Lovely childcare

Party games that are a hit at kindergartens and nursery schools

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 as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
Nursery Teacher Mom Writertsukada moe
After working for five years at an after-school childcare club and three years at a nursery school, I began working as a freelance writer. I’m a mother of two children. Inspired by playing the flute in the school wind ensemble in elementary school, I joined a jazz club at university. I’ve also incorporated ukulele and piano performance into childcare. Playing, laughing, feeling sad, feeling frustrated—through all kinds of experiences, I want children to grow.

Here are some party game ideas for kindergartens and preschools that will spark children’s excitement!

By having fun together, smiles will abound and a sense of camaraderie will grow.

There are lots of games that are easy to prepare and can liven things up in a short time.

When children play cooperatively, communication happens naturally and the fun doubles.

We’ve got a variety of party games recommended for events and occasions, so be sure to choose ones that suit the children’s ages and enjoy them together.

Party Games That Excite Kindergartens and Daycare Centers (11–20)

gomudan

Gomdan

gomudan

Here’s how to play Gomu-dan (rubber band jumping).

First, prepare a flat elastic band, and have two people hold the ends.

Let’s start with a simple jump-over game.

Hold the band at ankle height and jump over it.

Even if your feet catch on the band, it’s a success as long as you make it through to the other side.

Try different ways of jumping, like two-footed jumps, backward two-footed jumps, and cartwheel jumps! You can also raise the height to increase the difficulty and excitement.

Be sure to keep the band pulled tight—if it’s slack, it can be dangerous.

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Paper Sumo (Tonton Paper Sumo)

Tonton Paper Sumo Wrestling

Paper Sumo (Tonton Paper Sumo)

Let’s play a nostalgic game: paper sumo! The video uses a ready-made paper sumo set, but you can also make one with origami.

Create wrestlers out of origami paper and use an empty box as the ring.

At the cue “Hakke-yooi, nokotta!” lightly tap the box to move your wrestler.

Depending on where and how hard you tap, the wrestlers may clash, topple over, or even go out of the ring.

The key to paper sumo is mastering the force and the way you move them—so gather everyone and give it a try!

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Bomb Game

[Guaranteed to be a big hit with toddlers] An ultra-easy “Bomb Game” you can play

Bomb Game

Here’s a heart-pounding, thrilling bomb game! The word “bomb” might sound scary, but in this game we use a soft rubber ball as a pretend bomb.

The rules are super simple: if you don’t get hit by the ball the teacher throws, you win.

Start with an easy difficulty so anyone can win, and add variations as everyone gets used to it.

If you add a wrist snap to put spin on the ball before throwing, the bounce after it lands becomes unpredictable—guaranteed to get everyone excited!

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Balloon Whack Game

[Age 3] “Balloon Whack Game”

Balloon Whack Game

Here’s a game using balloons that kids love: the Balloon Smack Game.

It’s basically the summer watermelon-smashing game, but with a balloon instead of a watermelon.

One designated player wears a blindfold and swings a plastic bat toward the balloon.

Spectators should keep a safe distance and guide the player with their voices: “To the right!” “A little farther back!” and so on, helping them find the balloon.

It also works well as a warm-up when you’re planning to do a real watermelon-smashing activity at an overnight camp or summer festival.

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Atama-Oshiri Game

@kty_kids
We tried the Banana Sand head-and-tail word game 🎮 Will the teachers be able to come up with the words properly? It’s hilarious 😆Sanno no Hoshi Nursery School #Nursery school #NurseryTeacherDailyLife #FunNurserySchool Small-Scale Nursery School 30-second walk from Sannō Station Nagoya #IWantToGoViral #IWantToBeOnTheRecommendations #Company-led childcare center Banana Sandwich Head-and-tail game ROFL #HilariousVideo Wordplay #Gag freeze Cool visuals for the hot summer
♪ Original song – Kotsuyoshi Kids – Kotsuyoshi Kids

The Head-and-Tail game that builds excitement to the rhythm is an easy one for kids to join.

The quizmaster chooses a word and tells the answerer the first and last letters.

The answerer thinks about the letters that go in between, completes the word, and answers.

Setting a time limit makes it even more exciting.

A tip for the quizmaster is to prepare simple, easy-to-understand words like fruits or animals.

If it’s too hard, give hints along the way to help them find the correct answer.

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Ping-pong ball carrying game

@bear_kids_official
Ping-pong ball carrying game!! Using spoons and paper plates, we played a game where you balance and carry a ping-pong ball from start to finish. It helps improve balance, concentration, and teamwork, and develops carefulness, accuracy, and speed. We also had team matches, which made it really exciting!translation Preschool children #After-school day service #Child Development Support (Japan)After-school day service Child Development Support Exercise Therapy group therapy (for children)/group developmental support Recommendation
♪ Original Song – BEAR KIDS – BEAR KIDS 🧸 Child Development Support / After-School Day Service

Place the specified number of ping-pong balls at the start position.

At the starting signal, carry them to the paper plate at the finish line by placing them on a spoon one at a time.

The first person to carry all their balls wins.

Be careful not to drop them along the way or let them roll off when placing them on the paper plate.

You can substitute the spoon with a ladle or similar utensil, so adjust things so it’s not too easy or too hard.

It works for individual matches, but if there are many participants, a team relay format will make it more exciting.

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Party Games That Liven Up Kindergartens and Daycare Centers (21–30)

Telephone game

@taisougakuen_osaka_ikuno
The Year-Round Class is taking on the Telephone Game! Can they pass along their friends’ messages accurately?! What could the prompt be?! So, how did it turn out? 🤭Gymnastics I love gymnastics.I want to connect with people who like gymnastics.#Nursery school Unique childcare #Ikuno #IkunoKitatatsumi Recruiting Kindergarteners #PreschoolsEveryoneShouldKnow #GymnasticsClubEveryoneShouldKnow Membership Recruitment Fun childcare #Osaka Ikuno Ward Telephone game
♬ Exciting song with a cute atmosphere(1329495) – Hinatarou

A telephone game at the graduation party sounds like it will create a warm atmosphere full of laughter and emotion.

Form teams so they have equal numbers.

The first person listens to the message and passes it to the next person accurately and quietly so others can’t hear.

The last person announces the message they received on behalf of the team.

The team that conveys the message correctly wins.

Since it’s a graduation party, it’s also a great idea to use messages of thanks to the teachers or fun memories as the content.

If that’s too difficult, you could make the sentences shorter.

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