Ideas for games and crafts to enjoy on Children’s Day: a roundup of fun activities

Koinobori coloring pageNEW!

I tried going “gyo-gyo.” A koi-nobori coloring page you can use for Children’s Day. #shorts #coloring #nursery #kindergarten

Koinobori swimming gracefully in the blue sky are a seasonal tradition that symbolizes May.

The carp streamers hanging in the air are beautifully colored in blue, red, yellow, and more.

Let’s have some fun with the kids by using coloring pages featuring these lovely koinobori.

Their big round eyes and semicircular scales look fun to color.

If children use any colors they like, not just blue, red, or yellow, it can spark their imagination.

Through coloring, it may also become an opportunity to deepen their interest in and understanding of May’s events.

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Nakajima Junko

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Koinobori wrappingNEW!

Guaranteed to delight the kids! Koinobori wrapping #at-homeplay #indoorplay #easycraft #indooractivities #smallgifts #ChildrensDay #koinobori #carpstreamers

Perfect as a Children’s Day gift for your kids or friends! Prepare transparent origami paper and wrap your favorite candies or small items into a tube.

Make cuts on one end, fold it diagonally to form the carp streamer’s tail fin, and secure with tape.

On the other end, attach double-sided tape and wrap it around a straw to fix it in place.

Decorate the carp streamer with eye stickers or round stickers, and it’s done! It’s also recommended to add another carp streamer to the same straw or attach a pinwheel folded from origami.

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SAKI

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Fluttering carp streamerNEW!

[Easily Flyable! Koinobori Carp Streamer] #koinobori #paper_cup #umbrella_bag #at_home_play #physical_play

Here’s a toy you can play with on Children’s Day, fluttering through the air like a koinobori (carp streamer).

Cut out the bottom of a paper cup, insert an umbrella sleeve with its bottom also cut off, and tape it in place.

Then decorate as you like—draw eyes and scales or add stickers—and you’re done! Hold the paper cup part and throw it like you would a ball, and it will flutter as it flies.

It’s also fun to make a target on the wall or set up a ring for it to fly through and compete with each other.

It’s easy to make, so be sure to try making one and have fun flying it!

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SAKI

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Moving carp streamersNEW!

[Koinobori That Moves] Using Only Drawing Paper #indoorplay #parentchildplay #crafts #koinobori

How about a cute carp streamer toy that you can easily make using just construction paper? Prepare one long, narrow sheet of construction paper.

Fold it in half vertically and horizontally; then open the horizontal fold and fold down two corners.

Open the paper along the creases made by those folded corners, and cut off the top section.

Keep the cut-off piece—you’ll use it later, so don’t throw it away.

Cut another piece of construction paper into the shape of a carp streamer, and finish it by drawing eyes and scales or adding stickers as you like.

Next, attach this carp streamer to the piece you cut off and saved, and set it in the center of the base made from the long, narrow construction paper—that’s it! By moving both sides of the construction paper base back and forth in small motions, the carp streamer in the middle will climb upward.

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SAKI

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Hand Play Song: “The Carp Streamer Swallowed It”NEW!

[Hand Play Song] The Carp Streamer Sucked It In ♪ A Hand Play Song That Encourages Speech

Let’s sing and play along with “Koinobori ga Suikonda,” composed by childcare singer-songwriter Shake Aramaki! In this song, a carp streamer with a big mouth sucks up all sorts of things.

Using the hints like the animal sounds that appear in the lyrics, you can have fun like a quiz, guessing what the carp streamer has sucked in.

Throughout the song, try using hand movements to represent the carp streamer’s big mouth.

Feel free to change up what gets sucked in and enjoy it in various ways!

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SAKI

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Fly! KoinoboriNEW!

Professor Rinpei’s Make-and-Play Science: Let’s Make a Flying Koinobori (Carp Streamer)

How about celebrating Children’s Day by flying carp streamers, just like paper airplanes? First, draw a carp streamer on an umbrella bag.

Roll a strip of cardstock into a ring that fits the opening of the umbrella bag, and attach it to the part that will be the carp’s mouth.

Make sure to secure it firmly with tape.

And that’s it—the carp streamer is done! Hold the cardstock part and throw it, and the carp will swoosh through the air! If you throw it well, it will fly nicely, so we recommend playing in a large open space, like outdoors.

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SAKI

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Koinobori Tag

Childcare magazine Monthly Hiroba May issue - Physical Activity Play series 'GO! GO! 5 Guts!'

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.

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mutō

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Carp streamers in wet-on-wet painting

@atsumichan774

Let's make a Koinobori (carp streamer)! We made carp streamers using a coffee filter bleeding art technique—no paints needed♪ All materials are from the 100-yen shop! Color a coffee filter with water-based pens any way you like… then just spray it generously with water! Just using a spray bottle is surprisingly fun for kids on its own, haha. It's also nice to watch and enjoy how the colors bleed! ● Materials: - White coffee filters - Water-based pens - Spray bottle - Double-sided tape - Straws (thicker ones recommended) - Round stickers ● How to make: 1) Color the coffee filter with your favorite colors. Tip: If you draw detailed pictures, they’ll bleed. It’s fine to simply color and fill areas! 2) Spray with water. 3) Shape it into a carp streamer. You can cut with scissors if you like. Double-sided tape works great for attaching parts. Use round stickers to make and attach the eyes. 4) Attach it to a straw, and you’re done! Use double-sided tape here, too! Try all kinds of crafts! Great for play at home and for daycare or kindergarten projects! Atsumi-sensei’s Childcare Journal @atsumichan774 Sound effects: MaouDamashii Children’s Day, 100-yen shop, Koinobori craft, Koinobori making, May, daycare, Koinobori, Daiso, bleeding art, kindergarten

‘Sorry for Being Cute (feat. Kopi)’ – HoneyWorks

Let’s create without using paint! Here’s a “bleeding art” koinobori (carp streamer) activity.

You’ll need white coffee filters, water-based color markers, straws, a spray bottle, round stickers, and tape.

It’s a fun project that uses markers and water instead of paints—highly recommended! The materials are easy to gather, too.

Color the coffee filter with the markers, then mist it with water to let the colors bleed into beautiful patterns.

Children will enjoy watching the colors change, saying things like, “It’s turning [color]!” and “It looks like [something]!” as the hues blend together.

It’s also fun to cut out and display the finished koinobori!

transparent koi-nobori

The level of transparency changes with each child’s personality! Here’s an idea for making transparent carp streamers (koinobori).

You’ll need a clear plastic file folder, clear round stickers, permanent markers, scissors, a disposable wooden chopstick, and gold origami paper.

Cut the clear file into a carp shape, then decorate the scales with the clear round stickers and permanent markers.

You’ll start to see each child’s unique preferences—some will want to fill every gap carefully, while others will layer lots of colorful hues! It’s a great idea that sparks creativity and lets kids make freely with their own imagination.

Give it a try and create fresh, beautiful koinobori!

Let’s make kashiwa-mochi.

[Children’s Day] Let’s quickly make Kashiwa mochi

Traditional Japanese wagashi kashiwa mochi is a treat you can enjoy making with family and friends.

Roll the sweet red bean paste into five equal portions and set aside.

Steam a dough made by mixing rice flour with boiling water until fluffy.

Add sugar and potato starch, then mix well to create a smooth dough.

Flatten the dough by hand, wrap it around the bean paste, shape it, and steam again for about 5 minutes.

Finally, gently wrap each piece in an oak leaf to finish.

With the aroma of the oak leaf and a delightfully chewy texture, kashiwa mochi is even more fun to make with children.

Celebrate Children’s Day by adding homemade kashiwa mochi to your table.

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mutō

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