Kids zone

  

 

Maneki Neko is a common Japanese ceramic figure which is thought to bring good luck. If the cat's right paw is raised it is supposed to attract money; if the left paw if raised it is supposed to attract customers. You will therefore often see these figures in shops, restaurants and other businesses. If you visit Japan you will be able to buy Maneki Neko piggy banks and key-rings

 

 

To make your maneki neko key-ring, print this page out onto card or good white paper.

Carefully cut out the two images, then glue them together, back to back.

Laminate, if you wish.

Punch a hole in the top left corner, and thread onto a key-ring. Alternatively, loop some gold or red cord through the hole and use that to hang your maneki neko from a key-ring or maybe a door knob! You could even add a tassel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You Will Need:

A4 (or letter) paper
Popsicle sticks
Pens/paint
Glue

Draw a rainbow shape on your paper, using our template as a guide. Cut out.

Decorate your paper however you choose. We painted ours with watered-down poster paint and then tapped over the top with kitchen roll to get a soft effect, similar to Japanese handmade paper. When it was dry we drew over the top in Japanese script. You could try stamping or drawing flower shapes instead.