Find out about Japan with more activities for kids
If you enjoyed the Japan Country Quest, but you still want to learn more, how about some of these Japan-themed activities?
They’re a fun way to learn a little bit more about Japan. There are some craft activities, recipes and some more research about Japan.
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Sushi balls
Japanese food can be a bit alienating for some kids - raw fish might be a bit much to start with. Luckily there’s a simple, fun recipe kids can make and eat which originates in Japan. Sushi balls are a simple and delicious snack. Plus you can replace the filling with anything that your kids enjoy - this version uses avocado.
To really make these sushi balls special, you can also decorate them with bits of nori seaweed.
Be aware that this recipe contains sesame seeds, although they can easily be skipped.
Make origami stars
These origami stars are beautiful decorations and pretty easy to make. All you need is some coloured paper, glue and some string if you want to hang them up. There are plenty of other origami tutorials on YouTube if your child is interested. We recommend starting with something simple, like the stars, before you move onto something complicated like these ones!
Craft a sensu (Japanese fan)
Fans are a lovely part of Japanese culture. There are lots of different types of fans, all with different meanings and purposes. They were even used to communicate messages in the past!
Traditional fan making is complicated, but you can try your own version with a Japanese craft activity. You’ll need some lollipop sticks and some patterned paper, as well as glue, scissors and a pin.
You may want to do the pinning yourself, to avoid injured fingers! Fans are a great thing to have around the house on a hot day!
Draw some kawaii animals
Kawaii means “cuteness” in Japanese. It can mean objects, people and animals which are lovable, shy and charming. Pokemon and Hello Kitty are examples of kawaii gone mainstream. This aesthetic is clear in lots of elements of Japanese popular culture, but kawaii drawings have become particularly popular.
Interestingly, the first time kawaii was ever mentioned was in Murasaki Shikibu’s The Tale of Genji! Kids met Murasaki in the third activity of the Japan Country Quest!
It’s a way of drawing which emphasises big eyes and little smiles in drawing objects or animals. There are lots of tutorials online for how to make kawaii drawings. We’ve created a Pinterest board with some great examples and tutorials for kids to try.
Make sure to load up on paper and pastel colouring pencils, pens and crayons! We even made a kawaii version of Zeke! He won’t be pleased.
Dig deeper into learning about Japan through The Kid Should See This
The Kid Should See This is a great website which compiles all sorts of child-friendly educational videos and hosts them on their own site. It’s a great way to prevent YouTube on-clicking and adverts, while still allowing kids to explore different topics.
We’ve found a host of fascinating videos for kids to learn more about Japan, from Japan’s 72 seasons in a year, a hotel in Nagasaki which is staffed entirely by robots, a Japanese island where you can be “buried in bunnies”, delicious sculptures made out of sweeties and a possible distant relative of Zeke’s?
Or you can just put “Japan” into the search bar and see what you can find together!
Watch a Studio Ghibli film!
“TOP TIP: If you really like Howl’s Moving Castle, it’s actually based on a Welsh children’s book by Diana Wynne Jones - see if you can spot Howl’s real name!”
In the Japan Country Quest we meet Makiko Futaki, who worked as an artist and animator at Studio Ghibli. Considering almost all Ghibli films are on Netflix, why not watch one together? We recommend My Neighbor Totoro or Howl’s Moving Castle to start with.
Spirited Away is also beautiful, but can be a bit scary (and has a child being separated from her parents, who are they turned into pigs) and Princess Mononoke can be a bit violent for younger children.
If you haven’t tried the Japan Country Quest yet…
It’s part of Questa Kids, an online educational game for kids which explores different countries and cultures, following Questa and Zeke as they meet 10 famous women through a country’s history. Materials are interactive, UK curriculum based and carefully researched, as well as being great fun for kids. Try a 30 day free trial whenever you want, and see how many countries you and your kids can learn about.
An extract from the Japan Country Quest