FLX 4-H Learning Launchpad Presents “Japanese Children’s Day”

In celebration of Japanese Children’s Day, and the NYS 4-H International Exchange, the FLX 4-H Learning Launchpad will host a series of Japanese cultural workshops and activities in May. The Launchpad will be kicking off the celebration with a “Japanese Children’s Day” workshop held on May 1 at 6 p.m., highlighting the cultural background of the holiday, and guiding families through fun, hands-on activities they can do together at home. Attendees at the May 1 workshop can follow along with making an “onigiri” rice ball, and creating a Japanese “kendama” game using materials commonly found at home. Following the workshop, FLX Learning Launchpad will premiere videos related to Japanese culture on May 5, May 14, and May 21, at 10 a.m. on the FLX 4-H Learning Launchpad Facebook page, and on the FLX 4-H Learning Launchpad YouTube channel.

Children’s Day, held on May 5, is a Japanese national holiday in celebration of children’s health and growth, and to honor their individual strengths. Monroe County 4-H Educator Jessica Reid, who lived in Japan for 8-1/2 years as an English teacher, will be presenting the workshop and activities. Reid felt a strong connection between the traditional Japanese holiday and the goals of the 4-H Positive Youth Development program. “4-H is a program that challenges young people to find their spark, their individual strengths, and encourage them to follow that spark and grow as individuals. I think that the meaning behind Children’s Day in Japan, to celebrate the growth and individual strengths of children, goes hand-in-hand with those beliefs.”

Typically, New York State 4-H will host a delegation of Japanese youth and their chaperones each summer, participating in the national States’ 4-H International Exchange Program. Delegates would stay with host families throughout New York State. New York State youth are also able to apply for outbound 4-H Exchange programs in Japan and other countries as well. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all of the States’ 4-H International Exchange programs scheduled over the summer have been canceled. Another goal of the Japanese cultural workshop series being offered is to provide an opportunity for families in the region to experience Japanese culture in spite of the closures, and to build interest for next year’s program.

Families can register for the May 1 workshop at http://monroe.cce.cornell.edu/events. Registration via Zoom is required. FLX 4-H Learning Launchpad activities can be found on the ‘FLX Learning Launchpad’ Facebook page, and on Youtube by searching for ‘FLX 4-H Learning

Launchpad’. More information on the NYS 4-H Exchange Program can be found at

https://nys4-h.org/international-exchange.

Provided information