March

Families with young daughters mark this day by setting up a display of dolls inside the house. The dolls wear costumes of the imperial court during the Heian period (794-1192) and are placed on a tiered platform covered with red felt.

Tissue Peach Blossoms
Make tissue peach blossoms-the flowers traditionally associated with Doll's Day.

Use a brown crayon to draw bare branches on pieces of light blue construction paper. Hand out the papers with squares of peach colored tissue paper. Let the children tear the tissue into tiny pieces. Then have them spread small circles of glue on their branches and press bits of tissue all over the glue to create fluffy blossoms. Use the finished pictures to decorate a wall or a bulletin board.

Doll's Day Party

Arrange cardboard boxes to make a staircase like stand and cover it with red crepe paper or cloth. Invite each child to bring in a favorite doll or toy to display on the Doll's Day stand. When the display is ready, have the children gather around the stand and take turns telling something about the dolls or toys they brought.

Dancing Dolls

Let the children pretend to be Doll's Day dolls that have been packed away in their boxes for the year. Have them lie down on the floor. Then play recordings of Japanese music to signal that Doll's Day has arrived. Have the "dolls" hop up out of their boxes and dance as long as they hear the music. Whenever the music stops, have them get back down into their boxes and lie still.

About Hina Matsuri: The Japanese Doll Festival

Learn more about Japan.

Doll's Day Snack<

The traditional treats for Doll's Day are pastel colored candies and rice cakes. For a sugarless alternative use small cookie cutters to cut shapes out of bread slices (or cut sandwiches diagonally to create triangle sandwiches).

In separate bowls whip cream cheese and add drops of food coloring to create pastel shades. Spread the cheese on the bread shapes and arrange them on small paper plates. Serve with thin melon slices.

For added fun make tables by placing cardboard boxes upside down on the floor and setting them with colorful placements. Then let the children take off their shoes and sit around the tables while enjoying their Doll's Day snacks.

Sites to See

Japan's Hina Matsuri Festival
Make a Hina-Ningyo display form recycled boses to dispaly dolls on.

Emperor Origami for Hina Matsuri
Empress Origami for Hina Matsuri
Easy origami to print and make

Artist Michelangelo’s Birthday

Michelangelo was a great artist who lived during the Italian Renaissance. He was born 1475. Michelangel made many things; painting, sculpting, building, and writing poems. His famous and beutiful art people still admire today. He was one of the most influental artist in history.

Michelangelo Biography

Sistine Chapel Facts

Painting The Sistine Chapel
Challenge sudents to paint on a "ceiling" (underneath a table)

Paint A Fresco

fabulous Frescoes

Make Ice Sculptures

Michelangel made his own paints by crushing or grinding objects like bark, insects, berries, flowers, and seashells.

Make Paint With Flour

Make Non-Toxic Herbal Paint for Children