hands! Try using different combinations to suit your child.
cardboard slide
Let’s make a handmade slide using brand-new cardboard! Combine the sliding section and the support parts you make separately to create a play structure that’s safe to ride.
Decorate the sides with your child by sticking on stickers or drawing pictures.
The key point is to use sturdy, brand-new cardboard! Used cardboard has creases in various places, which reduces its durability.
There’s also a risk it could collapse during play and cause injury, so please be careful!
Laundry bag tunnel
Turn a laundry bag into a fun tunnel! Just cut off the bottom of the bag with scissors to make a tunnel.
Start by getting used to crawling through a single tunnel, and once your child can slide through smoothly, tie the drawstring parts together to connect two bags.
Because laundry bags are made of mesh, children can see outside and parents, kindergarten, or nursery teachers can clearly check what’s happening inside, making it safe to play.
Hanging it up and using it as a basketball hoop is also recommended!
Crawling through a spider web
This is a spiderweb crawl where kids slip through a web of crisscrossed strings! Wrap packing tape or similar around a horizontal bar at random, and let children crawl through the gaps.
They’re free to choose which part of the body goes in first and which gap to thread a foot through.
Flexible kids might wriggle through in amazing positions that adults could never imitate.
Please supervise closely so they don’t get carried away and strain themselves with awkward postures.
And teachers, be careful of your backs—watch out for things like sudden back strain when demonstrating!
Walk on the line!
Let’s walk along all kinds of lines—wavy, zigzag, and more! Outside, you can draw in the sand, mark white lines, or set out cones.
Indoors, masking tape is recommended.
Try walking while stepping on the tape on the floor, or moving forward by stepping over it—experiment with different patterns.
Once you get used to it, try a slightly more complex route like a maze.
Since children tend to look down and focus on the floor, make it one-way to avoid head-on collisions.