child stock — Photo: Dragos Gontariu/Unsplash

Best things to do with kids at home

These fun family-friendly activities from Japan will keep the children entertained in quarantine

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Friday 15 May 2020

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The only thing we can do during this strange age of Covid-19 coronavirus is to stay inside as much as possible. This means we’re working from home, spending weekends indoors, and for the young ‘uns, staying stuck inside on a perpetual spring vacation.

Keep those sweet, restless mini humans happy and tantrum-free with these games, activities and Tokyo-based online events, which they can enjoy alone or with the whole family. Have the kids colour in drawings of Japanese desserts, participate in an online art class, and even choose a Pokémon or Studio Ghibli virtual background for video chatting with grandparents. Have no fear and no more tears, here are some of the best Japanese activities for the kids to enjoy.

Recommended: Experience Tokyo and Japan from home

Crafts and other activities

This Studio Ghibli co-founder is showing us how to draw Totoro

Get an anime art lesson from Studio Ghibli producer and co-founder Toshio Suzuki

Get your free Monet, Leonardo da Vinci and Renoir colouring pages from Otsuka Museum of Art

These free pages let you remix Renaissance and 19th century art masters' most famous works

Hanshin Railways offers Osaka and Kobe colouring pages and art tutorials

Learn how to colour trains and landmarks in Osaka and Kobe with these tutorials from Hanshin Railways

Takashi Murakami and Yoshitomo Nara turn their art into free colouring pages

These world-renowned Japanese artists have released their iconic creations as free colouring pages

Download these free craft and colouring pages featuring the Tokyo 2020 Olympic mascots

Make your own versions of the Tokyo 2020 mascots – Miraitowa and Someity

Build a paper model of Akihabara at home with these free templates

While you’re staying home, try re-create an iconic part of the Tokyo cityscape with these detailed paper models depicting the streets of Akihabara

You can now download these traditional Japanese wave drawings for free

Spend a tranquil afternoon colouring in these Japanese wave drawings from 1903

Download free colouring pages featuring cute Japanese red bean desserts

The Japan Anko Association has released seven kawaii colouring pages for you and your kids to enjoy

Arts and crafts you can make with things you have at home

Try one of these Japan-inspired craft tutorials using things you probably already have lying around your house

How to grow a herb and vegetable garden from your kitchen scraps

If you've ever wanted to try gardening, but weren't sure where to begin, look no further than your own kitchen scraps

Best Japanese game and entertainment apps

These free and fun apps from Japan will keep you busy caring for kitties, running a fantasy island, or even selling your art

Books and movies from Japan

Our favourite Japanese children’s books in English

Give bedtime a Tokyo twist with these popular kids’ books from Japan

10 best Studio Ghibli films

Our favourite Studio Ghibli films, from Totoro to Kiki

One Piece Straw Hat Pirates encourage kids to wash hands to prevent coronavirus

Toei Animation has created this one-minute long video, in which the popular Straw Hat Pirates from the hit anime 'One Piece' tell youngsters to carefully wash...