[Childcare] Recommended for Tanabata party! Fun and exciting performance/activity ideas
In the lead-up to Tanabata on July 7, nursery schools and kindergartens decorate bamboo branches and hold Tanabata gatherings together.
For those wondering, “What kind of performance should we do for this year’s Tanabata event?”, here are a variety of ideas! From songs and picture books to paper puppet shows, black theater, and even a planetarium, there are many special activities that children will enjoy.
Use these suggestions for your program, and have a wonderful Tanabata that both children and adults can enjoy.
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[Childcare] Recommended for Tanabata events! Fun and exciting performance/activity ideas (21–30)
Sketchbook Theater
A sketchbook theater is where you use a sketchbook like a picture-story show to tell a story.
You can draw the story’s illustrations directly in the sketchbook, or make characters and other elements out of construction paper and paste them in.
Adding mechanisms—like characters that pop out, move, or images that change instantly like magic—will make it even more enjoyable for children.
If you’re doing it for a Tanabata event, try creating it with the Tanabata story as the motif.
Little Star Theater
A story themed around stars is perfect for Tanabata, the day when we make wishes to the stars.
How about a story where we look for stars around us? The pictures drawn in a sketchbook or on drawing paper aren’t stars by themselves—in fact, they’re hard to identify.
But when you add a star to them, they turn into a flower or a piece of fruit.
After drawing the parts other than the star, create a mechanism that makes the star appear.
For example, attach a transparent sheet to the next page, put the star on that sheet, and design it so that when it overlaps with the previous page, a single picture is formed.
As you tell the story, try asking the children questions like, “What color star would you like?” and “What will the picture become when the star arrives?”
Blacklight Show
If you’re thinking about something a little different from your usual act, how about putting on a show using blacklights? Some children might feel a bit scared of the dark at first, but once the show starts, they’ll be captivated by the vivid, dreamlike world—no doubt about it! Create animals and other figures that glow colorfully in the dark to amaze the kids.
Bringing out characters they love will surely get them excited, too.
You can even reveal just a part and ask, “What do you think will appear next?” to make it fun like a quiz.
Tanabata Concert
If you’re thinking of doing something for Tanabata on July 7, how about hosting a Tanabata concert? There are many pieces related to Tanabata, stars, and the night sky—try performing songs like “When You Wish Upon a Star,” “Tanabata-sama,” and “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” It’s also a great idea to vary the format by piece, such as ensemble or chorus.
Handbell performances pair beautifully and magically with star-themed songs, too.
If you opt for an ensemble, it can be fun to introduce the names and characteristics of each instrument by part after the performance.
Tanabata Festival
Around the time the rainy season ends—early July—you can’t leave out Tanabata when talking about seasonal events.
Many children look forward to hanging tanzaku with their wishes on bamboo branches.
I imagine many nurseries and kindergartens hold a Tanabata gathering every year as well.
How about performing the Tanabata story—the tale of Hikoboshi and Orihime—as a play or kamishibai? Paper puppets or reading a picture book would be great too.
It might make Hikoboshi and Orihime, whose names the children already know, feel more familiar and help everyone enjoy Tanabata even more.
Song ‘Tanabata-sama’
The Tanabata song “Tanabata-sama” is an essential tune for any Tanabata gathering.
Sung with a gentle, relaxed feel, it paints a scene of looking at bamboo branches decorated with wish-written strips of paper while gazing at the Milky Way and stars shining in the night sky.
If you sing it at the start of the event, it instantly wraps everyone in the Tanabata mood.
Depending on the age group, it can be a performance where not only the teacher but also the children sing together.
It’s also recommended to add simple hand motions that match the lyrics.
Sing softly and joyfully so that the day of Tanabata becomes a wonderful one.
planetarium
Orihime and Hikoboshi, the Milky Way, and Tanabata are all closely connected with countless stars.
On Tanabata, enjoy the stars indoors—even during the day or on rainy days—by watching a planetarium or making your own! Attach aluminum foil with small holes to a piece of cardboard, shine a light from below, and darken the room to create an easy DIY planetarium.
You can also get creative by varying the shapes of the holes or covering them with colored cellophane.
For the base, you can substitute cardboard with items like paper cups or instant noodle containers.