[Kindergarten/Daycare] Games and Performances for Fun Events

Let’s go hunting for wild animals.

Kasama Tomobe Tomobe Kindergarten Parenting Information: “Hand Play and Song Play Vol. 52: Let’s Go on a Monster Hunt”

Call-and-response play song “Mōjū-gari ni Ikō yo” (Let’s Go Hunt Wild Beasts).

As the title suggests, it’s a song about everyone heading out to hunt wild beasts together.

Following the leader, the children imitate and repeat the singing and movements.

When the name of the beast they encounter at the end is called, the children form groups with the same number of people as the number of syllables (characters) in the beast’s name.

Those who can’t form a group are “eaten” by the beast—that’s the playful premise! It’s a lively, fun song for group play, so be sure to sing it together at your party or gathering!

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Kitchen Orchestra

[Ensemble with Kitchen Utensils!!] “The Parade of the Tin Soldiers” [Flower Beat]

Teachers join forces to perform! Here’s an idea for a Kitchen Orchestra.

Let’s create dynamic sounds using familiar kitchen utensils and tableware that children know well.

The items include things like rice paddles, pots, bowls, and frying pans.

Watching everyone play in sync will surely make the children’s hearts dance.

Many children may have heard “March of the Toy Soldiers” on TV, right? Be sure to give it a try!

large-format picture book

Big Picture Book “Nyaa-go”

People say reading is on the decline, but kids love picture books.

It’s not uncommon to see a child who was noisy just a moment ago suddenly absorbed in a book in the corner of the room.

How about hosting a read-aloud event with oversized picture books? Larger libraries likely lend them out.

When I looked into it, I found plenty available at BOOKOFF and on Amazon as well.

You could also switch it up a bit and use kamishibai (paper theater)—that works too.

The time everyone spends gazing at the same book is something you rarely get as an adult.

It’s sure to be a wonderful time.

Rhythm Play

[For 3-year-olds] Introducing fun rhythm play♪

“Rhythm play” is a game where you change how you clap to match the words and keep time with handclaps.

Put things like food names or animal names to a fun beat and keep going while clapping.

Words with about three syllables are easy, but as the number of syllables increases or you include small pauses like the glottal stop (the small ‘tsu’), the rhythm shifts a bit and the difficulty goes up.

Once you get used to it, try adding gestures—like not clapping on the last one and instead touching your cheek or balancing your hands on your head.

Try adding variety by speeding up and changing the tempo!

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kamishibai (paper theater)

Kamishibai [Konjiki Yasha]

Kamishibai, or paper theater, is something children love.

Even when it’s a story they’ve seen before or already know, they watch and listen intently, and many really get absorbed in it.

It’s a timeless classic, but because kids love it so much, kamishibai makes a perfect feature for a fun event.

One of the great things about kamishibai is that if you think, “I like this story,” you can make it yourself.

You can try tweaking classic folktales and fairy tales a bit, or even create your own story from scratch and turn it into a kamishibai.

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Curling Bingo Game

Make it with paper cups! Here’s an idea for a curling bingo game.

Curling is the sport where you slide heavy stones across an ice rink and try to place them as close as possible to the center of a target area called the house to score points, right? This time, let’s use paper cups as the stones and set the house as a 3×3 grid to enjoy a bingo-style game.

Split into two teams and, like tic-tac-toe, adjust your force and control your direction to line up three in a row vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.

Egg Quiz

What comes out of the egg…? Here’s a fun egg quiz that gets kids thinking! Make eggs out of construction paper or nonwoven fabric, and have the children imagine what kind of baby will hatch from inside.

Plain white shells can be hard to guess, so try expressing the baby’s characteristics on the shell itself.

For example, if it’s a baby zebra, give the shell stripes; if it’s a ladybug, make it red with black polka dots—hide clues on the shell.

Once everyone gets the hang of it, let the kids come up with ideas too, and you’ll end up with lots of clever egg shells to match each baby!