Lovely childcare

Recommended for childcare! Game and activity ideas to liven up a summer festival

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
Nursery Teacher Mom Writertsukada moe
After working for five years at an after-school childcare club and three years at a nursery school, I began working as a freelance writer. I’m a mother of two children. Inspired by playing the flute in the school wind ensemble in elementary school, I joined a jazz club at university. I’ve also incorporated ukulele and piano performance into childcare. Playing, laughing, feeling sad, feeling frustrated—through all kinds of experiences, I want children to grow.

The once-a-year summer festival that the kids look forward to is here! At nursery schools and kindergartens, you’ll want to make the special time with friends even more exciting.

Here, we’ll share recommended ideas for games and activities you can do together with the children.

Enjoy the preparation time together, too.

Classic activities like target tossing and yo-yo fishing can be even more fun with a few simple twists.

Choose ideas that fit the size and atmosphere of your school, and make it a summer festival that thrills both children and adults!

Recommended for childcare! Game and activity ideas that will energize your summer festival (11–20)

Roulette

[Playable Crafts] Easy to Make! Roulette and Sugoroku (Paper Cups, Paper Plates, Bottle Caps) [Simple Crafts] Great for Home Play, Preschool Teachers, and Projects in Kindergartens and Nursery Schools

Roulette

Make it with paper plates! Here are some roulette ideas.

How about making a roulette and a sugoroku board to enjoy mini games? You will need paper plates, plastic bottle caps, construction paper, origami paper, paper cups, round stickers, pens, tape, scissors, glue, and so on.

You can finish it colorfully using construction paper and origami in your favorite colors, so have fun while making it.

It also sounds fun to complete it together with children in the senior kindergarten class or the toddler class!

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Plastic Bottle Bowling

[Ages 1–2] First-Time Plastic Bottle Bowling!!

Plastic Bottle Bowling

Let us introduce PET bottle bowling, an easy game to enjoy at parties and more.

Line up plastic bottles like bowling pins, then throw a ball and try to knock them down.

Compete by seeing how many bottles you can topple.

It’s a good idea to adjust the weight of the ball according to the players’ ages.

You can also put a little water in the bottles for added challenge and excitement.

Writing point values on the bottles and competing for scores, or playing in teams, can make it even more fun!

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Balloon Whack Game

[Age 3] “Balloon Whack Game”

Balloon Whack Game

Here’s a game using balloons that kids love: the Balloon Smack Game.

It’s basically the summer watermelon-smashing game, but with a balloon instead of a watermelon.

One designated player wears a blindfold and swings a plastic bat toward the balloon.

Spectators should keep a safe distance and guide the player with their voices: “To the right!” “A little farther back!” and so on, helping them find the balloon.

It also works well as a warm-up when you’re planning to do a real watermelon-smashing activity at an overnight camp or summer festival.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

ladle scooping

2 and a half years old: playing at home—ladle scooping game

ladle scooping

Try “ladle scooping,” a twist on the classic goldfish scooping game! Fill a box with balls of various sizes, then just have players scoop them up with a ladle.

That alone gives you a summer festival vibe.

It’s super easy—no need to fill a tub with water or prepare the special scooping tool (poi) used for goldfish.

When someone manages to scoop a ball, celebrate together! As a variation, you could add a rule like “How many can you get within the time limit?” for an extra dose of excitement.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

ball basket

[Easy in 5 Steps] Let's Play a Ball Toss Game! [Cardboard Craft]

ball basket

A ball toss using cardboard is a simple and fun game.

First, unfold the lid flaps of the cardboard box and tape them down to make a deep box shape.

Next, draw your preferred shapes on the cardboard and cut them out with a utility knife.

Since cardboard is sturdy, adults should handle the cutting.

After decorating around the holes with drawings, crumple newspaper into balls and secure them with tape to make the balls.

Having plenty of balls is recommended so the game can continue without interruption.

Try playing to see if you can get the balls into your target holes!

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

“Daruma Otoshi”—Can you knock it off cleanly?

Daruma Otoshi at the festival

"Daruma Otoshi"—Can you knock it off cleanly?

We have a tabletop-sized daruma-otoshi at home, but at the festival let’s make an extra-large version for everyone to enjoy.

Of course, the hammer for striking the daruma will be jumbo-sized too.

It’s a game that requires bold swings, but the bigger size might make you hesitate.

It could be fun to pair up—like a guardian and a child—and tackle it together.

Also, a toppled daruma can roll and fall farther than you’d expect.

Make sure you have plenty of space, and be careful so that small children don’t end up under the daruma while playing.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Recommended for childcare! Game and activity ideas that liven up summer festivals (21–30)

Summer Shop

@mammybear_
We had so much fun at our pretend summer festival, playing all kinds of games and running little shops!Summer Memories Summer Festival Pretend Play #Nursery school
♬ Kawaii! ♡⋆*॰ Electro Pop!(1439948) – SK MUSIC

Here are some ideas for a summer-themed pretend shop that kids can enjoy indoors.

Have the children wear happi coats or put on masks of their favorite characters to join in.

The shop themes are up to you.

You could set up a seashell hunt using strips of cellophane tape that evoke the summer ocean, a quiz where kids guess sea creature silhouettes, or festival-style stalls like shaved ice and yo-yo fishing—so many fun ideas! Try transforming the usual classroom atmosphere completely and prepare lots of wonderful little shops.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem