Games and activities to enjoy on Children’s Day, including crafts
May 5 is Children’s Day.
It used to be called Tango no Sekku (the Boys’ Festival), but in recent years it has become widely recognized as Children’s Day, a day to wish for children’s healthy growth.
It’s still often seen as a celebration for boys, but in fact it’s a day to celebrate all children regardless of gender and to thank mothers who gave birth to them.
In this article, we introduce play ideas and recreation games perfect for Children’s Day.
We’ve gathered many games related to Children’s Day and koinobori (carp streamers).
Please feel free to use these ideas at home or when celebrating in early childhood settings and give them a try!
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- [Children’s Day] Ideas for DIY carp streamers
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- [Parent-Child Rec] Recreational activities and games for parents and children to enjoy together—also great for sports days.
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- [For Kids] Easy Origami Ideas to Enjoy in May
Games and activities to enjoy on Children's Day, including crafts (21–30)
Cute mini-sized craft
Mini crafts made with easily available materials from 100-yen shops, such as origami paper, straws, and stickers.
You can whip up small items like keychains, mini bags, paper flowers, and wind chimes in no time.
They’re perfect for decorating your room or for small gifts to friends.
With a little creativity and ingenuity, you can make all kinds of accessories, so why not use the ideas introduced here as inspiration to create your own original pieces? Turning your own ideas into tangible form can be a very rewarding experience.
How to Make Dazzling Gemstones
Let’s make a toy that looks like a gemstone when you hold it up to the light.
Prepare two toilet paper rolls and decorate the sides with origami paper.
Cut each roll into four equal rings.
Arrange the rings into circular frames and glue them together, then attach a piece of parchment (cooking) paper to the bottom.
Make a strip of aluminum foil the same height as the frame, form it into a ring, and place it inside the frame.
Finally, stick pieces of transparent origami paper on top in a random collage, and you’re done! Be sure to put several aluminum-foil rings of different sizes into each frame.
That way, you can create multiple gem-like colors within a single frame.
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!
Play Song ‘Koinobori Kids’
Here’s a recommended action song for Children’s Day: “Koinobori Kids.” The choreography is simple enough for preschool and kindergarten children to dance.
If you’re looking for a dance to perform on Children’s Day, be sure to check it out! Each movement is big and slow, and the choreography repeats, so with a few practice runs on the day, kids should be able to dance it right away.
Try dancing as if you were a carp streamer (koinobori)!
Flying Koinobori (carp streamers)
Do you know the game app “Flying Koinobori”? In this game, you control a koinobori (carp streamer).
Glide freely through the vast sky as if you were the koinobori itself, popping red, blue, and yellow balls floating in the air.
Soaring across the wide-open scenery under the blue sky feels exhilarating.
However, people prone to 3D motion sickness may want to be cautious.
Fishing game
Let’s make our own fish and fishing rods and play! Draw and color any fish you like, and attach a paper clip to the mouth.
For the fishing rod, tie kite string to a pair of chopsticks, fasten a magnet to the end of the string, and secure it with cellophane tape.
The magnet at the tip of the rod sticks to the paper clip so you can “catch” the fish.
If you make the fish into koinobori carp streamers, it’s perfect for Children’s Day!
koinobori rocket
The rubber-band gun “Carp Through,” which uses a plastic bottle as a carp streamer, is the kind of toy that boys are likely to love.
Since you need to build the device using familiar materials you have at home, like cardboard and plastic bottles, it could be a fun family craft project during Golden Week.
Be careful not to aim or fire it at people or windows, as impacts could cause injury or damage.