Lovely childcare

[Childcare / Physical Play] Fun Activities to Get Moving

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
Nursery Teacher Mom Writertsukada moe
After working for five years at an after-school childcare club and three years at a nursery school, I began working as a freelance writer. I’m a mother of two children. Inspired by playing the flute in the school wind ensemble in elementary school, I joined a jazz club at university. I’ve also incorporated ukulele and piano performance into childcare. Playing, laughing, feeling sad, feeling frustrated—through all kinds of experiences, I want children to grow.

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 (21–30)

Moving Game

Daycare Room Grandeur “Moving House Game”

Moving Game

The “Moving House Game” is a game that gets everyone excited even without any equipment.

You can play it outdoors or indoors, but outdoors is smoother since you only need to draw lines to mark the bases.

First, make two bases.

Make sure they’re big enough for all the children to fit.

When the tagger shouts “Move house!” that’s the signal for everyone to move to the other base.

If you get tagged while moving, you’re out.

Watch the tagger’s movements and run so you can make your move safely.

It involves lots of physical activity, so it’s also great for cold days!

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Come-here game

[Toddler Play] “Come here, come here” game — a play activity that even 3-year-olds can do!

Come-here game

Even though the rules are super simple, let’s try playing the “Come Here, Come Here Game,” which kids are guaranteed to love! Divide into a teacher and children.

The teacher gently beckons to the children, saying “Come here, come here.” While the teacher is saying it, the children move slowly toward the teacher without running.

When the teacher suddenly says, “Come here, come here…

It’s a ghost!” the children have to run away so they don’t get caught.

Once everyone gets used to it, you can make it even more exciting by faking them out with similar-sounding words to “ghost,” like “pot” or “mother.”

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Signaling Game

A quick pastime for spare moments: the ‘Traffic Light Game’ for older preschoolers/also great for recreation

Signaling Game

It’s also great for a quick play during small breaks! Here’s an idea for a traffic light game.

Traffic lights are important indicators for learning traffic rules.

When crossing roads where cars and bicycles are moving, they play a crucial role in keeping yourself safe.

This time, let’s use the colors of the traffic light to play a game.

Move forward on “green,” step back on “yellow,” and stop on “red.” Through these simple rules, children can get a feel for the basic rules of “waiting” and “moving.”

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Mark-finding game

[For 5-year-olds] Mark-Finding Game!

Mark-finding game

The “Mark Hunt Game,” where you walk along specified marks like circles, triangles, and squares, is an indoor activity recommended for children aged five and up.

First, tape several sheets of paper with different marks drawn on them to the floor to make a path.

Also prepare one sheet for each type of mark at the goal.

The children start while holding a ball.

It’s best to play barefoot so they don’t slip.

At the end, count how many balls were correctly placed at the goal for each team.

Competing by team and counting out loud together makes it really exciting!

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Balloon roly-poly game

@soramame.sensei
Let’s make a roly-poly toy with a balloon and play a game! 😊 With friends! With family! An indoor game you can play even on rainy days ☔✨️Child Development Support After-school day service #SoramameKids #StayHomeTime #Indoor Play Parent-child time #HandmadeToys child # developmental support (ryōiku)translation
♬ A cute pop and bouncy song(1526882) – sanusagi

First, attach a weight to a balloon to make one that pops back up when knocked over.

Create a 3×3 grid on the floor with hula hoops or similar, and you win by lining up three in a row vertically, horizontally, or diagonally! This activity effectively improves motor skills, hand–eye balance, and sense of force control.

Kids are sure to be captivated.

It’s easy to prepare and safe to enjoy indoors, so adults can join in the fun too.

It promotes growth through play, so be sure to enjoy it together with the children!

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