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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Recreation for daycare centers and kindergartens. Fun children's games (141–150)
What shall we make with rock, scissors, paper?
It’s a game where you use only “rock,” “scissors,” and “paper” from rock-paper-scissors to make all kinds of animals and objects! Two scissors make a “cat,” two papers make a “pigeon,” and two rocks make a “gorilla.” Of course, your two hands can be different, too.
Use your creativity and try making all sorts of things!
Dance: “Obake no Bakechama”
“Obake no Bakechama” is a dance by Keropons that’s popular with children.
This ghost-themed dance is perfect for summer and could be great for events like sleepovers at preschools.
Many kids may think ghosts are scary, but “Obake no Bakechama” has very cute choreography, so it’s totally fine! Keropons’ dance songs are not only rhythmic but also use fun, catchy language, making them easy to remember—highly recommended!
Dance “Jamboree Mickey!”
This is the dance from Jamboree Mickey!, a kids’ dance program at Tokyo Disneyland.
With dances by Disney characters like Mickey Mouse—whom children love—it’s guaranteed to be a hit.
Its uptempo music and lively choreography make it a perfect choice for performances at preschool or kindergarten events.
Drop the handkerchief
Many of you may have played it when you were little.
In the game “Handkerchief Drop,” everyone first sits in a circle.
The person who is “it” walks around the outside and secretly drops a handkerchief behind someone’s back, then runs away.
The person who has the handkerchief dropped behind them must catch the “it” player before they make it all the way around the circle.
It’s a recreational game that gets very lively at summer sleepover events and the like.
parachute ball
A para-balloon is a recreational play item where everyone holds the edge of a colorful circular cloth, 3–8 meters in diameter, and moves it up and down or rotates it in time together.
If you add variations like playing along to a song as if dancing or putting balls on it, I think children will enjoy it even more!