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.
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[Traditional Games] Fun Games from the Past: Popular Activities for Early Childhood Care (1–10)
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.