[Childcare / Physical Play] Fun Activities to Get Moving

Moving House Game

[For toddlers, simple, movement play] Moving House Game

Let’s move to a distant base! Here’s an idea for a “Moving House” game.

In this game, the cue word is “Moving House,” and children simply move from one mat to another.

Once they get used to it, teachers or guardians can try to interrupt them along the course.

The fun part is seeing whether they can complete the move while avoiding the teachers or guardians! It’s also a great idea for deepening bonds among the children by giving them a shared goal.

Chestnut Ogre

'Chestnut Tag (Kuri-Oni)': Hugely popular with both preschoolers and elementary school kids! Introducing a tag game perfect for livening things up—also ideal as a warm-up!!

A tag game perfect for autumn! Here’s an idea called Chestnut Tag (Kuri Oni).

It’s similar to Freeze Tag, but the twist is that you transform into a chestnut! Choose one person to be ‘it’ (the oni), and everyone else runs to avoid being tagged.

If you’re about to be tagged, you can transform into a chestnut to create a barrier.

If a teammate touches you, you can start running again.

However, if you get tagged before transforming into a chestnut, move to the spectator area.

gomudan

Gomdan

Here’s how to play Gomu-dan (rubber band jumping).

First, prepare a flat elastic band, and have two people hold the ends.

Let’s start with a simple jump-over game.

Hold the band at ankle height and jump over it.

Even if your feet catch on the band, it’s a success as long as you make it through to the other side.

Try different ways of jumping, like two-footed jumps, backward two-footed jumps, and cartwheel jumps! You can also raise the height to increase the difficulty and excitement.

Be sure to keep the band pulled tight—if it’s slack, it can be dangerous.

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hiyoko sensei

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Rock-Paper-Scissors Balance Game

[Kids’ Exercises You Can Do at Home] Rock-Paper-Scissors Balance & Power Challenge (For Preschoolers to Lower Elementary)

Here’s a rock-paper-scissors balance game that gets your whole body moving.

Play rock-paper-scissors with your friends.

If you win, do a one-legged balance for 5 seconds.

If it’s a tie, spin around twice and then do a one-legged balance for 5 seconds.

If you lose, spin around three times and then do a one-legged balance for 5 seconds.

For children who find one-legged balancing difficult, it’s recommended to hold onto something while balancing.

When playing the rock-paper-scissors balance game, secure a spacious area and keep a safe distance from one another to ensure safety.

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mayumi

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Mukkuri Kuma-san

[Group Game] “Mukkuri Kuma-san” | How to Play “Mukkuri Kuma-san”

Let’s enjoy traditional nursery rhymes! Here’s an idea using “Mukkuri Kuma-san.” Warabe-uta are traditional Japanese children’s songs that are fun because adults and kids can sing and play together.

They have a good rhythm, simple lyrics and melodies, and are easy for children to remember.

For Mukkuri Kuma-san, choose one child to be the bear, and have the other children hold hands and walk in a circle around the bear.

When the song ends, the bear chases everyone.

The person tagged by the bear becomes the next bear.

beast hunting

[You can also see childcare in action] Ms. Rio’s active play [Big Game Hunting]

A fun indoor adventure game: Monster Hunt.

First, everyone sings the Monster Hunt song along with the teacher.

In the song, it says you’re carrying lots of weapons needed for the hunt, so try adding gestures that match the lyrics.

At the end of the song, the teacher says the name of the beast that’s been found.

Make groups with the same number of people as the number of characters in that beast’s name and sit down—that’s a success! For example, if the beast is “raion” (lion) with four characters in Japanese, you form groups of four.

It’s also fun to make it harder by choosing beasts with longer names as you go.

See how many different beasts you can find!

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SAKI

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Moguradon’s

November nursery rhyme “Mogura-don”

A children’s hand-play song to enjoy interacting with friends through singing and movement! Here’s an idea for the game “Mogura-don” (Mr.

Mole).

These traditional play songs are often used in children’s hand games and group activities.

Their lyrics and melodies are short and easy to remember, which is part of their charm.

In this simple game, everyone forms a circle and walks around the person playing the “mole,” who sits in the center, while singing.

When the song ends, the “mole” stands up and tries to catch the children.

Give it a try!