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 (21–30)
Rock-paper-scissors is fun even in the rain
Here are some rock-paper-scissors games you can enjoy indoors with kids even on rainy days.
“American Rock-Paper-Scissors” reverses winning and losing, so it makes you think.
“Body Rock-Paper-Scissors” is a game where you use your whole body to show rock, paper, or scissors.
It’s recommended to decide in advance what movements will represent rock, scissors, and paper before you start.
In “Newspaper Rock-Paper-Scissors,” you stand on a sheet of newspaper while playing; if you lose, you fold your newspaper once and make it smaller each time.
In “Rock-Paper-Scissors Train,” the loser lines up behind the winner, and the train of players gradually grows longer.
Try these and find your favorite rock-paper-scissors game!
balloon volleyball
Volleyball is a classic ball game.
It can be dangerous for small children and the fast pace makes it difficult, but using a balloon for balloon volleyball is a great option because there’s no risk of injury.
The basic rules are the same as volleyball, but with a few tweaks—like sitting in chairs or using handheld fans—you can even play it in a classroom.
It’s a recreational activity you can enjoy indoors, even on rainy days.
The “Say the same thing, do the same thing” game
“Say the same, do the same” is a literal imitation game where you mimic the person giving commands.
You repeat the chant “Say the same, do the same,” and then copy the instructions that follow.
If they say “Stand up,” you stand up.
There’s also “Say the same, do the opposite,” where you still repeat what’s said, but your actions must be the opposite, which makes it a bit more challenging.
Signaling Game
This is a “traffic light game” where your movement changes based on the three signal colors: red, yellow, and blue, and you’re out if you make the wrong move.
Blue means you can go, so take one step forward; yellow means caution, so take one step back; red means stop, so freeze in place.
That’s all there is to the three moves.
Speeding it up makes it a bit tricky and more exciting.
You can also add original rules, like assigning a different color—say black—to mean cars are coming, so everyone has to run away.
Card Flipping Game
In the “Card-Flipping Game,” children split into two teams and flip double-sided cards so that they show their own team’s color.
When the end signal is given, the team with more cards in their color wins.
This game is very popular with kids and is also recommended for parent-child play at community events.
Give it a try!
