Make childcare more fun with winter quizzes! Seasonal ideas to get kids excited

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
20 years of experience as a nursery teacher / kindergarten teacherhiyoko sensei
I’m Hiyoko-sensei, a former nursery school teacher from Hyogo Prefecture. Ever since I was five, my dream was to become a childcare worker, and before I knew it, 20 years had passed since I achieved that dream. Through singing and playing with the children, I kept working with the spirit of someone in their twenties, even as I increasingly felt my physical limits year by year (haha). From here on, I’d like to share helpful information carefully and thoughtfully, drawing on my on-site experience.

Many people are likely looking for quizzes that everyone can enjoy and that can be used in winter childcare settings.

With that in mind, we’ve created quizzes on seasonal, engaging topics such as Nanakusa-gayu (Seven-Herb Rice Porridge), Osechi New Year dishes, traditional New Year’s games, Setsubun festivities, and winter natural phenomena.

By featuring familiar subjects for children—like snow, winter foods, and cozy items—the quizzes naturally promote learning.

Through these quizzes, children can experience winter events and seasonal traditions, helping them feel the changing seasons and deepen their understanding of Japanese culture and customs.

Please consider incorporating them into your childcare activities.

Make childcare more fun with winter quizzes! Seasonal ideas (21–30) to get kids excited

What do you decorate your home with at Christmas?

Christmas tree
Hina dolls
carp streamer

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Christmas tree

Christmas comes once a year. At Christmas, people often put up a Christmas tree in their homes. They enjoy decorating it with lots of colorful, cute ornaments and lights. A Christmas tree is shaped like a big fir tree.

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kepiko

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What will Santa come riding on?

bicycle
sled
bus

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sled

Speaking of Christmas, it’s Santa Claus. Every Christmas, on Christmas Eve, he visits all the well-behaved children. Santa rides a sleigh pulled by reindeer and flies through the sky to deliver presents.

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kepiko

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Why do our hands get cold in winter?

Because my hands are in the wind.
Because I don’t use my hands much
Because the body sends less warm blood to the hands

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Because the body sends less warm blood to the hands

Your hands get cold when it gets chilly, don’t they? When it’s cold, the body gathers warm blood toward the center to prevent heat from escaping. As a result, less blood flows to the hands and feet, making them cold. Blood truly plays a very important role in the body.

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kepiko

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Why do leaves disappear in winter?

Because the leaves are hungry and can be eaten.
To protect yourself from the cold and snow
Because it will be blown away by the wind.

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To protect yourself from the cold and snow

Trees drop their leaves in winter to prevent moisture from escaping through them. Without leaves, they become more resistant to cold and snow, allowing them to get through the winter. By shedding their leaves and conserving water, the trees also rest and prepare for the coming spring.

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kepiko

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What happens to the air in winter?

to get warm
damp
dry

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dry

In winter, the temperature drops and there’s less moisture in the air, so the air becomes dry. That’s why your throat gets thirsty and your skin tends to get rough. That’s also why it feels different indoors and when you step outside.

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kepiko

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When is the day with the shortest amount of sunlight?

Vernal Equinox Day
summer solstice
winter solstice

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winter solstice

The winter solstice is the day of the year when the daytime is shortest and the nighttime is longest. On this day, the amount of time the sun is out is at its shortest. That’s why, in Japan, as winter approaches, the hours of sunlight gradually become shorter.

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kepiko

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Which of these can you do outside on a cold day?

sushi
icicle
banana

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icicle

Icicles form when water freezes on cold days. For example, droplets falling from a roof gradually freeze in the cold wind and air, growing longer and forming icicles. Because icicles can only be seen on cold winter days, finding them lets you know, “Today is really cold.”

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