[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!
- [For 4-year-olds] Ideas for group games and craft activities that can be done indoors
- For 1-year-olds! Indoor play ideas that make rainy days fun
- Indoor activities that delight 2-year-olds. Enjoy the fun inside on rainy days!
- Recommended for 3-year-olds! Fun indoor activities and group game ideas
- [Childcare] Recommended play ideas for caring for 2-year-olds
- [Childcare] Full of energy! Indoor activity ideas to get kids moving
- [For 5-Year-Olds] Recommended Indoor Play! A Collection of Exciting Games
- Ideas for indoor activities and group games that 5-year-olds like
- Indoor games that different ages can enjoy! Ideas for fun everyone can get excited about together
- [Childcare] Fun Rhythm Play! Recommended Games and Hand-Clapping/Hand-Play for Kids
- Handkerchief and Towel Play! A Collection of Fun Play Ideas
- Collection of indoor play ideas for September! Autumn recreational activities that will captivate children
- [Childcare] Perfect for June! Indoor play ideas to incorporate into childcare
[Childcare] Enjoy Rainy Days Too! Indoor Play Ideas (71–80)
Craft play
On a rainy day, how about engaging your hands and diving into some focused crafts and art activities? Drawing pictures, folding origami, making handicrafts… Adding elements that represent the rainy season can bring out a sense of seasonality.
For example, you could draw pictures inspired by rain-themed picture books or songs, or depict seasonal creatures like hydrangeas and snails through drawing or crafts.
It’s also a great idea to express your excitement for sunny summer days by drawing things you want to do in summer or a clear blue sky.
Even in the gloomy rainy season, creating something nice will surely brighten children’s moods!
Phone Game
Let’s make a phone and play with our curious one-year-olds.
Cut cardboard into a size that’s easy for children to hold, paste colored paper on it, and cover it with clear tape.
Then let them decorate it with their favorite stickers.
Having number stickers ready will make it feel more like a real phone.
It’s also a great idea to prepare animal pictures or similar so the children can color them and stick them on, helping them recognize which phone is theirs.
It’ll be fun to see what kinds of play the children come up with as they say “Hello?” to each other.
Balloon target game
How about a balloon target game? Prepare several inflated balloons and stick them to a wall.
Instead of using real balls, crumpled newspaper balls are recommended.
Have the kids throw those “balls” at the balloons again and again! You can write numbers on the balloons to keep score, or draw different pictures on them and have the kids aim for the balloon with a specified picture—try adding various rules to make it fun.
Fishing game
On rainy days, it’s hard to go to nearby seas or rivers to catch or even watch fish.
At times like that, enjoy homemade indoor fishing.
One way is to attach magnets to fish cut out of construction paper and to a fishing rod made from a chopstick; the magnets stick together so you can “catch” the fish.
Another way is to make fish out of origami, punch a slightly larger hole in them, and hook them with an origami fishing rod.
You can also cut milk cartons into fish shapes and float them in water to enjoy a scene that’s a bit closer to real fishing.
Try indoor fishing in whatever style you like!
Rolling Dodgeball
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Let me introduce Rolling Dodgeball, a game where you roll the ball instead of throwing it.
The rules are similar to regular dodgeball, but players are split into inside and outside groups, and the ball is rolled to keep the game going.
If an inside player is hit by a ball rolled by someone on the outside, they move to the outside and join their team’s attack from there.
It can also be fun to decide the winner by counting how many players remain inside at the end.
Unlike regular dodgeball, this version uses a soft ball, so you can play safely.
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!
Drop the Handkerchief
Here’s a game I recommend that can be played both outdoors and indoors: “Dropping the Handkerchief.” The rules are very simple.
Everyone except the ‘It’ sits in a circle facing inward with their heads down.
‘It’ runs around the outside of the circle and secretly drops a handkerchief behind someone.
When the person notices the handkerchief, they chase ‘It’; if they manage to tag them, they’re safe.
If they can’t tag ‘It,’ they switch and become the new ‘It.’ Players try to spot exactly when the handkerchief is dropped, while ‘It’ can pretend to still be holding it even after dropping it—making for a fun game of bluffing and strategy.
