Can't memorize Hiragana? Try these!

Make your own Hiragana cards!

Make Hiragana cards, and play card games with your friends.

This is how my 4 year-old son memorized all Hiragana letters. ^^


Things you need to make Hiragana Cards あ～の 25 letters；

1 playing cards

colored papers size 9' x 12" ( 2 colors,  2 sheets each )

a black permanent marker

scissors

a double sided tape (or a normal tape)

1. Fold colored papers like this ↓ (make 16 rectangles ). 　

2. Write down あ～の(25 letters) once on green (or any other color of your choice) papers.

    Then, write down あ～の(25 letters) once again on red (or any other color of your choice, but different color ) papers.

3. Cut them with scissors.

4. Tape them on cards. Use a double sided tape if you have.

5. Make a joker.  We call a joker  ばば

6. Now, play card games!


Hiragana Memory Game 

Shuffle the cards. You do not need a joker for this game.

Lay them in rows, face down.

Turn over any two cards.      When you turn over cards, say the Hiragana letters out loud for practice!

If the two cards match(same Hiragana letters), keep them.  

If they don't match, turn them back over.

Remember what was on each card and where it was.

Watch and remember during the other player's turn.

The game is over when all the cards have been matched.

Hiragana Old Maid

Shuffle the cards, including a joker
Deal all the cards
Sort through your cards, making as many Hiragana pairs as possible
If you have pairs, place them face-up on the table (say the Hiragana letters out loud for practice! )and keep the rest in your hand.
Pick up a card from someone next to you, but try avoiding the joker.
When a new pair is made, place them on the table
Repeat this until you have no more cards in your hand.
The person with a joker in the end will be a loser.


After you memorize all the Hiragana letters あ～の, then you can also make Hiragana Cards は～ん, Katakana Cards, Hiragana Katakana Cards, etc.

For making "Hiragana Katakana Cards", you will write Hiragana あ～のon one color and write Katakana ア～ノon the other color. During games, you will make pairs of Hiragana and Katakana. ( e. i. あand ア）  I really like "Hiragana Katakana Cards". I should maybe make the product and sell it in Japan!

いろ Colors -Color Jenga-

あか　red

あお　blue

きいろ yellow

みどり    green

むらさき purple

ピンク    pink

だいだいいろ  / オレンジ　orange

くろ    black

しろ     white

はいいろ  grey

ちゃいろ brown

　　* ピンクand オレンジ　are written in Katakana because the words came from English. (Please read  "Japanese alphabets" .) 　However, If it is a casual writing, it is ok to use Hiragana. （ぴんく）Sometimes, people（specially young people) choose to use Hiragana for some Katakana words to sound cute.

Colors (with Hiragana) PDF file

                                   Children will read the Hiragana words, then color the circles with colored pencils.

Colors PDF file  Blank

If children can write Hiragana already, say the Hiragana words. Children will write down the Hiragana words and color the circles with colored pencils.

Let's paly Color Jenga!

Things you need;

Jenga

color papers

a hole punch

tape

1. Prepare 6 color papers. Make holes with a hole punch.

    (If your children are too young, use 3 colors instead of 6 colors.)

2. Tape the colors on both sides of the Jenga blocks. (Tape the same colors on each Jenga block. )

3. Print out the dice.

  

    Dice 1   red, blue, yellow, green, purple, and black

  

    Dice 2    a blank dice     Make your own

dice PDF file

4. Now play Jenga! Roll the dice. Read the Hiragana word on the dice. Then, move the color.

   

How to Use Chopsticks -Chopstick Race-

How to use chopsticks

The image is from; https://blog.japancentre.com/2011/11/16/learn-how-to-use-chopsticks-and-how-to-catch-flies/

Well,,, nobody can catch a fly with chopsticks...

If your children are very young, they can try this kind of chopsticks  ↓　

You can get these from a Japanese store or a Korean store. 

Chopstick race

Things you need to prepare;

chopsticks

uncooked beans

paper cups

a paper plate

1. Teach children how to use chopsticks

2. Give a cup to each child.

3. Put beans in cups

3. Play a Japanese song (during the chopstick race)

4. Children will use their chopsticks to move the beans from a cup to a plate. Whoever empty the cup is a winner!  ( Do not use tiny beans. Children will cry. )

3 D Heart Valentine Craft

Easy and fun Valentine craft with young kids!

Things you need ;

a sheet of color paper (pink, red, etc.)

a string

scissors

a hole punch

1. Print out this image on a color paper

Heart PDF file

2. Cut the outline, make a hole with a hole punch, and put a string in a hole. ( If your kids are young, you can prepare until here.)

3. Fold the heart in half

4. Cut through the lines, But Do Not cut the ends

5. Then, fold the first, third and fifth layers in opposite way (step fold).  

Finish!