Ensoku

Twice a year the kids at yochien have ensoku which I suppose translates as a field trip, the one in May is a picnic and games at the park and the one later in the year is a trip to the zoo. They started off with class photos and then they were split into grades and played games with the parents too.

This game was to music, when the music stopped you do 'janken' (rock, paper, scissors) with the person closest to you, the loser goes behind the winner to make a train and the game continues until there is a champion.

 After the games the kids go to the little zoo at the park, it is awful and I hate it, animals in small concrete cages. Urgh. After that was picnic time, the classes all sit together, Ebi-kun wanted to sit with his best friend S-kun. Oh, I should mention that each class has a different coloured cap.

 The kids are given some free playtime whilst the parents have a meeting to decide who will do what for the matsuri. Last year I had to carry the mommy mikoshi (portable shrine), this year daddy-ebi is going to do it. Last year I also got sun stroke and was ill for quite a while so I am quite happy to wriggle out of it! Once all that is done, it is time for folk dancing.

 Then they finished off with a big train going through a tunnel made by the parents.

The weather wasn't so nice this year, last year was quite hot so the kids ended up paddling but this year they just piled down to the playground. There were 2 other yochiens at the park so there were lots of kids with coloured caps running around, quite difficult to keep a track of who is who.