![[Childcare] Have fun even on rainy days! Indoor play ideas](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/7otbXlXT2-k/maxresdefault.webp)
[Childcare] Have fun even on rainy days! Indoor play ideas
When rainy days continue, we end up spending more time indoors, don’t we?
Many teachers at nurseries and kindergartens may be wondering, “What should we play with the children today?” and running out of indoor activity ideas.
So this time, we’re introducing recommended indoor play ideas for rainy days.
From activities that get kids moving, like circuit play and mat play, to group games that let them enjoy interacting with friends, as well as rainy-day crafts and unique sensory play, we’ve packed in a wide variety of ideas!
Have a blast together with the curious and energetic children!
[Childcare] Have Fun Even on Rainy Days! Indoor Play Ideas (1–10)
teru-teru bozu (a traditional Japanese handmade doll hung to pray for good weather)
Teru teru bozu are little dolls hung up to wish for clear weather the next day.
Why not try a craft project themed on these figures, which are also known as a traditional Japanese custom? First, wrap a balled-up piece of newspaper with shoji paper and secure it with a rubber band.
Next, dip the bottom part of the teru teru bozu into watercolor paint thinned with water.
Finally, decorate it with stickers, pens, ribbons, and more to finish.
Try making a doll that’s fun to create—crumple the paper, draw illustrations wherever you like, and enjoy the process.
A frog you can make and play with
Here are some craft ideas themed around frogs, which often appear during the rainy season.
Try making projects that are fun both to create and to play with! There’s a wide range, such as castanets that make sounds using paper plates and small glass counters, or pieces that express a frog’s hopping motion with two paper cups.
If you want to make a more realistic frog, you could create one that croaks when you move a straw.
You can also combine a milk carton with a frog to make a snap-and-jump frog.
Try making these items to liven up indoor childcare activities on rainy days!
Train play
Let’s all ride the train and move along the tracks to the signal of departure! The train can be made from hula hoops, strings, or cardboard.
Several people can get into one train and proceed without stepping off the tracks.
Lay paper or mats on the floor to represent the tracks and move along them.
If you have train-themed background music, it will make things even more exciting and the children will be delighted.
Musical chairs
A game of musical chairs where players compete for a limited number of chairs, and the last person remaining wins.
It’s a classic indoor activity that everyone enjoys.
The rule that you must keep walking without stopping while the music is playing adds a sense of tension.
When the music stops, sit on a chair immediately; anyone who can’t sit is out.
If two people end up on the same chair, decide the winner with rock-paper-scissors or a similar method.
One of the perks is that, while having fun, players also get to move their bodies and train their thinking skills.
Why not try playing with popular kids’ songs or nursery rhymes as the background music?
Fruits Basket
Even on rainy days when you can’t play outside, a game that really livens up indoor time is Fruit Basket.
Arrange chairs in a circle, and the person standing calls out a group that has to move.
One person will be left without a chair, and that person calls the next group.
When the caller shouts “Fruit Basket!”, everyone must stand up and switch seats.
It’s great because the whole class in a kindergarten or nursery can play together.
By understanding the rules and acting accordingly, children build a sense of unity and enjoy the fun of cooperating.
Newspaper play
When it comes to items that liven up indoor play on rainy days, nothing beats newspaper.
You can enjoy a variety of activities tailored to children’s developmental stages.
For example, have them crouch while holding a crumpled ball of newspaper, then jump and open the newspaper at the same time, or let them experience the motions and sounds of tearing newspaper.
There are also races where children try to reach the goal without letting a sheet of newspaper stuck to their belly fall off, and races where they carry a sheet of newspaper balanced on a stick.
Try using a wide range of ideas—like a game where teachers or parents hold a basket for a ball-toss, and the children chase after it—to make playtime fun.
Colored water play
Let’s try a colored-water activity where you add color to clear water and enjoy both the feel of touching the water and the visual changes in color.
First, use colorful water-based markers to add color to a sheet of copy paper.
Next, dip the copy paper into a clear cup filled with water.
You can enjoy watching the color gradually spread, and you can look forward to the children’s surprised reactions.
Once you’ve made a few different colored waters, it’s also fun to mix them to create new colors.
Give this activity a try—it also helps train concentration and observation skills.