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[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!

[Childcare & Physical Play] Fun Body-Moving Activities (91–100)

Eurhythmics

[1-year-olds] Eurhythmics to the rhythm ♪
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.

Eurhythmics play

[May Rhythmic Class: Let’s Play with Our Bodies!] For ages 3–5. Get moving with hoop play! Perfect for kids with extra energy ✨ Great for relieving children’s stress ✨ Music play, rhythm play—also usable in childcare settings.
Eurhythmics play

Let’s have fun moving our bodies with hula hoops! Here are some ideas for Eurhythmics (music and movement) activities.

Since children can showcase their daily activities at sports days or performance showcases, both parents and kids will be delighted! How about organizing a Eurhythmics recital using the familiar activities you practice regularly? By moving joyfully with hula hoops, children can not only develop a sense of rhythm but also improve their concentration and stamina.

Learning through play can help nurture a positive attitude toward music and physical activity!

Dodgeball (line dodgeball)

Coordination Training Junior: Dodgeball (Hit-and-Out)
Dodgeball (line dodgeball)

Here’s an introduction to “Nakaa-te,” a game that’s great fun with a large group.

Many of you may have played it when you were little.

While the finer rules can vary by age and experience, the basic idea is simple: players are divided into those inside and outside a boundary, and the people on the outside throw a ball to try to hit the people on the inside.

You can tweak it endlessly—make the boundary a square or a circle, use a larger or smaller ball, and so on.

If any children are afraid of getting hit, try using a soft ball so it doesn’t hurt.

You can play with as few as three people, so give it a try!

Sorting Game

Sorting Game with Three Colored Balls That Rapidly Boosts Reaction Skills | After-School Day Service in Morioka City
Sorting Game

Let me introduce a sorting game.

Prepare three colors of balls—red, blue, and yellow—and one red box and one blue box.

Catch the ball that the teacher throws, then put red balls into the red box and blue balls into the blue box, while avoiding (not catching) yellow balls.

By repeating these movements continuously, you can train reaction ability.

Start with slow throwing speed at first, and as you get used to it, it’s recommended to increase the speed to make it more fun.

Storm Storm Big Storm Game

[Indoor Play] Even MatsuJun was shocked?! Indoor play!!
Storm Storm Big Storm Game

Let’s play using our heads and bodies! Here’s an idea for the Big Storm Game.

Depending on the age group, it’s helpful to prepare visual aids like sample diagrams or origami markers.

Assign one child as the squirrel and two children as the trees.

At the teacher’s cue, “A wolf is coming!” the squirrel moves to a different tree.

At the cue, “A lumberjack is coming!” the trees move to a different squirrel.

At the cue, “A big storm is coming!” everyone moves and pairs up with different friends.

To start, try playing while using the sample diagram or markers as guides!