Lovely childcare

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

20 years of experience as a nursery teacher / kindergarten teacherhiyoko sensei
I’m Hiyoko-sensei, a former nursery school teacher from Hyogo Prefecture. Ever since I was five, my dream was to become a childcare worker, and before I knew it, 20 years had passed since I achieved that dream. Through singing and playing with the children, I kept working with the spirit of someone in their twenties, even as I increasingly felt my physical limits year by year (haha). From here on, I’d like to share helpful information carefully and thoughtfully, drawing on my on-site experience.
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.

Kids who love to play! Their innocent, adorable excitement as they find something fun every day is a joy to see.

Through lots of play and a variety of experiences, we hope they grow freely in both mind and body.

In this article, we’ll share plenty of fun game ideas for childcare settings.

It’s packed with activities you can enjoy at preschools or at home! Choose games that suit children’s ages and developmental stages, or adjust the rules to match their interests, and they’ll have even more fun.

Enjoy a wonderful time together!

[Childcare] From Small to Large Groups! A Collection of Fun Game Ideas (131–140)

seated sumo (sitting sumo)

[Traditional Japanese Games] Seated Sumo

seated sumo (sitting sumo)

Test your strength with seated sumo, pushing with your hands while sitting! Sit down, extend your hands forward, and at the cue “Hakke-yooi, nokotta!” push against each other with your hands.

The person who rolls backward or whose bottom slips out of position loses.

Standing sumo can lead to big falls, but seated sumo limits movement and is therefore safer and more enjoyable.

To avoid hitting the head when falling backward, do it on a mat and have a teacher positioned behind the players.

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Red Light, Green Light

Mixed-age interaction: "Daruma-san ga koronda!" Yuri Class (4-year-olds) & Zou Class (2-year-olds) — Everyday life at Yahata Nursery School (Fukui City), March 2016

Red Light, Green Light

“Daruma-san ga koronda” is a game you can play both indoors and outdoors, and it requires no equipment.

It’s a classic that almost everyone played as a child.

First, choose one player to be “it” (the oni).

The oni faces a starting point like a wall or a tree and says, “Daruma-san ga koronda.” When they finish the phrase, they quickly turn around; any player caught moving is tagged by the oni and must join hands with them.

While the oni is facing the wall, the other players can move freely.

If a player manages to touch the oni, or to break apart the linked hands of captured players, they run back toward their base.

When the oni says “stop,” everyone must freeze.

The oni then takes a set number of steps, and the player who gets tagged becomes the next oni, and the game continues.

Children around preschool/kindergarten age (about 4–5 years old) and up will likely enjoy this game.

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Whose foot is it?

Whose paw is this? 🐾 All 30 Questions! A Fun Paw-Guessing Quiz | Bulfant Educational Video

Whose foot is it?

Enjoy a “Whose Foot Is It?” quiz while watching videos.

This idea uses videos available on platforms like YouTube.

In the video, an animal’s foot appears first, and you guess which animal it belongs to.

You’ll see everything from animals with distinctive feet, like horses, to trickier ones, like monkeys.

The wide variety keeps it from getting boring.

If you’re not using videos, you can recreate the activity with photos and cut-out construction paper.

Try whichever suits the situation.

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Denden parent-and-child thumb

From Oyako Yubi Denden, “Latest and Most Fun Recreation Games”

Denden parent-and-child thumb

A hand-play song with lots of fun variations: the “Denden Parent-and-Child Thumb Exercise.” Make fists with both hands and hold them out in front of you.

To the nursery rhyme “Denden Mushi,” alternately extend your right and left thumbs and pinkies.

When your right hand shows the pinky, your left hand should show the thumb, so it might be a bit confusing at first—but take it slow and try it while singing.

You’ll go right, fists, left, and so on, but next try right-left without the fists in between, then pick up the tempo a little.

Add these variations and have fun!

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Inside-out pots!

Inside-out Pot, Inside-out Pot [with song] – Children's Song / Hand-Play Song

Inside-out pots!

Nabe-nabe Soko-nuke, a game where you hold hands with friends or teachers and sing while playing, is one of Japan’s traditional children’s games.

Facing each other and holding hands, you both turn your bodies at the same time by ducking under your arms at the cue “kaerimasho” (“let’s go back”).

Both the lyrics and the movements are very simple, making it easy to get the hang of! However, as the number of people holding hands increases, the difficulty rises and teamwork becomes essential.

Decide together which direction to turn—left or right—and take on the challenge while staying in sync with everyone you’re connected to!

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