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 Play: Fun Old-Time Games. Popular Activities (31–40) for Use in Early Childhood Education
S-ken
Territory battles while hopping on one foot! Introducing S-Ken, a game you play with one-legged hopping.
Divide the children into two teams.
Draw a large S on the ground, place treasure in each team’s territory, and surround each treasure with a half-circle.
Set up several islands around the S as safe zones, and make an out area—then it’s time to play! When attacking the other team, you must challenge them while hopping on one foot.
Battles are like hand-push sumo, and always one-on-one.
If both feet touch the ground, you’re out and must watch the outcome from the out area.
Who will snatch the other team’s treasure first? It’s sure to get exciting!
Red Light, Green Light
Let’s play by adding new rules! Here are some ideas for Daruma-san ga Koronda.
Daruma-san ga Koronda is a traditional Japanese game played with one child as “it” (the oni) and the other children as players.
The oni turns around while saying, “Daruma-san ga koronda.” The participants can move forward until the oni finishes saying “Daruma-san ga koronda,” but the moment the oni turns around, the participants must freeze.
By customizing this rule with elements like balance beams, hula hoops, or balls, you can keep the game fresh and fun.
Mukkuri Kuma-san
Let’s enjoy traditional nursery rhymes! Here’s an idea using “Mukkuri Kuma-san.” Warabe-uta are traditional Japanese children’s songs that are fun because adults and kids can sing and play together.
They have a good rhythm, simple lyrics and melodies, and are easy for children to remember.
For Mukkuri Kuma-san, choose one child to be the bear, and have the other children hold hands and walk in a circle around the bear.
When the song ends, the bear chases everyone.
The person tagged by the bear becomes the next bear.
Rokumushi
Are you familiar with the traditional playground game called “Rokumushi”? It has simple rules, but it’s a thrilling, heart-pounding ball game.
Draw a circle at each end of a space about 20 meters apart, and have one person stand inside each circle.
These two are “it.” The other children gather in one of the circles, and while the two “it” players are playing catch with the ball, everyone else tries to run to the other circle.
Each successful crossing counts as “ichimushi” (one), and if you go back and forth until you reach “rokumushi” (six), you win.
If you’re hit by the ball while running back and forth, switch roles and become “it.” Because it’s a folk game, the rules can vary a bit by region, but it sounds like a lot of fun, doesn’t it?
Don Janken
Let’s try playing Don-Janken, a quick and exciting game you can enjoy anywhere! The rules are very simple: split into two teams and line up at opposite ends.
At the signal, the first person from each team runs forward, and when they meet, they play rock-paper-scissors.
If you win, you keep going; if you lose, the next teammate starts running.
You continue advancing by playing rock-paper-scissors, aiming to reach the opponent’s side.
It’s called Don-Janken because when you meet, you both stretch your hands forward, touch with a “don!” and stop.
Play carefully to avoid injuries.