Games using beanbags (otedama)
Let me introduce a game using beanbags (otedama)!
Otedama are small cloth bags filled with azuki beans or rice.
In Japan, they’ve long been loved as children’s playthings.
Many of you have probably tried the game where you toss several otedama into the air and keep them going without dropping any, right?
In this article, we’ll introduce otedama tricks, traditional children’s songs you can play along with, and games using otedama that everyone from kids to adults can enjoy.
Try adding it to your everyday playtime!
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Games Using Beanbags (21–30)
Beanbag relay
It’s a game where you sing the Momotaro song and pass a beanbag to the person next to you.
You could say the beanbag stands in for the millet dumpling! Without breaking the rhythm of the song, without dropping the beanbag, and making sure it reaches the next person’s hand properly… It sounds simple, but there’s actually a lot to juggle, so your brain is working at full speed.
You can play with as few as two people, but increasing to five, ten, fifteen, and so on raises the difficulty and is highly recommended.
Nursery rhyme “Otebushi Tebushi”
Play along with the nursery rhyme “Otebushi Tebushi.” When you play this game, prepare a beanbag small enough to fit in both hands.
The rules are very simple: while singing, hide the beanbag in your hands and shake them back and forth.
At the end, hide the beanbag in one of your hands and have the other person guess which hand it’s in.
Kids love guessing games, so they’re sure to have a great time!
Children’s song “Gicchō Rice-Pounding”
Imagine the beanbags as rice, and while singing, pat them with your hands like pounding mochi.
After that, raise a beanbag high with one hand and get the other hand ready as a catch tray.
At the right moment in the song, release the hand holding the beanbag—if you catch it cleanly, you succeed.
These beanbags make a satisfying shaka-shaka sound, feel great to the touch, and are super satisfying to grab.
You can play solo or with a partner, so give it a try!
Bake some rice crackers.
Here’s a children’s hand game song you can play with one beanbag called “Let’s Toast a Rice Cracker.” You pretend the beanbag is a rice cracker, and play at toasting it and brushing on soy sauce or sake.
It’s very simple, so a child around two years old can join in.
You can brush on anything you like instead of soy sauce—try jam or chocolate, or whatever your child wants to use.
Once your rice cracker is ready, pretend to munch it up.
And don’t forget to finish with a polite “Thank you for the meal!”
Beanbag Treasure Hunt
This is a game where you hide a beanbag under one of several overturned paper cups and guess which one it’s in.
Since you only need a tabletop and minimal preparation, it’s enjoyable for a wide range of ages, from children to seniors.
You can play head-to-head by taking turns lifting cups, or compete to see who can find the beanbag hidden under the cups placed in front of each player first.
It’s nice that the simple rules allow for many variations.
By increasing the difficulty—such as by re-covering cups after they’ve been opened—it also becomes a memory-training activity.
It’s an easy-to-play treasure-hunt game.
