7.3 Koinobori (鯉のぼり)

Koinobori (pronounced koh-ee-no-boh-ree) are Japanese windsocks. 

These adorn the landscape in April through early May in honor of Children's Day (May 5), the final day of Japan's annual Golden Week holiday. "Koi" means carp and "nobori" means banner, or flag, in Japanese.  

You can read more about the history of these flags here.

Make your own set of Koinobori windsocks by following the steps in this article on the Little Passports Blog..  These flags hang above homes in Japan each spring in honor of Children's Day (May 5). There is typically a unique carp flag for each member of the family. 

You will need: 

• White fabric (old pillowcase)

• Scissors

• Fabric paint

• Fabric glue

• Chipboard (cereal box material)

• Stapler

• Hole puncher

• Ribbon

• String 

Gather your materials and follow the directions from the Little Passports Blog site to create your own Koinobori!

Make koinobori out of cardboard tubes using the directions in this blog..  These are a smaller version and could easily be carried around or hung inside. 

You will need: 

• toilet paper rolls

• scissors

• string

• tissue paper

• tape or double sided tape, or brush glue

• white paper

• dowel rod, skewer, or straw

• optional sticky eyes

Gather your materials and follow the directions from the Squirrely Minds site to create your own Koinobori!