'Come, let us Live with our Children': Undōkai, the Children's Play Festival at a Froebelian Kindergarten in Japan, 1889 - 2015

Abstract

Undōkai translates to 'sports day festival' or 'athletic festival' in Japanese, and functions as a display of athletic elements and an opportunity for outdoor play. It was developed in the mid-to-late nineteenth century as a result of social, cultural, religious and educational factors and it has become an most important school event from kindergarten to secondary education. Specifically, undōkai in early childhood education is regarded as a unique style of outdoor play which includes play, games, singing, dancing and athletic activities. Despite its sometimes teacher-centred orientation, the undōkai of today is similar to the 'play-festival' (Spielfest) devised by Friedrich Froebel for use with young children. There have been debates in recent decades about whether undōkai is good for young children. This chapter examines the development of one such child-centred undōkai as a children's play festival at a Froebelian kindergarten in Japan. The questions addressed include: What are the Froebelian educators' motivations for developing undōkai? What does the child-centred undōkai look like? And, finally, what was the process for creating the child-centred undōkai? The answers to these questions are drawn from early education contexts across time and cultures.