[Childcare] Wordplay and game ideas everyone can enjoy together

Panda, rabbit, koala

♪Panda, Bunny, Koala – Come here, come here, come here, come here, Panda, Panda~♪ [Hand play song / nursery rhyme]

Let’s transform into cute animals and play! We’re introducing the hand game “Panda, Bunny, Koala.” Become those animals you’ve seen in picture books or at the zoo! Use your hands to show each animal’s features and have fun.

Once you get used to the game, try speeding it up partway through—it can really liven things up.

Through this hand play, children can imitate and learn animal movements and traits while also developing concentration and a sense of rhythm.

It’s even funny when you accidentally do the wrong action! Give it a try and add it to your playtime.

Rhythm Play

Rhythm Play (Imitation Edition)

Let’s enjoy a “rhythm play” that will get your body moving naturally! Tap your knees twice—ton, ton—and then clap your hands once in front of your chest—pan.

To the rhythm of “ton-ton-pan,” the leader changes the “pan” part and names a body part.

For example, “ton-ton head,” “ton-ton butt,” etc.

Everyone else taps their knees twice and then touches the body part the leader names.

Try to keep up with the rhythm without falling behind! As a fun variation, the leader can say an animal name like “ton-ton monkey!” and everyone can imitate its sound, such as “ton-ton ook-kee!” That would be entertaining too.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

hiyoko sensei

Report a problem

Storm Storm Big Storm Game

[Indoor Play] Even MatsuJun was shocked?! Indoor play!!

Let’s play using our heads and bodies! Here’s an idea for the Big Storm Game.

Depending on the age group, it’s helpful to prepare visual aids like sample diagrams or origami markers.

Assign one child as the squirrel and two children as the trees.

At the teacher’s cue, “A wolf is coming!” the squirrel moves to a different tree.

At the cue, “A lumberjack is coming!” the trees move to a different squirrel.

At the cue, “A big storm is coming!” everyone moves and pairs up with different friends.

To start, try playing while using the sample diagram or markers as guides!

Morning Noon Night game

Indoor games for large groups starting from age 3! Even elementary school kids can have fun while practicing moving quickly!

Here’s an introduction to the Morning-Afternoon-Night game.

You can play it anytime, anywhere, with any number of people, so it’s perfect for filling small gaps of time! When the teacher says “morning,” the children stand up.

For “afternoon,” they sit in seiza (kneel with legs folded under).

For “night,” they lie down right where they are.

The fun is in doing each action as quickly as possible.

Once they get used to it, try adding twists like “duck” or “monkey.” How will the children respond? Will they imitate the animals, get confused, or tell you, “Teacher, that’s wrong!”? That uncertainty is part of the fun of this game.

Picture shiritori

Animal drawing shiritori♪ Drawing animals shiritori cheetah, raccoon dog, giraffe, pig, woodpecker, crayon, Sansan, Kumorin, toys, anime

Let me introduce a drawing shiritori game that gets everyone excited while you draw.

The drawing shiritori game can be enjoyed by two or more people.

First, decide on a theme for the first drawing in turn.

The first person draws a picture on paper based on the theme.

The next person looks at the previous person’s drawing and draws a picture that starts with the last letter of the previous drawing’s word.

Take turns and keep going.

It gets even more fun if you set final rules in advance, such as what happens if a word ends with “n” (which would normally end the game) or if someone can’t draw on their turn.

Have fun and give it a try!

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

mayumi

Report a problem