5 May is Children's Day festival in Japan. On the day, we wish all children happiness and cherish their different personalities. Traditionally, families raise koi-shaped windsock called 'koinobori' on the day. You'll see a koi fish to represent each member of the household (black for father, red/pink for mother and blue/green/orange for child).
I want my daughter to grow up knowing Japanese culture, and I think these festivities and traditions are great way to introduce her to Japan. And it is also a fantastic way for other kids to experience different cultures, and become aware of cultural diversity. With this corona crisis, many of us are obliged to stay home with our kids. It's so easy to focus solely on what surrounds us and forget that we are a very small part of this wonderful world. What are some of the things you do to celebrate cultural diversity? Let me know!
Now, to celebrate the Children's Day this year, my daughter (almost 3) and I made 3 cardboard koi fish and decorated them using a collage technique. Each fish to represent me, papa and my cheeky monkey.
For this fun activity with your child, you'll need:
- Cardboard (cut into a fish-shape) - 2 Round Cardboard (1 large, 1 small) --> For Eyes - Glue - Crayons (Optional) - Small Pieces of Paper - Paper Strip --> For Mouth
The process is super simple. Have your child paste pieces of paper onto the cardboard fish. Once they are done, you need to glue the long strip of paper to the front edge, to represent the mouth/lip. Then paste the smaller circle onto the larger circle, and glue that onto the front part of the fish. This becomes the koi's eye. You can choose to leave the eye as it is or colour them using crayons. Once dry, you can hang your fish on the wall!
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