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 (41–50)

Roulette

[Playable Crafts] Easy to Make! Roulette and Sugoroku (Paper Cups, Paper Plates, Bottle Caps) [Simple Crafts] Great for Home Play, Preschool Teachers, and Projects in Kindergartens and Nursery Schools

Roulette

Make it with paper plates! Here are some roulette ideas.

How about making a roulette and a sugoroku board to enjoy mini games? You will need paper plates, plastic bottle caps, construction paper, origami paper, paper cups, round stickers, pens, tape, scissors, glue, and so on.

You can finish it colorfully using construction paper and origami in your favorite colors, so have fun while making it.

It also sounds fun to complete it together with children in the senior kindergarten class or the toddler class!

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Daikon Game

[Exercise & Gymnastics Kids Love] The “Daikon Game,” recommended from age 3 / Rule-based movement play and exercise-gymnastics educational video to improve motor skills together with Mom

Daikon Game

Let me introduce the “Daikon Game,” a fun activity you can enjoy indoors while moving your body! Get everyone excited by having them pretend to be daikon radishes.

Lie down in a circle holding hands.

Stay in character as daikon and don’t let go of your friends’ hands so the ‘oni’ can’t pull you out.

The child who stays until the end wins! Rules vary by region, but if you link arms instead of holding hands, you can become even stronger daikon! It’s also fun to let the kids come up with ways to avoid being pulled out, so I highly recommend it.

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Come-here game

[Toddler Play] “Come here, come here” game — a play activity that even 3-year-olds can do!

Come-here game

Even though the rules are super simple, let’s try playing the “Come Here, Come Here Game,” which kids are guaranteed to love! Divide into a teacher and children.

The teacher gently beckons to the children, saying “Come here, come here.” While the teacher is saying it, the children move slowly toward the teacher without running.

When the teacher suddenly says, “Come here, come here…

It’s a ghost!” the children have to run away so they don’t get caught.

Once everyone gets used to it, you can make it even more exciting by faking them out with similar-sounding words to “ghost,” like “pot” or “mother.”

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Number Bingo

[Easy with things at home!] Learn numbers with a homemade bingo game!

Number Bingo

As the name suggests, “Number Bingo” is a game that combines numbers with bingo.

First, using familiar number references like calendars and clocks, you make numbered pieces with plastic bottle caps.

Next, create a 3×3 bingo sheet and fill each square with numbers you like.

Put the numbered pieces into a bag, draw them like a lottery, and fill in the bingo sheet—that’s the basic flow of the game.

It’s an idea for getting comfortable with numbers through crafting and play.

The key is that it blends various hands-on elements like searching, making, and writing!

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Playing bus (pretend bus play)

[Hand Play] Playing Bus♪ (Maatan)

Playing bus (pretend bus play)

Let’s pretend to be a bus driver and passengers while singing the Bus Play song! You need a ticket to get on the bus.

Once you’re on, beautiful scenery spreads out the window, and on mountain roads the bus can sway and rattle a lot.

While sharing bus manners, the fun of riding, and things to watch out for, everyone can enjoy the feeling of taking a bus together.

Children in kindergartens and preschools probably haven’t ridden public buses very often.

This hand play might spark their curiosity, and some may say, “I want to ride a real bus!”

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