Traditional Games: Fun Old-Time Play. Popular Activities Useful in Childcare
Traditional folk games that have long been loved in Japan are packed with timeless charms that captivate children across generations.
Because folk games let us experience old cultures and local traditions, we want to pass many of these games from adults down to children.
In this feature, we’ll introduce a wide variety of such time-honored folk games.
We’ve gathered many activities kids can truly get absorbed in—everything from physical games, to ones using traditional toys like ohajiki (small playing pieces) and stilts, to word- and song-based games like karuta and chachatsubo.
We hope you’ll incorporate them in nursery schools and kindergartens and enjoy them together with the children.
[Traditional Games] Fun Games from the Past: Popular Activities for Early Childhood Care (1–10)
beanbags
Otedama is a traditional toy made by filling small bags with things like adzuki beans or nuts.
Many people probably remember playing with it when they were little! Basically, you sing a song while tossing it up with one hand and catching it with the other.
It’s also fun to raise the difficulty, like juggling two or three at the same time.
You can even add variations, such as balancing them on the back of your hand or catching with one hand.
Enjoy trying different ways to play according to your child’s age.
Ohajiki (traditional Japanese coin-flicking game pieces)
Ohajiki, those shiny glass pieces, are a nostalgic toy, aren’t they? Many of you probably feel a sense of nostalgia! As the name suggests, ohajiki are flicked with your fingers to play.
Simply flicking them is fun, but it can be even more exciting if you set rules or add your own variations! Playing with ohajiki also helps children practice fine motor skills—moving their fingers and adjusting the force when flicking.
When small children play, be careful to prevent accidental swallowing.
cat’s cradle
Ayatori, or string figures, is a game you can enjoy solo or with a partner, and it features a wide variety of tricks.
Many people probably played it as children.
One of its charms is that you can play with just a single string, making it a classic traditional indoor pastime.
You can enjoy solo tricks like “Tokyo Tower,” “Ladder,” and “Milky Way,” or get excited with two-person ayatori, where you take turns passing and transforming the string.
It helps kids practice dexterity and fosters memory and creativity, so try incorporating it into at-home playtime or activities at kindergartens and preschools!
oshikura manju (a children’s pushing game)
Hearing the chant “Oshikura manju, don’t cry when you get pushed!” brings back nostalgic memories of playing as a child, doesn’t it? In the game “oshikura manju,” players stand back-to-back inside a circle, clasp their hands in front, and push against each other using their backs and hips.
It’s even more fun when everyone calls out together as they play! If you get pushed out of the circle or knocked down, you’re out.
The last person remaining inside the circle wins.
You can also change things up by making the circle smaller or shaping it like a gourd.
For small children, it’s safer to play on a mat rather than on a hard surface.
Where are you from?
This is a traditional game enjoyed by bouncing a ball to the lyrics of the children’s song “Antagata Dokosa.” As long as you have a ball, you can play it either outdoors or indoors, making it perfect for time at home, or for nursery and kindergarten activities.
While singing the song, you bounce the ball and, at each “sa” in the lyrics, you rotate your foot from the inside to the outside.
Since you have to do this quickly at the exact moment the ball hits the ground, it may be difficult at first.
It’s said that playing this game also naturally helps you develop a sense of rhythmic timing!
Kendama
The traditional game that became a hot topic during the Guinness World Records challenge on NHK’s Kōhaku Uta Gassen is kendama.
It’s now known around the world as “KENDAMA,” and many people may want to give it a try.
If you can pull off cool tricks like “Baseball,” “Airplane,” or “Trapeze,” you’re sure to be popular! If your child is going to play, start by helping them get used to the kendama.
Practice landing the ball on the largest big cup first.
Mini kendama designed for children is also recommended, so be sure to give it a try together as a parent and child.
Red light, green light
A traditional game that lots of people can enjoy is “Daruma-san ga koronda.” It’s a thrilling, heart-pounding game that both children and adults love.
Players move closer to the “it” person during the chant, “Daruma-san ga koronda,” and when “it” turns around, everyone must freeze instantly.
Anyone who moves gets caught by “it” and has to link hands.
This repeats, and whoever reaches “it” cuts through the linked hands of “it” and the captured players and then runs away.
The game is quite deep, with rules that vary and different arrangements depending on the region.
Inside-out pots!
“Nabe nabe soko nuke” is a game where two people sing together and sync their movements.
The two hold both hands, sway side to side, and sing, “Nabe nabe soko nuke.” When you reach the lyric, “When the bottom falls out, let’s turn around,” try spinning around while keeping your hands joined.
If Dad, Mom, or the teacher leads, children can play smoothly too! It seems simple, but the timing of the spin can actually be tricky.
Once you can play well in pairs, try increasing to three or four people and give it a go.
Hana Ichi Monme
It’s a traditional game enjoyed along with the children’s song “Hana Ichi Monme,” which is still sung today.
Many people may remember playing it in kindergarten or elementary school.
Players split into two groups of five or six and face each other.
Holding hands, they walk to the rhythm of the song and play by saying things like “We want [Name]-chan,” choosing members.
There are parts where the teams confer mid-song, and the calls and lyrics vary by region, making it a surprisingly deep and nuanced game.
menko (a traditional Japanese card-and-coin-flipping game)
Menko, which became a craze during the Showa era, could be seen as a game that connects to today’s trading card games.
The rules are simple: players take turns slamming their menko onto the ground, and if you manage to flip your opponent’s menko, you win.
Changing the playing surface—not just flat ground but even gravel—can raise the difficulty and make the game more exciting! Menko come in many shapes and designs, such as circular or rectangular, with lots of vivid and uniquely shaped pieces, so collecting them is also great fun.