[Childcare] Ideas inspired by October events: Activities you can use in everyday childcare
A lot of preschools and kindergartens probably host various events in October, don’t they?
While you’re putting extra effort into practice and preparations, it can be hard to decide what to do for everyday activities.
In times like that, why not try incorporating activities connected to the events?
In this article, we’ve gathered October-specific ideas such as dance routines you can use for sports day and activities themed around sweet potato digging.
As you imagine the children happily engaging every day, have fun getting everything ready!
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[Childcare] Ideas themed around October events. Activities (1–10) that can be used in everyday childcare
Sports day pretend play
Autumn is the season for sports festivals.
Let’s play a pretend sports day that’s perfect as a rehearsal for the real thing! How about trying events you can do indoors and getting your bodies moving with lots of energy? We recommend laying down mats so children won’t get hurt if they fall.
Set up items like vaulting boxes or slides to create an obstacle-course atmosphere, dance to music, and prepare activities that let children move their bodies to the fullest! It’s also great to enjoy this as mixed-age interaction, with older children helping and supporting the younger ones.
[Song] Halloween Is a Big HullabalooTakashi Deguchi
![[Song] Halloween Is a Big Hullabaloo by Takashi Deguchi](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OZZXWXez7ys/sddefault.jpg)
This is the fun Halloween song “Halloween wa Oosawagi,” which teaches kids what the Halloween event is all about.
It has a slightly spooky melody, fitting for Halloween, but it also comes with choreography that even toddlers can copy, so they’ll have a great time.
You let both hands dangle in front of your body to become a ghost, and the T-pose made with both hands is super cute.
If you’re having a Halloween party, why not have everyone dress up and dance to this song together? The lyrics include that classic line, so learn it with this song and go get some treats!
Sports Day Dance: Magic of SmilesYuiko Ohara
“Egao no Mahou,” known as the opening theme song for the anime Hanakappa.
The lyrics, which make you picture everyone smiling together in harmony, leave you with a warm feeling when you listen.
The melody is bright, and it’s also popular as a children’s dance song.
Since many childcare facilities hold sports days in October, how about performing a dance to this song? As you’d expect from such a popular track, there are plenty of choreography videos available.
Try dancing with pom-poms or in matching outfits!
[Childcare] Ideas related to October events. Activities that can be applied to everyday childcare (11–20)
Sports Day: Indoor Ball Games
In honor of Sports Day in October, here are some ball-play activities you can do indoors.
These ideas are helpful when you don’t have much equipment or when the space at your center is too small for typical ball games.
You can use newspaper or towels to make it work.
With newspaper, you can create balls of different sizes and firmness, allowing children to experience varying levels of force and providing stimulation for their fingertips.
Games like ball toss into a basket or target throwing can be plenty of fun even in a confined indoor space.
Once the children get used to the basic rules, try leveling up or gradually changing the activities to keep them engaged and prevent boredom.
[Sports Day] Indoor Beanbag Toss
![[Sports Day] Indoor Beanbag Toss](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wmyDF1La0Yg/sddefault.jpg)
October is the season for sports festivals and Sports Day! So why not try an indoor beanbag toss? It’s a classic event at school sports days, but one of its charms is that you can enjoy it indoors too.
You can easily make the balls by crumpling newspaper and wrapping them with colored tape, and the basket by attaching a plastic bag to a milk carton frame.
It’s very simple, so give it a try! Even toddlers who aren’t ready to join the sports day beanbag toss can enjoy it indoors by setting the basket lower, so everyone can have fun together.
[Reading Week] Picture Books Recommended for Infants
![[Reading Week] Picture Books Recommended for Infants](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Y5QpuwQlKW8/sddefault.jpg)
Here are some recommended picture books for infants during October’s Reading Week! Fruit is great for nurturing interest in food; Black & White is fun to look at and also helps with finger-tracing and tracking practice; and Jaajiyaa Biribiri, which encourages awareness of everyday life, is a classic.
If there are children who haven’t encountered these yet, why not read them during this Reading Week? Enjoying a variety of picture books together may also help adults notice which books children enjoy and what they’re interested in.
[Sports Day Dance] IdolYOASOBI
![[Sports Day Dance] IdolYOASOBI](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vY8LAkFEOoQ/sddefault.jpg)
October is when we have the school sports festival, isn’t it? These days, it’s become standard to include a dance performance as one of the events, and I imagine many teachers struggle each year with “Which song should we use this time?” There are a few classic go-to dance songs for kids, but of course there’s also a desire to dance to recent hits.
In that case, how about trying YOASOBI’s “Idol”? It’s wildly popular as the opening theme of the anime Oshi no Ko, and it’s a song known by everyone from children to adults.
It’s geared toward ages 4 and up, but the choreography is a simplified, arranged version—so definitely give it a try!