Many of you are surely looking for safe activities that bring out children’s smiles and energy.
Here, we introduce ideas for safe and fun activities that toddlers through elementary school kids will love.
We’ve gathered recreations that require few props and can be enjoyed both at home and in larger spaces.
Moving freely also nurtures children’s hearts.
Kids and adults alike—use your voices, move your bodies, and create fun, memorable times together with the children!
- [List] A roundup of games and recreational activities kids love
- Fun that’s a blast solo or in groups! A collection of game ideas even first graders can do.
- Indoor activities you can do at home—from educational play to physical games! Fun ideas that will fill your day with smiles.
- Get this excited with no props! A collection of Japanese play ideas
- Indoor recreation for children: A roundup of exciting games
- Games that get the whole family excited! A collection of ideas you can start right away with no equipment
- [Play Right Away!] Exciting Recreation Games Recommended for Elementary School Students
- Play ideas kids can enjoy from 1st to 6th grade [indoors & outdoors]
- Recreation Activities That Excite Kids’ Clubs! Plans and Ideas Children Will Love
- Games that get everyone excited without any equipment! A collection of simple ideas everyone can enjoy
- [For Kids] Today's Recommended Recreation Idea Collection
- Get Active! Outdoor Play Ideas for Elementary School Kids
- Indoor Games You Can Do in 5 Minutes: A Collection of No-Prep, Instant-Fun Ideas
Get Moving and Have a Blast! A Collection of Safe Play Ideas (1–10)
5 super fun activities
We’ll be introducing five activities: “Irregular Play,” “Swirly Tail Chase,” “Receive & Catch,” “Ball Rolling Play,” and “Cross Rubber Jump Tail Chase.” They mainly use a ball—putting it into a basket, catching it, and combining movements like hopscotch and forward rolls to get the body moving.
In “Swirly Tail Chase,” attach a jump rope instead of a string and run away from the tagger, changing directions between clockwise and counterclockwise.
For “Cross Rubber Jump Tail Chase,” stretch elastic bands across the room and escape from the tagger while jumping over the bands.
Play to develop hazard awareness
By catching only balls of the specified color, children can develop hazard awareness.
You’ll use a pool cue and colored balls.
Cut the pool cue lengthwise in half and join the halves to make a rail.
Set it up on a table, then roll various colored balls down it.
Ask your child to use the pool cue to catch only the balls in the color you told them beforehand.
Seeing, deciding, and moving instantly—this experience will surely help give children the power to protect themselves from danger.
Solo play that’s safe even if you fall
Kids falling down is common, and even though we know that, every time we see our child hurt and crying, we can’t help wanting to do something to help.
So let’s add a play activity that teaches foot control.
Fix pool noodles that have been cut in half lengthwise onto a wire grid.
Place a short piece of pool noodle under the wire grid to make a seesaw, then set a marble in the center groove of the pool noodle.
Have your child place their feet on both ends of the wire grid and move the seesaw left and right, controlling it so the rolling marble doesn’t fall off.
Exercise play you can enjoy at home
Even when you can’t play outside, you still want to move your body! In times like that, let’s enjoy some active play at home.
For infants and toddlers, try baby massage or touch-and-play activities.
For preschoolers through elementary school kids, how about a spy game with a treasure hunt or a round of table tennis on the table? For the spy game, setting up obstacles around the room and preparing a treasure map can really liven things up.
For table tennis, you can substitute household items: a tissue box for the net, a pot lid for the paddle, and a super ball for the ball.
Rhythm play with words
Word Rhythm Play is a game you can enjoy while moving your body, building vocabulary and a sense of rhythm, and training skills like quick thinking and problem-solving.
Listen to the beat and match your words to it.
Any words are fine, but the key is to stay on rhythm.
Start with an easy beat and gradually increase the difficulty.
Once you get used to it, adding handclaps while playing can make it even more exciting.
Safe Design Marble Game
Kids love rolling toys! Many children want to play with marbles, but when kids are small, there’s a risk of swallowing them, which worries caregivers.
So here’s a toy idea that uses marbles safely.
Inside a box, move plastic bottle caps with marbles set inside them toward a goal without letting them fall into holes.
The marbles are firmly fixed to the caps, and the caps are also tied to the box with string, so it’s safe.
Decorate the box and caps with any designs you like, and play by tilting the box to slide the caps around.
Eurhythmics with the children’s song “Matsubokkuri”
Eurhythmics set to the popular children’s song “Matsubokkuri” is perfect for those who want to freely enjoy expressing themselves.
As you walk around the room to the song, clap your hands, touch different parts of your body, and move freely.
Adding facial expressions can spark communication with one another and make it even more exciting.
Eurhythmics, which lets you feel the vibration and comfort of sound, is a rhythm activity everyone can enjoy while moving together.
Give it a try with everyone—from little kids to adults!