[Childcare] Enjoy March! A collection of ideas for event-related activities and nature play
In March, the number of pleasantly warm, comfortable days increases, and both children and adults feel more cheerful, don’t they?
This time, we’re introducing play ideas perfect for March that let you sense the arrival of spring!
Focusing on activities related to events held in March—such as Hinamatsuri (Girls’ Day) and kindergarten graduation ceremonies—we’ve assembled a wide range of games you can enjoy both indoors and outdoors.
We’re also sharing plenty of activities that deepen interest in creatures and plants unique to March.
Spend a fun time with the children while feeling the arrival of spring together.
- [Childcare] Recommended crafts and activities for March, such as Hina Matsuri (Doll’s Festival) and cherry blossoms
- [Childcare] Fun Spring Activities: Ideas for Nature, Movement, and Crafts
- [Kindergarten (older class)] What kind of season is March? Let’s make events and natural objects with origami!
- [Children’s Club] Easy and fun indoor games. Exciting party games
- [For 4–5 year olds] A collection of recommended origami ideas for March—featuring seasonal events and natural motifs
- [Childcare] Recommended indoor activities and recreation games for April
- Play ideas kids can enjoy from 1st to 6th grade [indoors & outdoors]
- February: Liven up childcare! A collection of ideas for indoor play and physical activities
- Recreation for daycare centers and kindergartens: fun activities for children
- Indoor Games for Small Groups: Exciting Recreational Activities
- [Nursery/Kindergarten] Crafts you can play with after making them
- [Childcare] Ideas for March wall decorations
- [Elementary School] Quick and Easy! Indoor Recreational Activities Perfect for Lower Grades
[Childcare] Enjoy March! A collection of ideas (21–30) for event-themed activities and nature play
Let’s try growing vegetables
Nurture life and learn the importance of food! Here are some ideas for trying your hand at growing vegetables.
It’s a wonderful way to show children how fascinating nature is and why food matters.
By growing vegetables like eggplant, cucumbers, tomatoes, and bell peppers, they can watch the thrilling process as seeds sprout and leaves grow larger.
Harvesting and eating the vegetables they raised themselves brings joy and fosters gratitude for food.
With their hands in the soil, it becomes a lovely learning time that helps them feel connected to nature.
Puchi-puchi butterfly
As spring arrives, we start seeing more butterflies in the playground, don’t we? Let’s make springtime butterflies using bubble wrap as a cushioning material! We’ll use the bubble wrap to create the butterfly’s wings.
Cut the bubble wrap into rectangles and draw butterfly patterns on it with a permanent marker.
It’s easier to draw on the flat back side rather than the bumpy side.
Pinch the center tightly with a pipe cleaner to form the middle, then make the butterfly’s body and face with colored construction paper and stick them on to finish.
Try using a pipe cleaner to make the antennae as well.
A bookmark made with cherry blossom petals
Let’s try making a bookmark using cherry blossoms.
First, freely arrange cherry blossoms on top of a piece of milk carton cut to bookmark size.
Stack a towel, the bookmark, and a pressing cloth in that order, then press firmly with an iron from above to make pressed flowers.
Be careful not to overheat, as the flowers can scorch—check frequently while ironing.
Once the flowers have adhered to the milk carton, apply packing tape over the top, and glue your favorite patterned wrapping paper to the back.
Finally, punch a hole at the top and tie a ribbon to finish.
It also looks cute if you use other flowers like white clover or dandelions.
Please handle the iron with great care.
shell matching game
When it comes to Hinamatsuri games, kai-awase (shell matching) is the classic choice.
The rules are almost the same as the card game Concentration played with playing cards.
You match pairs by finding the illustrations drawn on the inside of the shells.
That said, preparing real shells and painting on them can be a lot of work, so it might be easier and more practical to make shells out of construction paper and draw Hinamatsuri-themed pictures to play with.
If you’re doing it as a performance or activity for a group, you could make slightly larger shells, have representatives come up one by one, and compete in front of everyone—it could be a lot of fun.
Hinamatsuri Play
How about trying a Hinamatsuri (Girls’ Day) play—an idea all the kids can enjoy together! Plays are a classic for recreation in daycare and kindergarten, right? If you include what Hinamatsuri is about and the meanings behind the doll displays, it can also be a great learning experience for the children.
If you’re short on participants or it’s hard to prepare costumes, a panel theater is also recommended! If you search online, you’ll find stories made for that format—use them as a reference.
The Origin of the Doll Festival Picture-Story Show
March 3 is the Peach Festival, Hinamatsuri.
It’s a traditional event that has been passed down in Japan since long ago, but do you know why we celebrate it? You might know it as “a day to celebrate girls,” yet find it hard to explain when asked.
In that case, how about performing a kamishibai (paper theater) about the origins of Hinamatsuri? It will be educational for the children, and you may learn something yourself while researching.
Above all, kids love kamishibai! Be sure to spend a fun time together with everyone.
Hinamatsuri Quiz
How about hosting a quiz event where everyone can learn what Hinamatsuri is all about? It’s simple, classic, and sure to be lively! Just calling it a “quiz” will grab the kids’ attention! You can use sites with ready-made questions found via videos or web searches, or create your own original quiz using information from sources like Wikipedia—there are lots of fun possibilities depending on your ideas! If you want to keep the difficulty low, a true/false format might be a good choice.