[Childcare] Fun for Hinamatsuri! Performance ideas perfect for the event
On March 3rd, the Peach Festival (Hinamatsuri) is a day when many preschools and kindergartens likely enjoy Hinamatsuri-themed activities, such as displaying or making Hina dolls.
It’s a great opportunity for children to experience a traditional event, so try planning Hinamatsuri activities that are both fun and educational.
Having children participate will help deepen their understanding of Hinamatsuri as well.
In this article, we’ve gathered ideas for activities that children can enjoy.
We’re introducing a wide range of ideas—from ones that teachers can join in on together, to ones that let children play and have fun.
Please use these as a reference.
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[Childcare] Fun for Hinamatsuri! Perfect Performance Ideas for Events (11–20)
Hinamatsuri face-in photo panel
How about taking commemorative photos with a face-in-the-hole panel where you can become the Empress doll (Ohinasama) or the Emperor doll (Odairisama)? You often see these panels at tourist spots, right? Kids may have seen them on trips or even taken photos with them.
Since you can easily capture festive-looking photos, try making a face panel and enjoy Hinamatsuri.
Adults can draw the Ohinasama and Odairisama, and it might be nice to have the children help with the decorations around them!
Hina Arare Carrying Game
This is a game where you carry hina-arare made by crumpling tissue paper, transporting them in a box without dropping them.
Since the tissue paper is fluffy and light, it will easily fly away if you walk too quickly.
Walk slowly and carry them to the goal.
This idea works well as a team competition, and you can also race against the clock.
Adjust the rules flexibly according to age and enjoy it with the children.
If you prepare headpieces that let kids pretend to be the Empress (Ohinasama) and Emperor (Odairisama), it will add even more Hinamatsuri flair.
puppet show
Some children enjoy Hina Matsuri without really knowing its background.
How about conveying the festival’s history and the wishes embedded in it through a puppet show? You can use store‑bought puppets for the performance, but making your own might add a warmer touch.
You could also base the story on local traditions or picture books about Hina Matsuri.
If the original material is difficult, adapt it for children.
Panel theater
Panel theater is easy to see even from a distance, so you can clearly view the characters and overall movement, making it perfect for events like Hinamatsuri gatherings.
Creating the panel theater pieces takes a bit of effort, but once you make them, you can reuse them, so why not handcraft a set for your preschool’s Hinamatsuri event? Even just introducing the items that appear in the song “Tanoshii Hinamatsuri” while you sing will let the children learn with enjoyment.
You could also create an original story.
Hina Ring Toss
How about enjoying a ring toss game for Hinamatsuri (Girls’ Day)? Ring toss is easy to play and simple to adapt as an event activity.
You can use plastic bottles as pins and imagine them as hina dolls, or turn the base where you place the pins into a tiered hina display.
Give it a Hinamatsuri twist and have fun! For little kids, it’s a success if the ring lands over a pin.
For older kids, try assigning points to each pin and compete for the highest total score.
You can also prepare rings in different sizes to adjust the difficulty.
Song ‘Happy Hinamatsuri’
When it comes to songs sung for Hinamatsuri, “Ureshii Hinamatsuri” is the classic choice.
You hear it everywhere around the festival season, so many children are probably familiar with it.
A lot of kids enjoy singing together in unison and put their hearts into it, making it perfect as a performance piece.
The lyrics are filled with references related to Hinamatsuri—like the Hina dolls and peach blossoms—so it also serves as a great opportunity for children to connect with traditional culture.
[Childcare] Fun for Hinamatsuri! Performance ideas perfect for events (21–30)
picture book
Let’s incorporate picture books with a Hinamatsuri (Girls’ Day) theme to help children become familiar with the culture.
Picture books can be read during small breaks in childcare, and many of you probably already set aside time to read—such as during morning circle or before nap time.
Hinamatsuri features many items children may not often see, like peach blossoms, hishimochi rice cakes, and bonbori lanterns.
With picture books, children can take their time looking closely at the colors and shapes, and learn while enjoying the story.
Be sure to pick up a variety of picture books and give them a try.