Indoor games and recreational activities recommended for daycare and kindergarten
Even on days when the weather is bad and the kids can’t go outside, they still want to move their bodies and play! At times like that, many teachers and parents wonder what indoor activities to do.
Here, we introduce indoor recreational activities that can be enjoyed at nurseries and kindergartens.
You’ll find lots of ideas that kids can dive into with sparkling eyes—full-body movement games, activities everyone can enjoy together, traditional games, and sensory play.
Have fun staying active with the children, even indoors.
These are also great as references for games at events!
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Indoor play and recreation games recommended for daycare and kindergarten (21–30)
Body percussion
Let’s all play together with body percussion—rhythm games where we tap different parts of our bodies! Start simple with clapping and patting your belly, and keep the rhythms short.
Begin at a level everyone can easily imitate, then gradually expand the tapping areas to include your hips and legs.
And call-and-response is important, too.
The kids will enthusiastically answer back!
Signaling Game
A game that helps kids learn traffic signal rules: the Signal Game! In this game, the course is treated like a crosswalk, and players compete to see who can follow the rules and cross safely and correctly.
The rules are: “Green = take one step forward,” “Yellow = take one step back,” and “Red = stop where you are.” The teacher calls out the signal color, and the children follow the instructions as they aim for the goal.
They jump with both feet when they move, so it’s a good workout, too.
Once the children get used to the rules, try increasing the tempo or throwing in feints by saying words other than colors to raise the difficulty!
Let’s defeat the demon with a ball!
February is still full of chilly days, so let’s get moving and play indoors! This Setsubun game involves defeating the oni (ogre) by throwing balls at it.
Ideally, the target oni is made in separate parts—head, torso, and left and right legs—and then assembled.
It’s fun because the way it falls changes depending on where you hit it: hit the head and only the head might drop; hit the torso and the whole thing might topple over.
When it’s knocked down, set it back up and try again and again.
Cheer each other on—“You can do it!”—and work together with friends to defeat the oni.
It’s a great way to build cooperation and learn the importance of steady, persistent effort.
Fun Oni (Demon) Games for Infant Classes
Try fun oni-themed games that capture the Setsubun season: “Mame Korogashi,” where you roll up a newspaper into a ball and roll it around; “Mame-maki,” where you throw newspaper ‘beans’ at an oni face or its pants; “Pak-kun Oni Golf,” where you aim balls into a cardboard target; and “Oni Balloon Play,” using balloons decorated with many oni faces.
Do a warm-up with the Oni’s Pants dance, then start the games—pick whichever activities interest you.
Playing with toys made by you or by older students from other classes sparks curiosity and fosters a sense of achievement and self-esteem.
Feel free to use these ideas and bring Setsubun play into your activities.
Roll it! Throw it! Demon-slaying
Here’s an idea that lets kids move their bodies—throwing or rolling toward a target—while also enjoying a seasonal event.
Prepare five plastic bottles, some string, and origami paper, and make ogre (oni) faces with the origami.
It’s more fun with a variety of colors, so let them choose their favorites.
Encourage them to draw freely—smiling, angry, or crying faces—so their individuality can shine.
Attach string to each ogre face and secure it to a plastic bottle by fixing it under the cap, and you’re done.
Roll or throw a ball to knock down the plastic-bottle pins.
Making toys fosters imagination and gives a sense of accomplishment.
Above all, kids will feel attached to what they’ve made and learn to value their belongings.
Newspaper Battle
Prepare lots of balls made by crumpling up newspaper.
Divide into two teams, set your territories, and throw the newspaper balls into the opponent’s area.
You must not throw many newspapers at once or kick them in with your feet.
Pick them up one by one and throw.
The team that throws more newspaper balls into the other side wins.
It’s a game that gets your whole body moving—squat to pick up, stand to throw.
hopscotch
When you think of “kenkenpa,” isn’t it one of those nostalgic games for caregivers and parents too? Kenkenpa is a game where you move forward through rings lined up vertically while saying “ken-ken-pa.” It’s a repeat-and-repeat game that makes you want to do it over and over.
When playing indoors, try making the rings with masking tape or connecting hula hoops with zip ties.