[Childcare] Play and craft ideas to include in February events
Speaking of February events, Setsubun and Valentine’s Day come to mind.
Some of you are probably brainstorming event ideas like bean-throwing or cute crafts.
On the other hand, there may be people who struggle to come up with fresh ideas for annual traditions.
For those people, this time we’ll share play activities and craft ideas that are perfect for Setsubun and Valentine’s Day.
Incorporating new ideas is sure to make your events much more exciting.
Be sure to check out these ideas before you start preparing for your events.
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[Childcare] Play and craft ideas to include in February events (61–70)
Making chocolates for Valentine’s Day
When it comes to big events in February, Valentine’s Day—giving chocolate—is the highlight! Enjoy making chocolate with an easy recipe that just involves melting and arranging.
Line pink and white chocolate bars on parchment paper and melt them, then place store-bought cookies, candy-coated chocolates, and the like on top.
After that, chill until set and break into pieces of any size, and you’ll have colorful, stylish chocolate bark.
Some children may want to give a present to someone they like.
Since many preschools don’t allow bringing items from home, it would be nice to think together about a way for them to give it to the other child.
Torn-paper collage: Making an ogre mask
Here’s an oni mask idea you can enjoy as a Setsubun craft.
This version uses a torn-paper collage to create the oni’s hair.
If you prepare the torn pieces in advance, all that’s left is sticking them on, so even infants can enjoy this activity.
You can use paper of any color, but it’s best to choose colors different from the horns and the oni’s face.
If you prepare a few options for the face and horn parts and several colors of paper to paste, the children can have fun expressing their own sense of color.
For preschoolers, encourage them to try the step of tearing the paper into small pieces themselves.
Bean-throwing play for infants
On Setsubun, we drive away demons—manifestations of evil spirits—by scattering beans, right? Here are some ideas to enjoy that bean-throwing as a game.
In this activity, we won’t use real beans, because they can be very dangerous for small children due to the risk of accidental swallowing.
Instead, roll up half-sheets of newspaper into balls to use as bean substitutes.
Make the “oni” (demons) out of plastic bottles, balloons, or cardboard.
With plastic-bottle oni, you can play bowling; with balloon oni, you can do target practice; and with cardboard oni, you can play a ball-toss game.
Enjoy the crafting as well, and have fun with your Setsubun bean-throwing games!
[Seasonal Play] Oni Game
![[Seasonal Play] Oni Game](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Tv_o8CBUTso/sddefault.jpg)
This is an activity where you enjoy a series of different games that evolved from the idea of driving away ogres by throwing beans.
You can roll balls or crumpled newspaper as pretend beans, play target-throwing games themed around defeating ogres, or even play golf-style games—the fun part is being able to combine a wide variety of activities.
Rather than just having participants play the prepared games, inviting them to join from the stage of making the targets and other materials used in the games can help them feel more attached and engaged.
It’s also important to tailor the experience so everyone can enjoy it according to their age—for example, by adjusting the difficulty and providing support alongside players.
[Toddler] Bean-Throwing (Setsubun)
![[Toddler] Bean-Throwing (Setsubun)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tluv5uo0q9Q/sddefault.jpg)
Setsubun is the day when we drive away demons by throwing beans at them and invite good fortune.
Many children surely look forward to the once-a-year bean-throwing.
Playing a game where you throw balls at a demon target can be fun, but on the day itself, you’ll want to let them do a real bean-throwing with actual Setsubun beans.
With help from parents, have the adults go all in by dressing up as demons so the kids can enjoy the bean-throwing to the fullest! Make sure to secure a spacious area and be careful to prevent slipping on beans or kids getting into scuffles by throwing at each other.
Paper Theater to Learn the Origins of Setsubun
Even if they know that Setsubun is an event where beans are scattered to drive away ogres, many children may not know the details of what kind of day Setsubun is.
Traditional customs passed down in Japan have deep meanings.
On Setsubun, why not explain in an easy-to-understand kamishibai (paper theater) that Setsubun is the day that divides the seasons; the reasons for driving away ogres by scattering beans and decorating with holly and grilled sardine heads; and how to eat ehomaki and roasted soybeans? Kamishibai is easy to make by hand, and once you create one, you can share the story with children every year.
Dance “Oni no Pants”
How about enjoying songs and dances that are unique to Setsubun? There are several Setsubun songs, but the most famous include “Oni no Pantsu” and “Ehomaki no Uta.” First, everyone can sing together to learn the songs, and then try the dances.
By the way, YouTube has videos that teach kid-friendly choreography for each song, so those are great to use as references.
It’s also recommended to dress up as an oni to match the music.
