[Childcare] From small to large groups! A collection of fun game ideas

Find the hiragana mistakes

[Hiragana Quiz] Find the one word that's different! [For toddlers / kindergarteners / ages 4–6 / educational video / educational animation / odd one out] Hiragana quiz

There’s one hiragana that’s different! Here’s an idea for a spot-the-mistake game with hiragana.

It’s a quiz you can enjoy as if you were a hiragana detective, searching for the answer! Kids will excitedly look for the mistake with sparkling eyes, asking “Where is it? Which one?”, and they’ll feel a little thrill.

The “Aha!” moment when they find it is irresistible, making it a fun way to learn hiragana.

By noticing each character’s features, it also sticks better in memory—an ideal idea that lets you learn while you play!

big-game hunting

[You can also see childcare in action] Ms. Rio’s active play [Big Game Hunting]

Mōjūgari is very simple: at the end of the chant “Let’s go hunting for wild beasts,” the teacher says the name of an animal, food, or something similar.

Then the children form groups with as many people as the number of syllables in that word.

For example, if the teacher says “raion” (lion), the children form groups of four.

Before forming groups, there’s also a part where everyone has fun together—teacher and children do the chant with choreography while calling out various names.

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Ryo

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Moguradon’s

November nursery rhyme “Mogura-don”

A children’s hand-play song to enjoy interacting with friends through singing and movement! Here’s an idea for the game “Mogura-don” (Mr.

Mole).

These traditional play songs are often used in children’s hand games and group activities.

Their lyrics and melodies are short and easy to remember, which is part of their charm.

In this simple game, everyone forms a circle and walks around the person playing the “mole,” who sits in the center, while singing.

When the song ends, the “mole” stands up and tries to catch the children.

Give it a try!

Lick of ice cream

Tomobe Kindergarten Sports Day Event Description No. 6: “Lick the Ice Cream”

Aim for the goal while keeping your balance! Here’s an idea for “Ice Cream Lick.” It’s a fun relay perfect for a 5-year-old’s sports day, featuring a quirky, eye-catching ice cream with lots of impact.

Place a large ice cream made from colored plastic bags on a giant cone, and carry it to the finish while maintaining balance! Kids can enjoy it as a relay on their own, or you can adapt it into a parent-child event.

Work together and head for the goal!

Illustration Shiritori

[Wordplay] Illustration Shiritori ②

Let’s have fun playing shiritori using illustrations.

Even very young children can easily imagine the names of things when they have pictures, so it’s highly recommended.

Start by checking the names of the illustrations together, then begin the game.

If you link the pictures the children drew through shiritori, it will likely deepen their understanding of and interest in words even more.

Try incorporating various categories—such as friends’ names and toy names—so the children can feel familiar and enjoy the game, adding creative twists as you play.

Jumbo Karuta

[Teacher Experience] Open Campus: Jumbo Karuta Game

Karuta is a familiar New Year’s game, and it’s perfect for helping children learn hiragana and other characters! How about making a jumbo-sized karuta set to liven things up? Big cards are sure to get kids excited! You can pick a theme like food or animals and design the illustrations.

It’s also great to add educational elements suited to their age, such as traffic safety or disaster preparedness.

You can even tweak the rules for extra fun—have them search by letters, or distinguish cards by color, and so on.

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miyabi

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sensory toy play

[Indoor Play] Sensory Toys from the Tummy Time Stage #TexturePlay #0YearOlds

Fun for all ages! Here are some sensory toy play ideas.

You’ll need: food storage bags, colored water, oil, adzuki beans, erasers, toy goldfish, beads, bells, hair gel, and tape.

Put the materials you prepared into the bag along with the hair gel! Changing up the colors and textures makes the feel different and more interesting.

Sensory toys are recommended not only for infants but also for preschoolers—they’re engaging to look at and touch, and kids will be totally absorbed.