Fun summer activities for kids: ideas you’ll want to try in childcare and at home
In the hot summer, children spend more time indoors both at daycare and at home.
For those wondering, “What can we play indoors with the kids?”, here are some perfect summer activities.
Games using water and ice are especially popular this season.
Cool sensations and hands-on activities are exciting for children.
It’s also a great experience to help them feel connected to nature or to incorporate traditional summer events—these memories really stay with kids.
Try these ideas at home, in daycare, or in kindergarten.
Through summertime activities, let’s help children create lots of fun memories!
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Fun summer activities for kids: Ideas you’ll want to try at daycare and at home (101–110)
playing laundry (pretend laundry)
At home, the washing machine usually does the laundry, but let’s try a pretend-play version that imitates hand-washing.
Prepare something for each child to “wash,” like small items such as hand towels.
In a basin, get them wet, apply soap, scrub, rinse thoroughly in clean water, wring them out, and then hang them with clothespins.
While you play, talk about how the washing machine does a whole sequence from washing to spin-drying, and how people used to wash clothes by hand.
If you play on a sunny day, the laundry will dry quickly and you can even bring it in when it’s done!
Pretend play: running a stall at a festival
When you think of festivals, this is the scene that comes to mind—why not set up some food stalls and play shopkeeper? You’ll get that lively fair atmosphere packed with people and the excitement of “I wonder what kinds of stalls there are?” With yakisoba stands, takoyaki stands, shaved ice stands, and even ring toss, it’s hard to choose just one! Hang up some lanterns and have the kids wear happi coats to really set the mood, and it’ll be even more festive.
Best of all, it works great with either a small group or a big crowd.
Bug-catching game
Here’s a bug-catching game you play with a butterfly net.
The rules are very simple: cut origami paper into small pieces to make confetti, put it in a bowl, and get ready.
The person dropping the confetti stands on a raised platform and sprinkles the paper down.
The child below holds a butterfly net and tries to catch the confetti with the net.
It’s a fun game where you watch the confetti fall from above and move the hand-held net to catch it inside.
Try it in a spacious area and be sure to play safely!
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.
Three Balloon-Popping Games
Soft balloons let kids play safely indoors! Here are three recommended balloon-launch games perfect for indoor play—all using materials from the 100-yen shop.
1) Turn a 100-yen planter stand into a chimney by rolling an A3-size PP sheet and attaching it on top.
Stuff balloons into the chimney and use a handheld fan from below to blow them out—great fun! 2) A super-simple game: put balloons in a plastic basket and throw rubber balls at it to launch the balloons out.
3) Make a frame using a hula hoop and plastic bottles, place lots of balloons inside, and toss rubber balls to send the balloons flying—easy and exciting.
With just a bit of creativity, you can make games your kids will love.
Give these a try!
Fun summer activities for kids: Ideas you’ll want to try at preschool and at home (111–120)
Fishing in the bath
If you’re looking for an easy water play activity at home, a fishing game in the bath is a great option.
In this game, you float fish-shaped toys in the bathtub and scoop them up with a net or similar tool.
You can buy fish-shaped toys at 100-yen shops, so it’s simple and inexpensive to enjoy.
It might also be fun for kids to make their own fish toys using plastic bottles and other materials.
Soap bubble
Soap bubbles are something everyone has played with at least once.
Kids love watching lots of tiny bubbles float in the air or a big bubble drift slowly by! Soap bubbles look especially striking against the clear blue summer sky, making them perfect for summer play.
There are the classic toys where you blow through a straw dipped in bubble solution to make bubbles, and there are also “bubble guns” that let you pour solution into a tank and produce a huge number of bubbles all at once.
Soap bubbles can even make the hot summer feel a bit cooler.
Make lots and have fun!
