Lovely Play & Recreation

Liven up your children’s club event! A collection of ideas everyone can enjoy

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.
Keyboard playerSAKI
I’ve been playing the Electone since I was six, mainly performing Disney music, anime songs, and music from dramas and films. I post performance videos on YouTube and social media, and I also give concerts. Building on my Electone experience, I took up synthesizer and piano during my student years and performed at school-sponsored events. As a writer, I’ve covered not only music-related topics but a wide range of genres, so I hope to draw on my experience to deliver articles that make readers think, “I want to try that!” or “I want to listen to that!”

Children’s club events tend to end up feeling the same every time, which can be a real headache.

Even when you try to get creative, there are limits like budget and venue, plus the kids’ ages are all over the map.

So here, we’re sharing ideas for children’s club events that have actually been well received—from bingo tournaments to handmade festivals to seasonal parties.

They’re fun for both kids and adults, and relatively easy to prepare.

You’re sure to find tips for creating wonderful memories filled with smiles!

Get the Crowd Going at Kids’ Club Events! A Collection of Fun Ideas for Everyone (11–20)

Bowling

Tsumu-chan tries bowling for the first time★ Can she roll the heavy ball? Outing, playtime, Where’s Anpanman? Ages 3 and 9, sisters

Bowling

Bowling—there are probably some kids who’ve never tried it, right? Toy bowling is easy to play with, but bowling at a real bowling alley is sure to be a blast! Since the balls are heavy, it might be a bit tough for small children, but if an adult accompanies them and throws together, they can enjoy the excitement.

Kids who can throw on their own will have even more fun once they learn the rules.

Watching lots of pins fall is refreshing even for children and can be a great change of pace.

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street performance

A Christmas party with street performer Yuuri

street performance

Street performances that draw crowds at theme parks and events captivate both adults and children alike.

Wouldn’t it be exciting to try such performances at a kids’ club event? Inviting a professional street performer for a show is great, but how about having parents or committee members take on the challenge themselves? Start with relatively simple acts that you could also enjoy as a hobby, like balloon art or juggling.

The kids watching are sure to get excited and burst into applause!

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Making seasonal event items

33 spooky Halloween crafts

Making seasonal event items

There are probably many neighborhoods where children’s associations hold seasonal parties—from Girls’ Day and summer festivals to Halloween and Christmas gatherings.

Decorations to brighten up the room can make the event even more exciting.

Let’s all try making decorations for these seasonal events together! These days, video sites are full of craft ideas and tutorials for making decorations, so why not use them as a reference and give it a try? It’s fun both to make and to display—two birds with one stone.

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Magic Show

Magic Show Held at Children's Plaza “Aozora” (Broadcast on December 9, 2020) [Yurihonjo City, Akita Prefecture]

Magic Show

How about putting on a magic show to wow the kids? Even if you’re not a top-level magician like the ones you often see on TV—the kind that makes you think “How did they do that?”—you can still perform tricks that will amaze children.

Card and coin tricks are easy to learn, come in many varieties, and there are plenty of instructional videos to use as references; they’re great when you want to perform up close for a small group.

If you have a larger audience and intricate sleight-of-hand isn’t suitable, try tricks that use your whole body or props like stuffed animals and paper bags.

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Mini Sports Day

[Sports Day] Spring 2020! (#ClassesAtHome)

Mini Sports Day

Let’s all try holding a sports day! Even though we say “sports day,” we can make it small-scale by preparing a few activities that individuals can enjoy and have fun with it as a “mini sports day.” If you choose events that can be done indoors, you won’t have to worry about the weather and can play as scheduled, so an indoor mini sports day is recommended.

If you want team competitions, you can do a relay where you balance a ping-pong ball on a ladle, tug-of-war, or a ball toss—these are fun with small teams, and of course with large groups too.

Just like a real sports day, get even more into it by preparing a score sheet and adding cheer battles!

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Dinner Songtuki.

Dinner Song | Rhythmic Jump Rope

Dinner Songtuki.

tuki.’s “Bansanka” is cool and stylish, with a powerful chorus, and it’s a great song for enjoying rhythm jump rope! The section where you go from open–close to cross can make your routine especially captivating if you jump while moving your rope rhythmically.

If you’re thinking about switching positions front-to-back, let’s do the swaps during the instrumental break.

Moves like scissor jumps, pedals, and stomps are very tempo-sensitive.

Adjust your skills so they flow into the next move, have fun, and nail your rhythm jump rope!

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Get the Crowd Going at Kids’ Club Events! Fun Ideas for Everyone to Enjoy (21–30)

Uchiwa making

[Childcare] Enjoy the summer festival 10x more! Make your own original uchiwa fan ✨

Uchiwa making

I think many children’s groups try doing crafts.

But in many cases, you’ve already done the usual projects and have run out of easy, fun ideas.

In times like that, how about making your own uchiwa fans? These days, you can even buy DIY kits at 100-yen shops.

You can draw a picture over the entire fan, or decorate it with washi paper, beads, or masking tape.

If you have a favorite idol, it might also be fun to make a cheering uchiwa like the ones you often see at concerts!

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