Recommended games for Children's Day, including party games that really liven things up
May 5th is Children’s Day, celebrated as Tango no Sekku! Many families celebrate Children’s Day to mark their kids’ healthy growth.
In this article, we’ve gathered a bunch of exciting games perfect for Children’s Day! There are probably lots of kids feeling bored because they can’t go anywhere despite the holiday.
And parents may be wondering how to keep their children entertained.
Use the games we introduce here as a guide, and be sure to play together as a family on Children’s Day.
These are games that adults can enjoy too, so the whole family can have a great time!
- [Children’s Club] Easy and fun indoor games. Exciting party games
- [For Kids] Popular party games. Fun games that get everyone excited
- [Childcare] Games and performances that liven up Children's Day
- Games and activities to enjoy on Children’s Day, including crafts
- [For Kids] Fun Indoor Game Ideas for After-School Day Services
- Recommended for upper elementary grades! Exciting indoor recreation and games
- Magic that excites on Children’s Day. Magic that kids can enjoy.
- Indoor Games for Small Groups: Exciting Recreational Activities
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- New Year party games that get everyone excited: a fun collection of ideas from classics to DIY
- [Play Right Away!] Exciting Recreation Games Recommended for Elementary School Students
- Games that get the whole family excited! A collection of ideas you can start right away with no equipment
- Recommended games and activities for five people
Recommended games for Children's Day. Includes exciting party games (1–10)
Flag-raising game
It’s a game where you raise and lower the flags you’re holding according to commands like “Raise red! Raise white!” You can easily make the flags with chopsticks and colored paper.
If you go slowly, even small children can enjoy playing along.
As the tempo speeds up, the difficulty increases!
Fishing showdown
Speaking of Children’s Day, some of you are right in the middle of Golden Week.
If you’re feeling down thinking, “I want to strengthen family bonds, but it’s hard to go out this time of year…,” try making a fishing game at home and have a fun competition! You can make it with things you already have at home—scissors, laminating sheets, clear tape, paper clips, magnets, chopsticks, yarn, and more—so excitement is guaranteed.
Plus, you can print out fish illustrations and laminate them together with your child, making the crafting process fun too.
If you turn the fish into colorful carp streamers, it’ll be perfect for Children’s Day!
Gesture Game
Back in the 1950s and ’60s, when television was still in its infancy, NHK’s variety show “Gesture” became hugely popular.
Come to think of it, we still often see gesture games as segments on TV shows today.
Their simple, instantly exciting nature is probably why they’re so widely used.
This Children’s Day, let both adults and kids have fun and liven things up with a gesture game.
Prepare prompts in advance by writing them on slips of paper.
To make it even more exciting, you can give kids a handicap, like allowing onomatopoeia such as “wan-wan” (woof-woof) or “zaa-zaa” (the sound of heavy rain).
Try working in characters from kids’ favorite anime as prompts, too!
Recommended games for Children’s Day. Party games that liven things up, too (11–20)
Forehead Biscuit
Tilt your head up and place a cookie on your forehead.
Without using your hands, move your facial muscles and mouth to bring the cookie down to your mouth—the first person to finish eating wins.
If you drop the cookie off your face along the way, start over from the forehead.
Also, be careful not to choke if you eat too quickly!
Bomb game
The “Bomb Game” is a game where you pretend the ball is a bomb.
First, everyone sits in a circle and one person holds the ball.
Play music on a smartphone or boombox, and while the music is playing, keep passing the ball to the next person.
Whoever is holding the ball when the music stops loses.
If someone loses three times, they have to do a penalty! You can adjust the rules and penalties, so try tailoring them to the children’s ages.
Play songs the kids like for the music!
Piñata
A piñata is a “kusudama doll” that became widely known after being featured on the hugely popular TV show “Itte Q! (The Quest to the Ends of the World).” In the show, when Imoto smashed the kusudama, it burst open with toy bugs and lizards she dislikes, which made everyone laugh.
Even today, in many Latin American countries, it’s considered an essential event at children’s festivals.
The game involves hanging a candy-filled ball from the ceiling and having a blindfolded child break it—basically the kusudama version of watermelon splitting.
It could also be fun to make kusudama for each other, exchange them, and take turns breaking them.
Treasure Hunt
A treasure hunt game that uses the entire home is something that both children and adults can get completely absorbed in.
For younger children, it can be as simple as searching the room for their favorite toys, while if adults are joining in too, a puzzle-solving style where you crack codes to advance the game can really liven things up.
One advantage of doing it at home is that you’re free to move around as you like.
However, if you’re using the whole house as the field, be sure to put away anything that would be a problem if a child were to break it before you start.
