Let's make a DIY Fukuwarai! Simple ideas for fun with kids
Fukuwarai is one of the classic games that gets everyone excited with family and friends during the New Year.
But when you actually try to make one, you might find yourself wondering, “What should I use as the theme?” or “Isn’t there a more fun idea?” In fact, fukuwarai isn’t limited to traditional Okame and Hyottoko faces—you can handcraft it with free ideas like popular characters, Santa Claus, or even family photos! In this article, we’ll introduce unique, crowd-pleasing DIY fukuwarai ideas you can enjoy not only during the New Year, but in any season.
They’re all easy to make, so give them a try!
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Let's Make a DIY Fukuwarai! Simple Ideas to Play with Kids (21–30)
Giant fukuwarai with the teacher’s face
Make faces of teachers and classmates and give it a try.
The goal is to arrange the parts in the correct positions while blindfolded, but even mistakes will make you laugh at the funny faces.
It’s also fun to have them arrange the small parts without a blindfold on purpose and see how well they remember the teacher’s face.
You can adjust the number of parts to place and the size of the base to create a more challenging Fukuwarai.
Fukuwarai with your own photo
An idea to make Fukuwarai even more exciting is to use your own face for the game.
As the name suggests, you create a Fukuwarai using a photo of your own face.
Because the face is so familiar, the awkward results when you get it wrong are especially funny.
As a variation, you can also swap facial parts with other people for more fun.
Let’s make a homemade Fukuwarai! Simple ideas for playing with kids (31–40)
Fukuwarai made with drawing
If you’re going to make one, you might as well create a one-of-a-kind Fukuwarai.
The easiest way is to turn your own face into the game.
First, draw a self-portrait, then cut it into parts—that’s all it takes, so even small children can give it a try.
You can also make a Fukuwarai using a friend’s face and have fun guessing whose face it is.
Swapping facial parts with friends sounds fun, too.
As another variation, you can enjoy changing the hairstyle in the Fukuwarai.
Anything Fukuwarai
When it comes to Fukuwarai, are you thinking too rigidly that you must have a board and parts from the start? That makes the prep a hassle, right? This “anything-goes Fukuwarai” lets you play and have fun right away with no preparation.
Why not enjoy Fukuwarai freely using things you already have in the living room or kitchen? For example, forks, scissors, eggs, rubber bands—there are all sorts of items that could serve as facial features.
Put them in a basket and arrange them however you like.
Or, someone who isn’t blindfolded can hand out parts—like, “Use this for the eyes”—to the player.
Okame fukuwarai made with origami
Fukuwarai is a traditional Japanese game that’s been around since long ago, and it’s always a hit when everyone gets together for New Year’s.
I think the person who came up with it must have been a genius.
By the way, did you know that Okame, which is often drawn for fukuwarai, can be folded with origami? As long as the paper is black on the back and white on the front, it doesn’t even have to be origami paper—you can use a large sheet, fold it, and use it as the base for fukuwarai.
You can also layer black and white paper to make it.
It turns out three-dimensional and looks really cute.
Cat Fukuwarai
Because we’re living in an unprecedented cat boom, here’s a fukuwarai you should definitely try—using a cat’s face.
Unlike the usual Okame or Otafuku sets, and since it’s not even a human face, the end result will be delightfully unpredictable.
You can, of course, play with just the facial parts, but making your own patterned pieces or even full-body parts will likely create striking shapes and make the game even more exciting.
It’s a recommended fukuwarai that lets children today enjoy this traditional New Year’s game in a fresh, modern way.
Fukuwarai cake
Speaking of fukuwarai, it’s usually a game you play, but you can also enjoy it as a cake.
Make the fukuwarai parts out of cookie dough, then place them, game-style, on top of a cake with an okame face drawn in chocolate.
If you play with the kids and then eat it on New Year’s, it’s sure to be a hit.
Since it’s food, you can only play once, but seeing the wonderfully goofy finished cake and everyone bursting into laughter at the start of the year is a great thing.
Let’s spend the beginning of the year feeling happy.