[For Seniors] Kick Off the New Year with Laughter! Fun DIY Ideas for Fuku-warai
When it comes to classic New Year’s games, Fukuwarai—arranging facial features while blindfolded—is a favorite.
Even traditional pastimes can feel fresh and more exciting when you add handmade twists and ideas.
The possibilities are endless: versions you can eat at the end made from cookies or cake, ones that combine clay and pebbles, or designs based on anime characters.
One of the biggest charms of handmade Fukuwarai is that you can enjoy the time spent creating the pieces together with older adults.
Why not try these easy, handmade Fukuwarai ideas at a senior facility or at home as a New Year’s activity?
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[For Seniors] Have your first laugh and liven things up! Fun DIY Fukuwarai Ideas (21–30)
Okame’s Lucky-Face Game
When you think of fukuwarai, the major figures that come to mind are Otafuku and Okame.
For fukuwarai, we picture Hyottoko for men and Okame for women! Just looking at Okame makes you feel blessed and content; her gentle face warms the heart.
But when it’s used for fukuwarai, it turns into a funny, playful expression that makes you burst out laughing.
They say laughter is good for the body and has health benefits.
Laughing together makes it even more fun and fills you with happiness.
So laugh with fukuwarai and have a joyful year ahead!
The Lord’s Lucky Laugh
If you think Hyottoko or Okame are too ordinary and want a slightly different fukuwarai, how about making one with a feudal lord’s face? If you’re aiming for a Japanese vibe—a traditional-style fukuwarai—a lord is a perfect fit.
Picture the topknot-wearing lord you see in folktales and period dramas.
He’s easy to turn into an illustration, too.
It would also be fun to make a slightly comical face, like Ken Shimura’s iconic character “Baka Tono-sama” (the Silly Lord)!
[For Seniors] Kick Off the New Year with Laughter! Fun, DIY Fukuwarai Ideas (31–40)
rice art
As part of a cooking activity, how about trying a plating challenge with a Fukuwarai theme? Use white rice as the base of the face, and cut seaweed, fish cake, and sausages to make the facial features.
You can place the parts while blindfolded just like traditional Fukuwarai, or, if that’s too difficult, arrange them while looking to make a funny face.
Sharing and eating the Fukuwarai bento everyone made together will be a great way to start the New Year with energy.
Daruma Fuku-warai
Fukuwarai is a classic New Year’s game.
Since it’s the New Year, how about trying a daruma-themed fukuwarai for good luck? In addition to the eyes, eyebrows, nose, and mouth, it also includes whiskers on both sides, so there are more parts and the difficulty goes up a bit.
Of course you can play it as is, but it’s also nice to make your own fukuwarai as a craft recreation activity.
Like a coloring activity, everyone can create and play with daruma fukuwarai in various colors—that sounds fun, too.
Why not enjoy it not only during the New Year but also on ordinary days?
Fukuwarai with illustrations
Here’s an idea for playing Fukuwarai using illustrations.
Draw a large picture of a human face on construction paper or similar, stick it on a whiteboard, and have a representative person play Fukuwarai while blindfolded.
Those watching can enjoy calling out instructions like, “A little more to the right!” If you’re playing with a large group, you could also have everyone draw illustrations on paper together or color in prepared illustrations, enjoy the making process, and then play Fukuwarai afterward.
Fukuwarai you can enjoy as a team competition
Since magnets stick to a whiteboard, you can enjoy Fukuwarai more easily and in a way that’s easier for everyone to see.
So, how about trying Fukuwarai as a team competition? Split into two teams, and have one person from each team come up to the front to play.
The player wears an eye mask, and a staff member or a teammate can hand them the parts one by one.
Once the face is complete, everyone votes on which team created the funnier face.
Fukuwarai is a great activity everyone can enjoy together—highly recommended!
Pokemon Fukuwarai
Using Pokémon characters for Fukuwarai sounds like a fun idea that also taps into people’s affection for the characters.
Since some characters have distinctive patterns in addition to basic facial parts like eyes and mouth, turning those patterns into pieces as well will let players enjoy a higher level of difficulty.
Encourage players to recall the outline by touch, imagine the character’s expression, and carefully determine which pieces they’re holding using only their sense of touch.
If they try Fukuwarai with a variety of characters, it could also deepen their interest in Pokémon from there.
