Fun! Spring activities for children: recreation and hands-on play

Bamboo Shoot Gnocchi

[Experiment] If 100 people play Takenoko Nyokki, when will it end?

Let’s pretend to be spring seasonal ingredients and play! Here are some ideas for the “Bamboo Shoot Gnocchi” game.

The game starts with the chant, “Takenoko takenoko nyokki-ki!” Jump out with a quick “nyoki!” without overlapping with anyone else.

Call out your number in order—“One nyokki,” “Two nyokki,” and so on—and if you end up going last, you’re out.

It’s a thrilling game that both kids and adults can enjoy.

Watch the timing, ride the momentum, and pop out with a lively nyoki!

Boccia

Children's Boccia Tournament (with rules explanation)

Have fun using both your head and your body! Here are some ideas for boccia.

Boccia is a sport enjoyed by everyone, regardless of age, gender, or disability, where all can compete together.

After throwing the white target ball, two teams compete to see which team can get their balls closer to it.

Each team has six balls, so you can strategically hit other balls to close the distance or push them away—another key point of the game! Try incorporating it into your playtime, too.

Ball Drop Game

Introducing Japan's most entertaining recreation. Easy for everyone from children to seniors.

Let’s work together to reach the goal! Here’s an idea for a ball drop target game.

All you need are two brooms, a bucket, and a ball.

Hold one broom in each hand, roll the ball along the tops of the brooms, then spread your arms at the right moment to drop the ball into the bucket! Communicating and coordinating with each other should boost your success rate.

You can also adapt the idea using a cardboard tube from plastic wrap, a deep bowl, and colorful balls.

Give it a try as a fun spring activity!

A flower that blooms when you water it

Why not try making a cherry tree in full bloom out of origami? With this craft, a mist of water makes the cherry blossoms bloom—such a magical flower! Prepare a cherry blossom–shaped hole punch and pink origami paper.

After punching cherry blossom shapes out of the paper, fold the petal sections inward.

Glue these onto the base cherry tree, and you’re done.

When you spritz the flowers with a mist of water, the petals open and you’ll have a springlike cherry tree.

The look of the blossoms changes depending on how you arrange the pieces when gluing, so have fun experimenting!

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mayumi

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Discovery Sticker Book

The discovery sticker book is a game where you put stickers on things that match the shapes or themes shown in the book—like “square,” “oval,” or “fluffy”—when you find them.

The rules are simple, so it’s nice that you can easily give it a try as soon as you buy the book.

Once you get good at finding the items on the shapes pages, it also sounds fun to try looking for specific objects or people, like “a black car” or “a delivery person.” Planning a walking route to match the book is exciting too!

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Yuuki

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Making a Playable Butterfly

How about a cute butterfly craft using children’s handprints? First, stamp handprints with paint onto construction paper, then glue on origami pieces to make it colorful.

Next, fold it in half and cut so that two peaks are formed; open it back up and it will instantly turn into a butterfly silhouette.

Finally, use green pipe cleaners to make the antennae and create ring parts for fingers.

Once it’s finished, slip it onto your fingers and head out for a springtime walk!

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Yuuki

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Strawberry picking

I went strawberry picking and saw the Kominato Railway in spring.

Thanks to greenhouse cultivation, some places now offer strawberry picking as early as January, but since winter is cold, spring is definitely the best time to go.

With their cute appearance and amazing flavor, springtime strawberry picking is a wonderful activity that both adults and children can enjoy! You can eat the strawberries you pick on the spot or take them home, so you can keep enjoying them along with your memories after you return.

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Saitō Ayumu

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