[Childcare] Full of energy! Indoor activity ideas to get kids moving

gomudan

Gomdan

Here’s how to play Gomu-dan (rubber band jumping).

First, prepare a flat elastic band, and have two people hold the ends.

Let’s start with a simple jump-over game.

Hold the band at ankle height and jump over it.

Even if your feet catch on the band, it’s a success as long as you make it through to the other side.

Try different ways of jumping, like two-footed jumps, backward two-footed jumps, and cartwheel jumps! You can also raise the height to increase the difficulty and excitement.

Be sure to keep the band pulled tight—if it’s slack, it can be dangerous.

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hiyoko sensei

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Rock-Paper-Scissors Balance Game

[Kids’ Exercises You Can Do at Home] Rock-Paper-Scissors Balance & Power Challenge (For Preschoolers to Lower Elementary)

Here’s a rock-paper-scissors balance game that gets your whole body moving.

Play rock-paper-scissors with your friends.

If you win, do a one-legged balance for 5 seconds.

If it’s a tie, spin around twice and then do a one-legged balance for 5 seconds.

If you lose, spin around three times and then do a one-legged balance for 5 seconds.

For children who find one-legged balancing difficult, it’s recommended to hold onto something while balancing.

When playing the rock-paper-scissors balance game, secure a spacious area and keep a safe distance from one another to ensure safety.

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mayumi

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Elephant and Spiderweb

The Sumire class (3-year-old preschoolers) is enjoying the group game “Elephant and Spider’s Web.” May 2016.

This is an activity to play along with the song “Zō-san to Kumo no Su” (The Elephant and the Spider Web).

First, choose one child to be the elephant, and have the other children sit in a circle.

The elephant walks around the circle while singing the song and selects seated children one by one.

When a child is chosen, they line up behind the elephant like a pretend train.

Once everyone has been chosen and is connected, finish by having everyone separate—like the spider web threads breaking—and flop down to lie or sit on the floor.

It’s a great way for children to communicate with each other, so give it a try!

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SAKI

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Cat and Mouse

[You can see the childcare in action] Teacher Rio’s active play [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!

Mukkuri Kuma-san

[Group Game] “Mukkuri Kuma-san” | How to Play “Mukkuri Kuma-san”

Let’s enjoy traditional nursery rhymes! Here’s an idea using “Mukkuri Kuma-san.” Warabe-uta are traditional Japanese children’s songs that are fun because adults and kids can sing and play together.

They have a good rhythm, simple lyrics and melodies, and are easy for children to remember.

For Mukkuri Kuma-san, choose one child to be the bear, and have the other children hold hands and walk in a circle around the bear.

When the song ends, the bear chases everyone.

The person tagged by the bear becomes the next bear.

big-game hunting

[You can also see childcare in action] Ms. Rio’s active play [Big Game Hunting]

Get the fun going! Here are some ideas for the game “Mōjūgari” (Wild Beast Hunt).

It’s a great way to explore number concepts while playing, so we highly recommend it! The call-and-response is done by having children repeat the teacher’s or caregiver’s lines, so keeping it simple and easy to understand is key.

Rules: The teacher or caregiver tells the children the name of an animal.

The children then form groups and sit down in numbers that match the number of letters in the animal’s name specified by the teacher or caregiver.

Start with animals that have fewer letters, and once they get used to it, switch to animals with more letters so they won’t get bored.

Color ball play

Color Ball Play! [Ages 1–2] | Taishogawa Yūiku-en [Daycare/Kindergarten Event]

Play with colorful balls that children love is so appealing.

When you dump the balls out of the box all at once to make a wave of balls, the kids are thrilled by the movement of the colorful balls.

Using color balls sparks interest in colors and, by tracking them with their eyes, also helps develop eye movement.

Grasping, holding, and throwing the balls stimulates fine motor skills and arm movements.

Counting the color balls out loud together—how many there are—also creates a great opportunity to learn numbers.

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mayumi

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