Children’s Day will soon be here. This event takes place every year on May 5th., and is the final day of the Golden Week holiday period.

Originally known as Boy’s Day, it is now called Children’s Day (Kodomo no Hi) and has widened it’s focus into a celebration for all children.

Carp streamers (Koinibori) can often be seen flying on flag poles at this time of year. The set typically consists of a pair of arrow-shaped spinning wheels, a ball-shaped spinning weather vane, a dragon streamer, and then the carp streamers.

The celebration is held to wish children good fortune for the future, and to hope that they will grow up strong and healthy.

Carp fish were chosen as they are known for their energy, power, and determination.

Year 3 students (Lion class and Tsubaki class) have been making craft for this event over the past few days.

They made a spinning wheel – similar to a windmill – from paper. Decorating it with a colourful circle pattern.

They also made two carp fish each. One blue and one pink. This was made by folding, cutting and glueing colour paper.

The blue carp was painted with spots of blue, light blue, and purple paint. The pink carp was decorated by cutting out and glueing on ‘scales’ made from origami paper.

There were lots of steps for the students to follow during the production of the items. They all tried very hard to listen to the techniques and follow them in the correct way.

Today, all the year 3 students went out into the yard with their finished Koinibori sets. Each of which had been attached to a special green stick.

They could watch the wheels spin, and the fish “swim” in the sky, as the wind blew.

We finished the time with a group photograph taken at the bottom of the yard.

I hope that everyone will have great fun celebrating Children’s Day, as well as having an enjoyable Golden Week.

I am sure that the year 3 students will be really excited to show their beautiful craft to their families.

– Mark –

 

（もうすぐ“こどもの日”ですね。毎年５月５日、ゴールデンウィークの最後の日にあたります。端午の節句とも呼ばれ、もともと男の子のお祭りとされていましたが、今では子どもたちの幸せや成長を願う祝日になっています。

そして、毎年この時期になると“こいのぼり”が飾られているのをよく見かけます。この真鯉や緋鯉は子どもたちの元気やパワー、決意の象徴とされています。

 

年長組であるLion組とつばき組では、毎年この時期にこいのぼりを制作しています。子どもたちは風車を紙で作りました。たくさんの色を使い、クレヨンできれいな丸の模様を描きました。

そして、青の真鯉とピンクの緋鯉の２匹を作りました。真鯉はデカルコマニーという技法を用い、青、水色、紫の３色の絵の具をつけた後、画用紙を半分に折り転写して模様をつけました。緋鯉は折り紙を切って作ったうろこを糊で貼りました。

 

折ったり、切ったり、糊をつけたり…たくさんの工程を経て作りました。皆一生懸命先生の話を聞いて、真似て、丁寧に作っていました。最後には先生が緑の棒に風車、真鯉、緋鯉をつけてくれました。

 

そして今日、みんなで出来上がったこいのぼりを持って園庭で遊びました。ちょうどよく風が吹いていて、風車が回ったり、鯉が空を泳いでいるみたいに動いたりしている様子を楽しみました。そして最後には皆でこいのぼりと一緒にすてきな写真を撮りました。

 

年長組のお友達はお家の人と一緒に素敵なこいのぼりを飾りましたか？

とても楽しい“こどもの日”とゴールデンウイークを過ごしてくださいね。

Mark先生より）