Recreation for daycare centers and kindergartens: fun activities for children
Children in daycare and kindergarten are full of curiosity and energy! Still, some teachers might struggle to come up with play ideas.
There are also days when the weather keeps you indoors.
Here, we introduce a variety of activities that children in kindergarten and daycare can enjoy! We’ve gathered fun activities—from dance, exercise, and games to crafts—that are suitable for babies through toddlers.
Active, movement-based play is a big hit, too.
Let children and adults play together and enjoy a wonderful time!
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- [Parent-Child Rec] Recreational activities and games for parents and children to enjoy together—also great for sports days.
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- Indoor games for parents and children: fun activities that use the body and the mind
Recreation Activities for Nursery Schools and Kindergartens: Fun Children’s Games (51–60)
Dance “Paprika”
Paprika, sung by Foorin, a group of elementary school boys and girls, is frequently aired on NHK’s E-TV and is one of the songs familiar to children.
It also drew attention for being written and composed by Kenshi Yonezu.
The choreography for Paprika was supervised by Professor Kazuhiko Nakamura, just like the exercise “Boombaboorn!” from the NHK program “With Mother,” and it’s highly recommended because it’s very easy for kids to learn.
kotoro-kotoro (onomatopoeic; a light rattling/rolling sound)
“Kotorokotoro” is a type of tag game.
First, four children stand in a straight line, each placing their hands on the shoulders of the person in front.
The “oni” (tagger) tries to touch the child at the very back.
If the children manage to protect the last child within the time limit, the children win.
If the tagger touches the last child, or if any child’s hands come off the shoulders, the tagger wins.
Because you don’t need to run around in a large space like a park, it’s perfectly playable indoors.
It’s a recommended game for preschoolers around age 3 and up.
Cat and Mouse
It’s a kind of tag game where players split into a Cat Team and a Mouse Team, take positions in their respective zones, and start on a cue.
After the chant “ne, ne, ne~,” if the next word is “neko!” (cat), the Cat Team dashes to catch members of the Mouse Team.
The Mouse Team is safe if they can escape to the line drawn behind them without being caught.
It’s a sweaty-palmed game that tests your burst speed.
Hula hoop relay
Prepare one more hula hoop than the number of participants.
Everyone stands in a line, each inside a hula hoop placed on the floor.
Place the extra hula hoop at the back, pass it forward from the back to the front, set it down at the front, and have everyone move forward one hoop.
There will be one extra at the back again, so repeat this process to gradually advance toward the goal.
It gets even more exciting if you make it a team competition.
It’s summer! Ghosts! Perorincho!
Let’s run away from Perorincho the ghost! This is a game where everyone runs to avoid being licked by the big tongue of “Perorincho,” a ghost made from a plastic bag.
There are many ways to play: chase each other, have Perorincho disappear for a moment, or dash through the ghost the instant it’s lifted.
Ghosts are a summertime staple, but a ghost this cute won’t scare the kids—they’ll be happy to play!