Handmade ideas to create and play the traditional Japanese game “Daruma Otoshi”!

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 for 10 years as a kindergarten teacher and for 7 years as an after-school childcare instructor, then took a post as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I also engaged in activities that shared Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational play, working with many children. Afterwards, through freelance writing, planning, and editing work at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and conveying ideas. Leveraging the perspective cultivated in educational settings and my experience as an editor, I aim to deliver practical information—focusing on fields related to music and children—that values both input and output. Hobbies include instruments, singing, handcrafts, toys, drawing, traditional play, the outdoors, books, DIY, and crafts. Special skill: spinning-top tricks.

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!

Make and Play the Traditional Japanese Game “Daruma Otoshi”! DIY Ideas (11–20)

Daruma Otoshi you can play with a paper shuriken

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Daruma-otoshi with paper shuriken#Daruma Otoshi
♬ New Genesis – UTA from ONE PIECE FILM RED – Ado

Fun for kids and adults alike! Here’s a game where you knock down stacked “daruma” using an origami shuriken.

You’ll need cardboard, a figurine for the top, a paper shuriken made from origami, and colored construction paper.

To make it: first assemble the cardboard into squares.

Decorate the outside with colored paper however you like.

Fold an origami shuriken, stack the assembled cardboard pieces, and place the figurine on top—that’s it.

Use the paper shuriken to knock down the stacked cardboard and topple the figurine.

Adding a time limit or playing in teams makes it even more fun, so be sure to make it and give it a try!

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kepiko

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In conclusion

The charm of traditional Japanese games is drawing attention from people around the world. In this digital age, Daruma-otoshi—a game you can physically touch and enjoy through your senses—is loved in part for its simple rules. It’s fun for both children and adults, so after making one by hand with your kids, be sure to give it a try. It’s also great to try crafting it with different materials.