Ideas for games and crafts to enjoy on Children’s Day: a roundup of fun activities
As Children’s Day approaches, many of you may be thinking about doing something special to make it exciting for the kids.
Carp streamers, samurai helmets, and kashiwa-mochi—things that evoke Children’s Day—actually make perfect tools for games and crafts, too.
In this article, we’ll introduce a wide range of game and craft ideas that are perfect for Children’s Day and will have parents and kids, as well as friends, completely absorbed.
They’re all easy to incorporate at home, in daycare, or in kindergarten, so use them as tips to make Children’s Day even more fun and colorful!
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Ideas for games and crafts to enjoy on Children's Day. A roundup of exciting activities (1–10)
Let’s pretend to be koinobori!
“I wonder what the carp streamers feel as they swim through the sky.” With that in mind, it’s fun to play by pretending to be a carp streamer! You can imitate their movements by yourself, line up with friends and copy them together, or combine it with counting games—there are so many ways to enjoy it.
Once Children’s Day is over, you won’t see the carp streamers again until the same time next year.
“Let’s all energetically imitate the carp streamers that will be swimming again next year!” Why not include that feeling as you bring this play into your activities?
Koinobori Tunnel
Let’s try making a carp streamer tunnel by connecting cardboard boxes and placing them inside a large koi nobori like the ones displayed outdoors! For preschoolers, it’s the kind of tunnel they’ll want to go through again and again, so if you make it in a childcare setting, everyone will probably rush to be the first to go in (haha)! However, large koi nobori can be quite pricey.
If you want to keep costs down, how about attaching construction paper around the connected cardboard boxes and drawing your own original koi nobori? It would be fun if adults draw the outlines and let the children color them in however they like!
“Children’s Day” Quiz
How about doing a quiz with Children’s Day-themed content that both kids and adults can enjoy? For example, have them fill in the blanks of the lyrics to the “Koinobori” song, or ask simple, cross-age questions like “What do we eat on Children’s Day?”, “When you think of Children’s Day, besides koinobori, what else comes to mind?”, and “What’s another way to say Children’s Day?” Choose questions that are easy to understand and fun for different age groups.
If you read a picture book beforehand that explains Children’s Day well, it might spark their interest and help them enjoy it even more.
Ideas for games and crafts to enjoy on Children's Day: a roundup of exciting activities (11–20)
Playing samurai sword-fighting while wearing a helmet
Let’s make samurai helmets and tube-shaped swords out of newspaper or wrapping paper and try playing mock sword fights.
If you roll the paper too tightly, it will become hard and hurt when it hits, so be sure to make soft swords.
You can also inflate an umbrella bag with air and use it as a sword.
Boys love to battle, so they’ll get really into it!
Let’s sing ‘Koinobori’!
This is the children’s song “Koinobori.” Many songs share the same title, but isn’t this one the most famous Koinobori song? It’s a relaxed, open-hearted tune.
After putting up the carp streamers, try singing it together as a family.
People of all ages can sing it, so it’s nice that you can enjoy it with grandparents as well.
Koinobori Tag
This is a game of tag themed around koinobori (carp streamers), which are displayed in gardens and elsewhere when May arrives.
It’s best tried in a large space like a kindergarten or nursery school yard or a playground.
First, draw lines on the ground to create a pattern that suggests the silhouette of a koinobori.
Then place the “oni” (tagger) and the runners on those lines and have them chase each other along them.
If you’re tagged by the oni, crouch down inside the koinobori drawing and become a “scale.” The rule is that if another child touches a scale, that player is revived.
If the runners make it to the end without being caught, the children win.
It’s an activity that fosters communication as children help one another.
Give this game of tag a try to experience the feeling of May while enjoying the warm spring weather.
Carp streamers made with torn-paper collage
Koinobori, the iconic carp streamers of Children’s Day, are definitely a must-have on May 5th.
That said, hanging them up or tying them to a pole can be pretty tough.
If you still want to enjoy koinobori on Children’s Day, we recommend this torn-paper collage (chigiri-e).
It’s great fun to make with kids using origami paper, and adults can go for a more authentic look with washi paper.
Enjoy Children’s Day in your own way to the fullest!
