![[Childcare] August Events: A roundup of activities to experience seasonal atmosphere, culture, and customs](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/bHuaMhM60XA/maxresdefault.webp)
[Childcare] August Events: A roundup of activities to experience seasonal atmosphere, culture, and customs
At nursery schools and kindergartens, there are activities and events almost every month that let children experience the seasons.
Teachers who plan these may be thinking, “What kind of event should we hold next month?”
In this article, we’ll introduce a range of activities and events that are perfect for this time of year—ones that let children have fun while also exposing them to culture and traditions.
This time, we’re focusing on August, the height of summer.
We’ll cover everything from classic summer activities to some lesser-known customs, so please use this as a reference.
Summer Fun (1–10)
cutout
https://www.tiktok.com/@thi.nano154/video/6987223429720083714Try your hand at a traditional pastime! Here are some ideas for katanuki (cutout art).
Katanuki is a common sight at festival stalls.
How about giving this long-loved activity a try? Use a needle, toothpick, or drawing pin to cut out various designs imprinted on a flat, board-like candy.
For children’s safety, you can also adapt the activity using construction paper or other materials.
With a bit of creativity, your customized katanuki will get kids excited and engaged.
Summer Shop
https://www.tiktok.com/@mammybear_/video/7410335112023395592Here are some ideas for a summer-themed pretend shop that kids can enjoy indoors.
Have the children wear happi coats or put on masks of their favorite characters to join in.
The shop themes are up to you.
You could set up a seashell hunt using strips of cellophane tape that evoke the summer ocean, a quiz where kids guess sea creature silhouettes, or festival-style stalls like shaved ice and yo-yo fishing—so many fun ideas! Try transforming the usual classroom atmosphere completely and prepare lots of wonderful little shops.
playing in the river
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9EnRyXxfqn/Summer is a great season for playing in rivers.
When planning river activities, always have guardians check how comfortable the children are with water.
Teachers should also conduct a site inspection in advance and confirm on the day that the weather is safe and the river’s water level hasn’t risen.
It’s important for all teachers to thoroughly check that the play area is shallow, that children can firmly stand, and that there are no hazardous spots.
Make sure children wear life jackets, clearly go over the rules for river play, and assign a higher number of teachers relative to the number of children.
Playing campsite
Here’s a handmade “pretend camping” activity you can enjoy outdoors, too.
Let’s make a tent—an essential for camping—by drawing pictures on a plastic bag with colored pens.
For fishing, blow up balloons and turn them into fish.
Talk about what colors you want your fish to be as you make them! For the barbecue, make the corn by wrapping bubble wrap to create the texture.
Prepare other foods like yakisoba and vegetables, and chat about what kind of barbecue you want while you make them.
A handmade camping day like this is sure to be a hit!
Summer Memory Pretend Play
Here are some pretend-play ideas for making summer memories indoors during the hot season.
Try handmade barbecues, bug-hunting searches, and goldfish scooping—create them together with the kids and have fun.
For the barbecue, talk with the children about what ingredients they want to make, then create them together.
For the bug-hunting search, the key is to think about where to stick photos or illustrations of insects at the children’s eye level and get creative with placement.
For goldfish scooping, rescue origami fish carefully so they don’t fall.
Competing to see how many you can catch also sounds fun! These are great activities for enjoying play indoors even on hot summer days.
Evening Cool-Off Gathering and Bon Odori
Speaking of summer, it’s got to be Bon Odori! You often see it at summer festivals, right? So how about hosting an evening cool-off event in hot July and trying Bon Odori with the kids? Put on cute yukata, hold fans in your hands, and dance like it’s a fun routine.
There are surprisingly many Bon Odori songs for children, including ones themed around popular characters.
If you prepare cold drinks and snacks, it’ll become one of your wonderful summer memories.
And starting the event in the evening might feel fresh and exciting for the kids, too.
Playing aquarium
Here’s a fun pretend-aquarium activity that lets you feel cool during the hot and humid days of July.
Use blue plastic bags as a stand-in for the ocean and make your fish swim through it.
Create your favorite sea creatures—like whales, fish, starfish, and jellyfish—and you’ll encounter all kinds of ocean life.
If you also hang plastic bags from the ceiling and stick the sea creatures on them, the whole space will feel like an aquarium.
The best part is that people of any age can enjoy it!