[For Kids] Fun Activities for Cherry-Blossom Viewing: Recreation and Games
When we think of spring, we think of cherry blossoms—and cherry blossoms mean hanami, right?
In this article, we’ll introduce games and activities that are perfect for kids at hanami!
Hanami often takes place in parks or small open spaces.
Parks are great because they have playground equipment for children, but not all hanami spots are equipped with play structures.
We’ve gathered activities and games that kids won’t get bored with anywhere, and that the whole family and friends can enjoy together!
We’ll introduce a variety of ideas, from classic outdoor games that require no equipment to activities that make use of nature.
Be sure to check them out!
- [For Adults] Fun Games to Liven Up Your Cherry-Blossom Viewing: Recreation and Party Games
- Fun! Spring activities for children: recreation and hands-on play
- Outdoor games and recreational activities recommended for children
- [Play Right Away!] Exciting Recreation Games Recommended for Elementary School Students
- [For Kids] Today's Recommended Recreation Idea Collection
- Fun nature activities that children will love. Recreational games.
- Nostalgic games that were popular when we were kids
- Indoor games and recreational activities recommended for spring
- A collection of simple indoor recreational games
- [For Kids] Let’s Play in English! A Collection of Fun Recreational Activities and Games
- A roundup of fun games and recreational activities using balloons
- [Elementary School] Games and Recreational Activities to Enjoy at a Forest School Camp
- Backyard play ideas: Easy ways to have fun with kids! How to make use of your garden
[For Kids] Fun Activities for Cherry-Blossom Viewing: Recreational Games (11–20)
Fingerplay: It’s spring, it is spring
There are lots of spring children’s songs, aren’t there? But how about a hand play song that lets you enjoy hand motions as well as singing this time? To the tune of “It’s Spring, It’s Really Spring,” let’s all make up and play with gestures for the butterflies and flowers that appear in the lyrics! If you have something like this up your sleeve for a cherry-blossom viewing party with lots of kids, it might be reassuring.
My dress
It’s the season when many flowers bloom in full glory—cherry blossoms, dandelions, white clover, and more.
Why not pick some of these flowers and create your very own dress? The idea is to draw a person wearing a dress on paper, then complete the dress’s pattern by gluing real flowers onto it.
All you do is gather and paste—so it shouldn’t take much time or effort.
If you do this each season and take photos to keep a record, it will become a yearly keepsake.
Isn’t it a wonderful idea to fully enjoy spring?
grass sledding
If there’s a small hill at your cherry-blossom viewing spot, trying some grass sliding can be fun.
Grass sliding is an activity where you lay down a blue tarp or similar on a sloped grassy area and slide down.
You can also use a rice sack instead of a tarp, or even a sled.
Just be sure to have fun safely and avoid shooting out onto the road or colliding with others.
By the way, some parks have dedicated courses for grass sliding.
If you’re interested, do a bit of research beforehand.
Let’s weave a flower crown with white clover.
Now that spring has become pleasantly warm, how about weaving a flower crown from the white clover blooming all over the cherry-blossom-viewing park? It can be hard to braid well with your own method, but if you use this approach, it’s easy and turns out beautifully.
Please give it a try.
It’s also a great idea for everyone to wear them and take a spring commemorative photo.
Four-leaf clover made with origami♪
The plant that appears in the opening song of “Rascal the Raccoon,” white clover (shirotsumekusa), is called “clover” in English.
It seems this little tidbit isn’t widely known.
Also, the origin of the idea of why four-leaf clovers bring good luck isn’t very clear.
Hmm, but the ambiguity makes it all the more romantic! How about making a four-leaf clover out of origami, since it’s so hard to find one in real life? You can make one from a single sheet, create a larger one by connecting several pieces, or use scissors to give it a more realistic finish—choose a project suited to your child’s age and enjoy crafting clovers together.
It’s lovely to display your finished pieces in a classroom or at home!
Bouquet of spring wildflowers
When you think of places to go cherry-blossom viewing, parks, wide open fields, and riverbanks come to mind, right? Cherry blossoms are, of course, beautiful, but in spring the wildflowers in the fields are also lovely and so cute.
How about picking some of those flowers and wild grasses to make a bouquet? Dandelions, white clover, henbit, and Veronica persica are colorful and charming—there are so many small yet beautiful flowers.
Weeds you may have never paid attention to before can be transformed into something bright and delightful by arranging them into a bouquet with spring flowers!
[For Kids] Recommended Games for Cherry-Blossom Viewing: Recreational Activities and Games (21–30)
Rock-paper-scissors game
This is a game that requires quick reflexes.
First, both players choose their positions, then play rock-paper-scissors.
The winner chases, and the loser runs away.
Decide on a safe line beforehand: if the loser reaches the line without being tagged, they’re safe; if they’re tagged before reaching it, they’re out.
Because you must instantly judge whether you won or lost and move accordingly, the rules are simple but it’s a lot of fun.
If you play in teams, discuss in advance and decide whether your team will throw rock, paper, or scissors.
If it’s a tie, shake hands and play rock-paper-scissors again!
