Dreams, wishes and creativity came together at Pegasus International Preschool as our children celebrated Tanabata through Japanese storytelling, colourful decorations and their own little wishes.

At Pegasus International Preschool, cultural celebrations give children opportunities to discover traditions through experiences they can see, hear, create and participate in.

For our Tanabata Celebration 2026, the children explored this well-loved Japanese tradition through stories, creative expression and activities that encouraged them to share their own ideas.

Discovering the Story of Tanabata

The celebration began with the story of Orihime and Hikoboshi, introducing the children to the tradition and meaning behind Tanabata.

Storytelling provided an engaging starting point for exploring Japanese culture. As the children listened and responded, they could ask questions, share their thoughts and connect the story with the activities that followed.

Rather than simply being told about a cultural celebration, the children were encouraged to explore its ideas through their own curiosity.

Little Wishes and Big Dreams

One of the special traditions associated with Tanabata is writing wishes on colourful strips of paper known as tanzaku.

Our children created their own tanzaku and shared wishes that were meaningful to them.

For young children, an activity like this can be much more than making a decoration. It creates an opportunity to pause, think about something important to them and find their own way to express it.

Their colourful wishes were then displayed as part of the celebration, allowing each child’s individual voice to become part of something created together.

Creating Colourful Tanabata Decorations

The children also explored different materials and ways of making kazari (飾り) — traditional decorations associated with the Tanabata festivities.

Colours, paper, shapes and different materials became invitations to experiment.

There wasn’t just one way to create. Children could make choices, try their own ideas and use their imagination as their decorations took shape.

These open-ended creative experiences encourage children to explore possibilities and develop confidence in expressing their ideas through art and making.

Exploring Japanese Culture Through Experience

As a trilingual preschool offering English, Mandarin and Japanese, opportunities to encounter language and culture can extend beyond lessons into the children’s everyday experiences.

Tanabata provided one such opportunity.

Through storytelling, tanzaku wishes, decorations and celebrating alongside their friends, the children experienced elements of Japanese culture in ways that were tangible and meaningful to them.

Children proudly held up their creations, colourful wishes hung from bamboo, friends celebrated together and there were plenty of smiles along the way.

Together We Explore, Create and Grow

Perhaps the most meaningful part of the celebration was seeing everyone’s individual contributions come together.

Every child could bring something different — a wish, an idea, a decoration or simply their enthusiasm for joining their friends.

These shared experiences create opportunities for children to listen to one another, communicate their ideas and discover the joy of creating something as a community.

A beautiful Tanabata celebration filled with children’s voices, creativity and little wishes — from all of us at Pegasus International Preschool.