[Childcare / Physical Play] Fun Activities to Get Moving
Physical activity play is essential in early childhood education, isn’t it?
Here, we introduce ideas for outdoor play and activities you can do indoors.
Use these examples to incorporate a variety of movement games and help children grow strong in both mind and body.
Many of the activities don’t require special equipment, so you can feel at ease even without preparation.
When adults join in the fun, everyone can enjoy a great time together.
Create joyful moments filled with laughter.
Let both children and adults move their bodies a lot and play with energy!
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[Childcare & Physical Play] Fun Body-Moving Activities (91–100)
Hoop Daruma-san ga Koronda
More ways to play! Here are some ideas for playing “Red Light, Green Light” using hula hoops.
You’ll need two balance beams, a hula hoop, a ball, and flat markers.
“Red Light, Green Light” is a game that’s been loved for generations.
Since the rules are easy to understand, many preschools and childcare centers likely include it in their activities.
Using hula hoops, balls, and balance beams expands the possibilities, so it’s highly recommended.
Once children are comfortable with the basic rules, give these variations a try!
Hoop Music Play
Let me share some ideas for playing with music using hula hoops.
All you need is a piano and large hula hoops.
Eurhythmics nurtures children’s interest in music and their abilities by moving the body to music and playing with rhythm.
While it’s possible to do these activities without any props, why not try eurhythmics ideas that use hula hoops? By moving the hula hoops to the music or along the scale, children can enjoy the fun of expressing themselves with their bodies.
Plastic Bottle Bowling
Let us introduce PET bottle bowling, an easy game to enjoy at parties and more.
Line up plastic bottles like bowling pins, then throw a ball and try to knock them down.
Compete by seeing how many bottles you can topple.
It’s a good idea to adjust the weight of the ball according to the players’ ages.
You can also put a little water in the bottles for added challenge and excitement.
Writing point values on the bottles and competing for scores, or playing in teams, can make it even more fun!
Ball arranging game
Get the excitement going indoors! Introducing the “Ball Line-up Game.” First, split into two teams, and each person takes a ball in their team’s color.
At the start signal, players place their balls onto a ball stand arranged like a tic-tac-toe grid.
After placing a ball, tag the next teammate.
The team that places their balls on the stand first wins.
It’s perfect for short indoor distances and still super fun.
Try adding more stands or creating your own rules to make it even more exciting!
mat exercises
We’d like to introduce fun mat exercises that get kids moving using a mat.
Lie on the mat, stretch out your arms and legs, bring your hands together and reach forward as you roll.
By rolling across the mat under your own power, you practice moving while maintaining full-body balance.
The hands-and-knees (all-fours) movement involves supporting posture while moving arms and legs alternately, making it perfect for engaging the whole body.
If that’s difficult, starting with simpler movements like crawling might be a good idea.
For safety, let’s have multiple teachers supervise while the children enjoy these activities.
Rhythm Play
A rhythm game where you move your body in time with music and instrument playing.
The great thing is you can tailor it to the space and number of participants—from simple, on-the-spot movements of hands and feet that anyone can do right away, to whole-body movements in place, or even walking around.
Match your stride and walking speed to the rhythm as the piano speeds up and slows down, and add upper-body motions like “Let’s make big circles with our arms!” or “Let’s clap our hands!” You can also choose familiar children’s songs that the kids already know.
Eurhythmics
Eurhythmics is an educational approach that, through exposure to music, promotes the development of children’s fundamental abilities—such as motor skills, perception, and the senses.
Moving to the piano’s rhythm, let’s crawl, walk, or lie down, using our whole bodies to play in ways suited to each child’s age! It can also help relieve stress for children who tend to feel down during stretches of rainy days.
You can add your own twists by incorporating children’s favorite nursery rhymes or anime music, or by doing exercises from picture books in time with the rhythm.
