![[For Elementary School Students] Spring Kigo for Haiku Writing! A Collection of Fun, Easy-to-Memorize Ideas](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/c8XDURiLHb0/maxresdefault.webp)
Have you ever been told to “use seasonal words” in a spring haiku or writing class and then felt stuck about what to write? In fact, spring kigo (seasonal words) aren’t just flowers like cherry blossoms and plum blossoms—there are plenty that are familiar to elementary school students, such as the Doll Festival.
In this article, we’ve gathered a wide range of easy-to-understand spring kigo for children.
We also explain their meanings and how to use them, so you can immediately put them to use when making haiku or doing Japanese language homework.
Be sure to find your favorite seasonal words!
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[For Elementary School Students] Spring Kigo You Can Use for Haiku! A Collection of Fun, Memorable Ideas (1–10)
MarchNEW!
March, generally regarded as a spring month, is itself used as a kigo for spring.
It’s the season when warmth gradually grows, flowers sprout, and creatures awaken from hibernation.
Still, in some regions, winter’s chill and snow linger.
In this March where two seasons seem to coexist, the verses you compose may differ greatly depending on the place.
Why not try composing a haiku using “March” as a seasonal word at this precious turning point between seasons?
UraraNEW!
One word that can express the atmosphere of spring is urara.
It is a kigo usable throughout the three spring months in the old lunar calendar—First, Second, and Third Month, collectively called sanharu.
From urara, one pictures a gentle spring sun softly illuminating under a clear, cloudless sky.
It also appears in the lyrics of the song “Hana,” evoking scenes like the tranquil Sumida River on a spring day and the beauty of cherry blossoms.
Adding it to an essay or haiku lends a warm mood wrapped in spring cheer.
It’s a perfect seasonal word for the festive feeling of new beginnings, such as a new school term or a new stage of life.
dandelionNEW!
When we look at dandelions, their yellow color gives us a sense of warmth and the cheerful spirit of spring.
As a seasonal word for spring, they seem to carry that meaning as well.
Dandelions often bloom in familiar places like schoolyards and parks.
Children may spot them blooming here and there while they play.
With dandelions, it seems possible to compose haiku woven into everyday life.
Dandelions, which make us feel the arrival of spring and, though small, have a certain brilliance, could inspire haiku that also give us energy.
horsetailNEW!
You can’t help but feel a bit of cuteness from a horsetail poking its head out of the ground.
This uniquely shaped plant is written in kanji as 土筆, literally “earth” and “brush.” It really does look like a brush emerging from the soil, doesn’t it? That quirky shape might even make for a good haiku.
Horsetails have been celebrated in many famous haiku over the years, often appearing as part of springtime outings in the fields or as a seasonal delicacy.
Interestingly, its flower language is “aspiration” and “unexpected surprise.” “Aspiration” comes from its way of stretching straight upward as if charging toward the sky, while “unexpected surprise” likely refers to the way it suddenly appears from beneath the earth.
kiteNEW!
Spring in warm climates is a season that makes going out enjoyable.
You might see children running around in parks or having fun flying kites.
These kites were once called “ika” or “ikanobori” because their appearance in the sky, trailing paper tails, resembled squid.
There is a theory that during the Edo period, when flying “ikanobori” was banned, the name changed from “ika” (squid) to “tako” (octopus).
In the world of haiku, kites are cherished as a seasonal word for spring.
It might be fun to compose haiku about kites riding the wind high into the sky, children playing happily, or a scene where a kite gets caught in a tree.
