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 for 10 years as a kindergarten teacher and for 7 years as an after-school childcare instructor, then took a post as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I also engaged in activities that shared Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational play, working with many children. Afterwards, through freelance writing, planning, and editing work at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and conveying ideas. Leveraging the perspective cultivated in educational settings and my experience as an editor, I aim to deliver practical information—focusing on fields related to music and children—that values both input and output. Hobbies include instruments, singing, handcrafts, toys, drawing, traditional play, the outdoors, books, DIY, and crafts. Special skill: 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 Liven Up Kindergartens and Daycare Centers (21–30)

Fishing game

The two-year-old class at the nursery enjoyed a fishing game.

Fishing game

Cut paper into fish shapes and attach magnets.

Tie a string to a rod, put a magnet at the end, and play a fishing game.

The children have fun while focusing on catching the fish.

It gets very lively when everyone fishes together.

It’s a party game you can enjoy indoors.

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Dancing Stop Game

Graccia Dancing Stop Game 🕺

Dancing Stop Game

The Dancing Stop game is easy to picture if you imagine a musical version of “Daruma-san ga koronda” (red light, green light).

While the music is playing, everyone dances with whatever moves they like, and when the music stops, they freeze.

Anyone who doesn’t freeze is out.

The last person remaining wins.

It’s exciting to see how everyone dances, and depending on the choreography, the frozen pose can end up looking pretty funny.

It’s a game that both kids and adults can enjoy, so gather everyone and have a great time together!

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Thunder Game

[Exercise & Gymnastics Kids Enjoy] The “Thunder Game” recommended from age 3 / Rule-based movement games and exercise-gymnastics educational videos to improve motor skills together with mom

Thunder Game

Have the children lie on their backs, spaced so they won’t bump into their friends.

At the teacher’s cue—saying “DOKKAN!” like a thunderbolt—they flip onto their stomachs to hide their belly buttons.

If the teacher doesn’t just shout “DOKKAN!” but also teases with a rumbling “Gorogoro～…” or fakes them out by seeming to say “DOKKAN!” and instead saying “DOSSUN!”, the kids will be on edge and get even more excited.

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The “Come here, come here” game

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

The “Come here, come here” game

The “Come Here, Come Here Game,” which lets kids have fun while moving their bodies, is a favorite among children.

After choosing a tagger, the tagger calls out to the children by saying “Come here, come here,” but the key is to leave pauses between the calls.

The children move forward in time with the calls.

When the tagger says “It’s a ghost!” everyone runs away as fast as they can.

The first person the tagger catches becomes the next tagger.

It gets more exciting if the tagger says different words before saying “It’s a ghost!” At first, it might be easier for the children to understand the rules if an adult joins in and helps run the game.

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Spoon Relay

[Indoor Play] [Ball Carrying] Introducing Indoor Play! Part 2

Spoon Relay

This is a relay-style party game where players split into several teams and carry a ping-pong ball on a ladle.

You can enjoy it on a straight course, or add variety with turnarounds using cones and curves.

Small, light objects like ping-pong balls tend to fall off easily due to wind resistance while running, but using something more stable like a beanbag makes it less likely to fall from the ladle, so even young children can enjoy it.

For teams with mixed ages, incorporate handicaps wisely so everyone can have fun.

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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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