Lovely childcare

[Childcare] May events and activities at nursery schools and kindergartens

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked for 10 years as a kindergarten teacher and for 7 years as an after-school childcare instructor, then took a post as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I also engaged in activities that shared Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational play, working with many children. Afterwards, through freelance writing, planning, and editing work at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and conveying ideas. Leveraging the perspective cultivated in educational settings and my experience as an editor, I aim to deliver practical information—focusing on fields related to music and children—that values both input and output. Hobbies include instruments, singing, handcrafts, toys, drawing, traditional play, the outdoors, books, DIY, and crafts. Special skill: spinning-top tricks.
9 years of experience as a nursery school teacherShibata Risa
I am an active nursery school teacher with 9 years of experience. After graduating from university, I worked at a daycare center. The time I spent happily with children—playing piano, singing songs, and doing finger-play—are priceless memories to me. Currently, while raising three children of my own, I work at an after-school day service, engaging with children and providing individualized developmental support. Drawing on my diverse experiences as a childcare worker and as a mother, I hope to express and convey my thoughts through writing.

May is full of events themed around nature and growth!

While enjoying the fresh greenery of the season, here are various ideas for celebrating with children in childcare settings.

May also includes Children’s Day.

It’s a great opportunity to celebrate children’s growth and deepen communication between adults and kids.

Be sure to enjoy the warm days of May together with the children.

Through fun events, may both children and adults spend a spring full of smiles!

[Childcare] May Events & Activities at Daycare Centers and Kindergartens (1–10)

Active Play! Sinking Game

[For Childcare Workers] Teacher Rio’s Active Play That Gets Kids Excited [The Sinking Game]

Active Play! Sinking Game

Scary but cool—that’s what sharks are to kids.

There are many kinds: whale sharks you can see at aquariums, great white sharks that often appear in movies, and hammerhead sharks with their hammer-like heads.

This “Sinking Game” is a game where you run away from those sharks.

Children stand on mats pretending to be ships, and when the leader shouts, “We’re sinking!” they move from one mat to another.

The sharks will chase you, so run away and don’t get caught!

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Perfect for events! Color water magic

“Colored Water Magic” ~Tips for Childcare from an Active Kindergarten Teacher~

Perfect for events! Color water magic

Here’s a simple-to-prepare color water magic trick that instantly grabs kids’ attention.

Put a small amount of paint on the inside of a plastic bottle cap, and fill the bottle about two-thirds full with water.

Close the cap and shake—clear water will suddenly turn into colored water, and the kids will go “Wow!” with delight! If you add a face to the bottle with stickers, it transforms into a cute character and the play expands.

It’s easy to try, so please use this as a reference and feel free to include it as an activity for your event.

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Kerapons’ “Koinobori”

Koinobori by Keropons

Kerapons’ “Koinobori”

How about a “koinobori” counting-and-grouping game that’s perfect for Children’s Day? Have the kids pretend to be koinobori and take part.

Call out a number—like “two” or “three”—to the swimming carp, and the children must quickly gather and form groups of that size.

As in the video, adding a rule that everyone has to stand on one leg to keep their balance once they’re in a group raises the difficulty a bit and makes it even more exciting.

It’s a playful idea that encourages communication among the children and brings out lots of smiles.

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[Childcare] May events and activities (11–20) at nursery schools and kindergartens

Fun as a game too! A carp streamer hand play

[Children's Day] Fun as a game too! Koinobori hand play

Fun as a game too! A carp streamer hand play

Hand play that you can enjoy like a game seems like something kids can happily take part in! In “The Carp Streamer Sucked It In,” children guess what the carp streamer gulped down with its big mouth.

The teacher makes the sounds or cries of whatever was sucked in, and the children answer based on those hints.

Another one, “Koinobori,” features a carp streamer appearing along with Children’s Day essentials, set to a tango-like melody that matches the Boys’ Festival.

Have the children answer which way the carp streamer’s tail fin points, like playing ‘Acchi Muite Hoi!’

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Mark-finding game

[For 5-year-olds] Mark-Finding Game!

Mark-finding game

Circle, square, triangle… This is a game where you carry a ball by stepping only on the instructed mark among these three.

There are nine marks lined up on the floor between the starting point and the hula hoop where you place the ball, so listen carefully and move forward stepping only on the specified marks.

Once you get used to it, try splitting into teams and competing.

Some children may get excited and start jumping.

To prevent injuries, be sure to secure the mark cards firmly to the floor.

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Kids Will Laugh! Children’s Day Quiz

[Children’s Day] Nursery/Kindergarten Event Demonstration! A childcare worker demonstrates fun quizzes for kids♪

Kids Will Laugh! Children's Day Quiz

To help children learn more about Children’s Day, let’s try a Children’s Day quiz! Through various questions about decorations, foods, and the correct order of koinobori carp streamers, deepen your understanding of this special day.

After taking the quiz, it’s also a great idea to make or eat the items that appear in it.

Adding a short jingle-like song between quiz questions will make it even more fun and exciting! Give it a try.

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Newspaper Theater: “What is Children’s Day?”

[Children’s Day] Newspaper Theater / Let’s make a samurai helmet out of newspaper and talk about “What is Children’s Day?”

Newspaper Theater: "What is Children's Day?"

Here’s a perfect idea for answering children when they ask, “What kind of day is Children’s Day?” All you need is a sheet of newspaper cut into a square.

As you explain what Children’s Day is, you can bring the story to life by moving the newspaper in simple, easy-to-understand ways—rock it gently to represent the sea, shape it like a swaddle for a baby, and so on.

At the end of the story, fold the newspaper to make a kabuto (samurai helmet), an essential symbol of Children’s Day! You might want to do just the helmet-folding part slowly together with the children.

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