Ready, Aim, Shoot

During the summer there are festivals pretty much every day.  It seems as if there is always something to do - a matsuri or a bon odori is always just a short distance away.  Some celebrations are bigger than others.  There are matsuri that draw tens of thousands of people, while others are just community events with a couple hundred.  Some are very traditional and only offer basic food and entertainment, while others are more creative and offer a variety of things to do.

We attended a local matsuri the other day that was very child focused.  It was a lot of fun for my son, as there was so much for him to do.  He liked doing the ring toss and making various crafts.  His favorite by far was making a bow and arrow out of chop sticks. 

With only a couple sets of disposable wooden chopsticks, tape, rubber bands, and a plastic straw with puffs glued to each end, my son and husband made a working bow and arrow.  My son enjoyed picking out the various tapes to use to hold the chopsticks together. 

Following the instructions, they had put together the bow and arrow very quickly.  Then our son was able to practice shooting it. 

Since the festival, my son has played with this handmade toy so much.  He loves to try to hit various things in the house.  It reminds me of the box fascination.  Give a child a huge present and they end up playing with the box longer than the gift.  This cheap little craft has occupied a lot of his time and focus, entertaining him more than many store bought toys.