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!
- Indoor games and recreational activities recommended for daycare and kindergarten
- [Childcare] Play Right Now! Recommended No-Prep Games
- [Childcare / Physical Play] Fun Activities to Get Moving
- Popular recreation ranking for toddlers
- [Kindergarten/Daycare] Games and Performances for Fun Events
- Useful for childcare! Today’s recommended recreational activities, including fingerplay and games!
- Fun activities with newspaper! Recreation games kids will love
- Indoor Games for Small Groups: Exciting Recreational Activities
- [Childcare] Full of energy! Indoor activity ideas to get kids moving
- [Parent-Child Rec] Recreational activities and games for parents and children to enjoy together—also great for sports days.
- [Childcare] Recommended for 3-year-olds! Play ideas everyone can enjoy
- [Autumn Activities] Nature Play and Craft Ideas for Fall to Incorporate into Childcare!
- Indoor games for parents and children: fun activities that use the body and the mind
Recreation for Nursery Schools and Kindergartens: Fun Children’s Games (91–100)
Evolution Rock-Paper-Scissors
@kidschallengeclub Introducing Evolution Rock-Paper-Scissors! It’s a game where you keep playing rock-paper-scissors with lots of different people and evolve step by step! If you become a god within the time limit, you win! The kids suddenly start imitating grandpas and grandmas, and it’s so authentic I couldn’t stop laughing. It’s that kind of fun game!evolutionEvolution Rock-Paper-ScissorsRock-paper-scissorsRock-Paper-Scissors Gamebaby#GrandmaGodInteresting
Invincibly Cute – Naoki Endo
An amusing game where you evolve by winning rock-paper-scissors: “Evolution Janken.” Aim to become a god within the time limit! Everyone starts as a baby.
Since you’re a baby, you crawl to move and play rock-paper-scissors with people you meet.
If you win, you evolve and can move by hands-and-knees crawling.
If you lose, keep belly-crawling and look for your next opponent.
It goes like this: belly-crawl, hands-and-knees crawl, bear walk, adult, elderly person, and finally, you become a god and the game ends.
Evolve within the time limit!
Balloon Carry Relay
@bear_kids_official We held a “Balloon Carry Relay,” fostering the ability to cooperate with friends and encouraging a consultative, collaborative attitude. The children called out to one another and worked together while matching their timing. This relay is effective for improving cooperation skills and sense of balance.After-school day serviceChild Development SupportCooperativenessSense of balance
♪ Original Song – BEAR KIDS – BEAR KIDS 🧸 Child Development Support / After-School Day Service
Here’s a fun balloon-carrying relay where you work together with a friend.
Form pairs, hold a balloon between two paper cups so it doesn’t fall, and carry it to the goal—simple and enjoyable! If your strength and speed aren’t in sync, the balloon may drop along the way and you might not make it to the goal, so communicate with each other and aim for the finish.
If you drop the balloon, start again from where it fell.
Make sure you have plenty of space and be careful not to bump into friends.
Doing it in teams is also recommended.
[Hand Play] Autumn Hand Play
![[Hand Play] Autumn Hand Play](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/DnUSDz-MMis/sddefault.jpg)
Here are some hand games you can enjoy with children in autumn.
The first is “Yakiimo Goo-Choki-Pa.” Its catchy rhythm and fun lyrics, plus the rock-paper-scissors at the end, make it a favorite that really appeals to kids.
The second is “Tonbo no Megane” (Dragonfly Glasses).
It beautifully expresses how the autumn sky changes as seen through a dragonfly’s eyes.
The third is “Matsubokkuri” (Pine Cone).
It’s the kind of song that makes you want to hum along when you find a pine cone outdoors.
If you replace the word “monkey” with a child’s name, it really livens things up.
The fourth is “Ookina Kuri no Ki no Shita de” (Under the Big Chestnut Tree).
Many of you may know this one.
It’s a hand game that’s fun to play in pairs, facing a friend or teacher.
The fifth is “Donguri to Korisu” (Acorns and a Little Squirrel).
Numbers appear in the song, so it helps deepen children’s understanding of counting.
We’ve introduced five hand games recommended for autumn.
Try adapting them while watching the children’s reactions, and expand the play to make it even more enjoyable.
Moving Game
In the Moving House game, when the teacher signals “Moving house!”, the children move to the opposite side of the classroom.
The goal is to avoid being caught by the teacher standing in the middle.
You can enjoy various variations, such as increasing the number of teachers, moving by crawling, or moving quietly.
Another appeal of this game is that it helps develop quick reactions and decision-making skills.
We hope the children play with excitement, thinking, “Can I escape well?”
drawing relay
Here’s a drawing relay that everyone can get excited about.
Split into teams, and only the first person looks at the prompt.
The first person draws the prompt and passes it on to the next player.
The next player interprets the drawing and conveys it to the following player with another drawing.
The team whose final player’s drawing matches the original prompt the fastest wins.
It’s best to use simple prompts that are easy for kids to understand.
You can enjoy this game indoors or outdoors, so grab some paper and felt-tip pens and give it a try!