Lovely childcare

Ghosts and pumpkins too! A collection of bento box ideas perfect for Halloween

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
lighterutatane
A person from the melodic hardcore boom generation who loves music, photography, and eating. I’ve been going to live houses for over 20 years. I’m at the age where summer festivals are starting to feel tough physically. I sometimes try shooting live photos and videos for MVs. I’m not great at English, so I often listen to straightforward Japanese rock that hits directly, but if someone recommends something, I’ll listen to anything—Western or Japanese—broadly and casually. I like cooking while listening to music; it’s a nice way to relieve stress.

How about making a bento that’s perfect for Halloween?A bento featuring Halloween-only motifs like pumpkins, ghosts, and black cats will put both kids and adults in a festive mood the moment they open it.With a little creativity, familiar ingredients like nori, cheese, and sausages can be transformed into a wonderful Halloween bento!If you brainstorm ideas together with the kids as you make it, the time spent making the bento will become a special memory, too.Here, we’ll introduce Halloween bento ideas that are cute to look at and easy to make.

Ghosts and pumpkins too! A collection of recommended Halloween bento ideas (1–10)

Pumpkin and ghost tamagoyaki

[Halloween] 5 Cute Side Dishes for Halloween!

Pumpkin and ghost tamagoyaki

Your usual side dishes can turn into Halloween-themed treats just by changing their shape.

It’s easy, so give it a try.

For the pumpkin-shaped rolled omelet, lay down plastic wrap, place two bamboo skewers underneath and three on top, wrap the omelet, secure it with rubber bands, and let it sit to form a pumpkin shape.

For the ghost, simply use a sushi mat to shape it into a teardrop.

Add eyes and a nose with nori, and you’re done.

It’s really easy, so please try making them.

Your kids will love them!

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Ghost Cheese Meatballs

[Halloween] 5 Cute Side Dishes for Halloween!

Ghost Cheese Meatballs

Round, easy-to-eat, and delicious meatballs transform into spooky ghosts! Just place a slice of cheese on warm meatballs and use sesame seeds or nori to make the ghosts’ eyes and mouths—done! You don’t have to make the meatballs from scratch; ones you only need to pan-fry or microwave are perfectly fine and super convenient.

The key is to add the cheese while the meatballs are still hot.

Let the heat from the meatballs melt the cheese slightly so it molds to their shape.

Add the eyes, mouth, and cheese right when they start to soften a little.

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Lively Halloween Bento

Oct 23, 2020 [Character Bento Recipe] (Lively Halloween Bento)

Lively Halloween Bento

Halloween is a time when both children and adults feel excited—dressing up in costumes and going out for treats.

Let’s make a lively bento that suits this special event.

Shape two types of rice—one mixed with mentsuyu or ponzu and one plain white—into round balls.

Place cut nori on the onigiri to make ghost faces.

You can turn them into your favorite ghosts, like jack-o’-lanterns or Jack.

White ghosts made from quail eggs and mummy sausages are also recommended.

You’ll end up with a festive Halloween character bento packed with lots of cute ghosts.

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Inari sushi

[Halloween Inari Sushi] Full of ghosts... Halloween Inari Sushi

Inari sushi

Let’s transform inari sushi into a cute Halloween version! Just follow the same steps you usually use: simmer the abura-age (fried tofu pockets) in a sweet sauce and prepare vinegared rice.

Set aside a little of the sushi rice and mix one portion with pink sakura denbu and another with aonori (green laver).

Fill the inari pockets with the sushi rice, then turn them so the side that’s usually the bottom faces up to become the “face.” Decorate with nori, cheese, and more.

Use the sakura denbu rice to make pumpkins, and the aonori rice to make Frankenstein’s monster.

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pumpkin pouch

Just wrap it tightly with plastic wrap! Pumpkin Salad Chakin (tea cloth pouch) Recipe and How to Make It

pumpkin pouch

Pumpkin side dishes are perfect for the Halloween season.

That said, simmered dishes might not be very appealing to kids.

In times like that, this pumpkin salad chakin, which you simply wrap in plastic wrap, is ideal.

Steam the pumpkin in the microwave, then remove the skin and mash the flesh.

Once it’s smooth, place cream cheese and ham in the center, wrap it up in plastic wrap, and finish by topping with pumpkin seeds for color.

It’s a popular dish that’s easy for children to enjoy.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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