Handmade ideas to create and play the traditional Japanese game “Daruma Otoshi”!
Daruma-otoshi, a traditional Japanese game that has long been loved.
There’s a theory that it’s considered lucky because, unlike the classic roly-poly daruma that rises when it falls, in this game you try to keep the daruma from toppling.
It helps build concentration and fine motor skills, and the more you practice, the better you get—making it fun for both children and adults.
We’ve gathered ideas for making your own daruma-otoshi using familiar materials.
Try making it with your kids and enjoy playing together!
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Handmade Ideas Collection (1–10): Make and Play with the Traditional Japanese Game “Daruma-otoshi”!
Daruma-otoshi made with origami and toilet paper rolls
Perfect for New Year decorations! Here’s how to make a good-luck Daruma to ward off misfortune using a toilet paper roll.
Materials: one 8×15 cm sheet of origami paper, three sheets of origami cut into eighths, a small amount of white or silver origami cut into quarters, glue, a black pen, and one toilet paper roll core.
First, flatten the toilet paper core, mark it, and cut it leaving about 0.5 mm.
Apply glue to the core and attach the narrow origami strips side by side from the outside.
Shape it back into a cylinder, then press the top front and back to add a rounded form—this completes the body.
Next, make the face.
Draw the face and patterns on white origami, then stack the blocks made from the core in a staggered way and place the head on top to finish!
A daruma toy that also lets you enjoy daruma-otoshi
https://www.tiktok.com/@niconico_mama/video/7324669623733931265Make and play with paper cup Daruma dolls! They’re super cute and great for Setsubun, too.
First, cover a paper cup with origami paper in your favorite color, then draw the body with a pen.
Next, take a cup in a different color, cut it about in half with scissors, decorate it with round stickers, and draw the face with a pen.
Stack the body and head together.
Finally, put a marble inside a toy capsule, tape it shut with cellophane tape, and place it under the cup—your wobbling toy, like a roly-poly, is complete! It’s also fun to play a game to see how many Daruma you can knock down.
Cardboard Daruma-otoshi
@user8130951832133 Cardboard daruma-otoshi — it’s fun to play using your hands, your feet, or tools!Translation AbilityDiscriminative abilityreactivityRhythm AbilityBalance abilityConnectivity capabilityPositioning CapabilityPlay with parent and child#MotorSkillsUpDoable at home
♪ Original Song – Papa Ninja – Papa Ninja
Have fun while boosting your motor skills! Here’s a Daruma Otoshi-style game you can make with cardboard for a fun New Year’s activity.
What you’ll need: as many pieces of cardboard as necessary and packing tape.
Choose cardboard sizes appropriate for the player’s age.
The method is simple: just assemble the cardboard by taping the pieces together.
How to play: stack the assembled cardboard to a height suitable for the player’s age, then have them knock it down with their hands or feet.
If playing while seated, build a low stack using shallow cardboard pieces.
Decorating the cardboard like a daruma with colored paper is also recommended.
Make and Play the Traditional Japanese Game “Daruma Otoshi”! DIY Ideas (11–20)
Daruma-otoshi with empty boxes
@omiyamichinoko We made a New Year’s Daruma-otoshi toy. First, the teachers gave it a try!#Omiya Michinoko Nursery School#Daruma OtoshiDarumaDaruma#NewYearGames#fyp
LEAP HIGH! ~To Tomorrow, With All We've Got~ – PRODUCE 101 JAPAN THE GIRLS
Knock them down with a stick and have fun! Here’s a daruma-otoshi you can make with boxes.
What you’ll need: five empty boxes of the same size, one slightly larger empty box for the daruma’s head, colored construction paper, an oil-based marker to draw the daruma’s face, and a stick to use for the game.
How to make it: First, cover the five same-size boxes with colored construction paper in any colors you like.
For the slightly larger box that will be the head, cover it with white paper and draw the daruma’s face with an oil-based marker.
Stack the five boxes and place the daruma head on top—that’s it! Play by knocking out the boxes with the stick, just like the traditional daruma-otoshi game.
Adjust the box sizes to suit the age of the players.
Daruma-otoshi you can play with in a shuttle case
@user305091578703 #BadmintonShuttle Case Daruma Otoshi
Sakura (Chorus) – Ketsumeishi
Are you familiar with a shuttle case? It’s a case used to carry shuttlecocks for badminton, and there are long, tube-shaped ones as well.
Let’s try playing a daruma-otoshi game using these shuttle cases.
Stack the shuttle cases and strike them.
Of course, use a shuttle case as the mallet, too.
If you don’t have a shuttle case on hand, a container for tube-shaped potato chips might work as a substitute.
It’s also fun to customize by attaching construction paper to the side of the tube and drawing illustrations or adding stickers.
Paper cup Daruma otoshi
@murashi_hotel Let's try the paper cup challenge!FocusDaruma-otoshi styleTranslationTranslationTranslationVideoTranslationInterestingIsao#CollabWanted
Adventure – YOASOBI
Let’s make a simple Daruma Otoshi using paper cups.
Take plain paper cups—white or brown without any patterns—and draw illustrations or write letters on them.
After making several, stack the cups, but be sure to place a sheet of paper between each cup.
Normally, in Daruma Otoshi you strike the pieces to knock them out without letting the top Daruma fall.
However, by inserting paper between the cups, you can create a version where you pull out the paper sheets to play.
It takes a bit of technique to pull the paper, but this fresh twist on Daruma Otoshi is sure to be exciting.
PET bottle daruma-otoshi
@aono_saiyou PET bottle daruma-otoshi#Daruma OtoshiTreatBattle#PETBottleChallenge
♬ A warm everyday BGM(856949) – MASK G
Have fun with plastic bottles! Here’s how to make a Daruma Otoshi-style game.
What you’ll need: a plastic bottle filled with water, tape of the same size to knock out, and a ruler.
The method is simple: stack layers of tape and place the water-filled plastic bottle on top.
Use the ruler to strike and knock the bottle down like in Daruma Otoshi.
Key point: prepare tape (or similar items) that are just the right size for the bottle to sit snugly.
You can also substitute anything sturdy enough to support the bottle’s weight instead of tape—get creative and enjoy!