Fun for Children’s Day! A Collection of Performance and Play Ideas Recommended for Early Childhood Education
As Children’s Day approaches, many preschool teachers may find themselves wondering what performances or activities to prepare.
You want to make it a memorable day filled with fun events that bring out the children’s brightest smiles.
Here are plenty of engaging ideas perfect for preschools, such as making carp streamers (koinobori), active group games, and seasonal quizzes.
They’re all easy to incorporate with minimal prep and can be adjusted for different ages, so feel free to use this as a reference!
Fun for Children’s Day! A Collection of Recommended Performances and Play Ideas for Childcare (1–10)
Pop-out! Card MagicNEW!
For Children’s Day, if you want to do something kids will enjoy, magic tricks are a great choice! Here’s a fascinating trick where, even though you put many cards into a bag, only the chosen one mysteriously pops out.
First, prepare several cards with different drawings on them.
Next, make a bag out of thick paper that’s just the right size for the cards.
Before forming it into a bag, attach a rubber band to the inner edge.
Finish making the bag with the side that has the rubber band as the opening—now you’re ready! To perform the trick, have someone choose one card, and first put the remaining cards into the bag.
When you put the chosen card in last, catch its edge on the rubber band as you insert it.
Then, at your signal, let go—and only the selected card will pop out!
Kids Will Laugh! Children’s Day QuizNEW!
To help children learn more about Children’s Day, let’s try a Children’s Day quiz! Through various questions about decorations, foods, and the correct order of koinobori carp streamers, deepen your understanding of this special day.
After taking the quiz, it’s also a great idea to make or eat the items that appear in it.
Adding a short jingle-like song between quiz questions will make it even more fun and exciting! Give it a try.
Newspaper Theater: “What is Children’s Day?”NEW!
Here’s a perfect idea for answering children when they ask, “What kind of day is Children’s Day?” All you need is a sheet of newspaper cut into a square.
As you explain what Children’s Day is, you can bring the story to life by moving the newspaper in simple, easy-to-understand ways—rock it gently to represent the sea, shape it like a swaddle for a baby, and so on.
At the end of the story, fold the newspaper to make a kabuto (samurai helmet), an essential symbol of Children’s Day! You might want to do just the helmet-folding part slowly together with the children.
Panel Theater: The Carp Streamer Swallowed It!NEW!
Speaking of Children’s Day, it’s all about carp streamers! So how about doing a panel theater storytime themed around carp streamers, called “What the Carp Streamer Sucked In,” for the kids? The story begins with the carp streamer swimming along, looking like its belly feels heavy.
Since carp streamers always swim with their mouths wide open, it seems it unknowingly sucked in all sorts of things.
As you tell the story, encourage the children to think about what kinds of things it might have swallowed.
Finish by singing a song to wrap up the tale.
A stroll with the carp streamersNEW!
https://www.instagram.com/reels/DJGT9hbBajn/Here’s an introduction to a perfect Children’s Day activity: “Carp Streamer Stroll.” Children carry carp streamer bags they’ve made from construction paper and other materials, and everyone enjoys a leisurely walk together.
Holding a bag they created themselves makes kids feel happy.
As you walk and spot roadside flowers and carp streamers swaying in the wind, you can feel the comfort of the season.
Even very young children can join without difficulty, and conversation naturally flows.
Because it combines the fun of making with the excitement of a walk, it’s a great way to create Children’s Day memories—highly recommended.
Celebrate Children’s Day! Sketchbook TheaterNEW!
https://www.tiktok.com/@himawarihoikusi/video/7359143785093254416Here’s a perfect sketchbook theater idea for a fun activity.
Divide a sketchbook horizontally into four equal sections.
On one side, draw foods like strawberries and bananas, and on the other side, draw koi-shaped streamers (koinobori).
When you flip a food page, the koinobori “chomps” it and transforms into a koinobori of the same color as that food! Ask the children, “If it eats a strawberry, what color will it be?” as you go along, and they’ll enjoy it with excitement.
The color changes are engaging and really capture children’s interest.
Preparation is simple and easy to incorporate, making it perfect for Children’s Day gatherings or as a performance in early childhood settings.
How do you convey/express Children’s Day?NEW!
It’s hard to explain to children what Children’s Day is, isn’t it? If you just explain it plainly, they’ll get bored… To make it clear and keep their attention to the end, it’s a good idea to use illustrations.
Show pictures of carp streamers, kashiwa mochi, and samurai helmets, and explain, “We display this for this reason,” and “This is filled with these wishes.” It might also be good to move the story along by occasionally giving the children a quiz.
If there are parts that are hard to understand, take your time and focus on explaining those sections more carefully.
Perfect for events! Color water magicNEW!
Here’s a simple-to-prepare color water magic trick that instantly grabs kids’ attention.
Put a small amount of paint on the inside of a plastic bottle cap, and fill the bottle about two-thirds full with water.
Close the cap and shake—clear water will suddenly turn into colored water, and the kids will go “Wow!” with delight! If you add a face to the bottle with stickers, it transforms into a cute character and the play expands.
It’s easy to try, so please use this as a reference and feel free to include it as an activity for your event.
Fun as a game too! A carp streamer hand playNEW!
Hand play that you can enjoy like a game seems like something kids can happily take part in! In “The Carp Streamer Sucked It In,” children guess what the carp streamer gulped down with its big mouth.
The teacher makes the sounds or cries of whatever was sucked in, and the children answer based on those hints.
Another one, “Koinobori,” features a carp streamer appearing along with Children’s Day essentials, set to a tango-like melody that matches the Boys’ Festival.
Have the children answer which way the carp streamer’s tail fin points, like playing ‘Acchi Muite Hoi!’
Origami is fun! Sketchbook TheaterNEW!
With each turn of the sketchbook page, origami related to Children’s Day—like carp streamers and samurai helmets—appears one by one.
If you prompt them with “What do you think will come next?” as you go, children will join in with excitement.
Every time a colorful piece of origami appears, the seasonal atmosphere expands, making it a delightful time.
The instructions are simple, so educators can prepare with ease.
It offers the joy of turning pages and making discoveries—be sure to include it as a performance for Children’s Day!