[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 (41–50)
Chocolate sticks made with construction paper

Let’s make heart-shaped chocolate sticks that are perfect for pretend play or Valentine’s Day.
Cut construction paper into heart shapes and draw designs with crayons.
Flip the heart over, tape a stick to the back, then slip a clear bag over it to wrap it up, and you’re done.
It’s also a great idea to decorate cutely by using torn origami paper or washi tape when drawing pictures or patterns on the construction paper.
If you make chocolates in various shapes—like stars and circles—just looking at them might make you feel excited, not only for pretend play.
Oni of Setsubun

Here’s an idea for making an ogre using a single sheet of origami paper.
Start by folding the paper into a triangle, then fold both corners inward so they align neatly—up to this point, it’s the same steps as making a paper cup.
Once you’ve done that, flip the origami upside down, and fold the two corners you just made upward.
These will be the ogre’s horns.
They’ll be too thick as is, so reverse-fold the inner sides outward to make the horns thinner.
Next, fold up the bottom point into a triangle, then fold both corners of that triangle inward to finish.
Add a face with a pen, and use patterned washi tape to create the pants, and you’ll have a wonderful ogre.
Picture-book-style heart message card

This is a heart-shaped message card made with origami.
It has multiple surfaces to write messages on, so you can flip through them and enjoy it like a picture book.
The method is very simple: fold the origami paper into a triangle three times, then cut it into a heart shape with scissors.
Open the paper and, following the crease lines, alternate mountain folds and valley folds to collapse it.
When folding, place the colored side of the origami facing up before folding into a triangle.
Also, when cutting the triangle into a heart shape, you’ll trim off two corners, but be careful not to cut the corner that is the center of the origami.
ogre’s iron club

For this idea, use origami paper measuring 7.5 cm × 15 cm.
First, position the paper so the 15 cm sides are at the top and bottom.
Next, fold it in half by bringing the top and bottom edges together, crease well, and open it.
Then fold the top and bottom edges in to meet the center crease.
After that, fold the right edge over the left edge to fold the paper in half, and create a step by folding back a strip about 1 cm wide from the crease.
This step separates the club (kanabō) section from the handle section.
For the handle, fold the top and bottom of the right-side portion of the paper in toward the center crease, and squash the pulled corner into a triangle.
Finally, fold the four corners of the remaining club section into triangles to round them off, and you’re done.
Oni made with finger paint
Let’s enjoy the process of paints blending together and the cool, tactile feeling as we create! This is an idea I’d love children who think ogres are scary to try.
You will need drawing paper, paints in various colors, plastic wrap, crayons, scissors, and glue.
Using two to three colors of paint makes the color blending more fun.
Letting children choose their favorite paints might spark excitement and help them express their creativity.
If you use pastel-colored paints, it will result in a gentle, soft look—be sure to give it a try.
Handmade toys for Setsubun
@chooobo2 Target practice game 👹 This material is distributed through an Instagram subscription!Made in FebruarySetsubun craft#Nursery school#Nursery School Craft#HandmadeToysToilet paper roll coreSetsubun
Oria – niKu
Let’s make and play! Here’s a fun idea you can use for Setsubun events, too.
It would be a waste to only make crafts for Setsubun—why not incorporate them into a game? In the video, we introduce a game where you launch a paper Ehomaki to hit oni targets made from toilet paper rolls and construction paper.
You can adjust the target designs and the way you play to suit different age groups.
This is a great idea for teachers planning Setsubun events!
[Paper Plate] Oni Mask
![[Paper Plate] Oni Mask](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/oU0VgO5YgoY/sddefault.jpg)
Make and wear it! Many teachers and parents are probably thinking about doing crafts for Setsubun gatherings and events.
In such cases, we recommend making wearable oni (demon) masks.
The crafting process nurtures creativity and fine motor skills, and wearing the finished mask gives children a sense of achievement and satisfaction.
By paying attention to safety tips and the order of steps and keeping the atmosphere fun, even children who are afraid of oni can participate more comfortably.
Be sure to give it a try!



