[Nursery Schools & Kindergartens] Liven Up Setsubun! Entertainment Ideas
As Setsubun approaches, it’s the time when nursery schools and kindergartens start thinking about what performances to put on.
There are many ideas to liven up a Setsubun assembly, such as plays, dances, and finger plays that children can get absorbed in.
It’s also fun in ways unique to this season—cheers erupt when the ogres appear, and everyone moves their bodies to the bean-throwing song.
Here, we’ve gathered ideas for performances perfect for Setsubun events at nursery schools.
Please use them as a reference to make your Setsubun assembly full of children’s smiles!
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[Nursery Schools & Kindergartens] Liven Up Setsubun! Performance Ideas (41–50)
Instrument performance
Let’s all put on an ensemble with songs perfect for Setsubun! For instruments like the melodica, it’s helpful to put stickers on the keys so children can play even if they don’t yet know where do-re-mi are.
Some kids really struggle with keyboard instruments, so it’s a good idea to provide percussion options like tambourines, castanets, and drums as well.
Performances at daycare or kindergarten can spark interest in instruments, and some children may even start lessons.
At your event, be sure to give them the chance to try a variety of instruments!
Reading picture books aloud
No matter how old they are, children always seem to love being read picture books.
Any story can be enjoyable, but for this season I recommend stories about the origins of Setsubun and about bean-throwing.
If children know why we throw beans, they’ll likely have even more fun celebrating Setsubun.
Libraries have lots of picture books, so borrowing a few and reading various ones to them is a great idea.
It might also be fun for parents and guardians to exchange information with each other about read-aloud ideas.
Ogre Pants
Released in 1975 as a song by Seiji Tanaka, then NHK’s “big brother” singer, this piece is actually a parody of the original Italian song “Funiculì, Funiculà.” Still, many people probably think of “The Ogre’s Underpants” as soon as they hear the tune.
It seems this version has firmly taken root in Japan.
Many parents likely grew up with it, too.
There’s also a simple handplay dance that goes with the song, and singing it while dancing makes it even more fun.
Demon slaying
It might be fun and memorable to put on a simple play with family, record it, and even edit it.
A story where little kids defeat an ogre is simple, but for children, facing a scary ogre can be a great experience in building courage.
It’s nice to watch it again when they’re older, and it could also be fun to screen it at a birthday party.
It’s a good idea for the adults to sketch out the story first and then explain it to the kids.
Panel theater
Do you know about panel theater? It’s like a puppet show that uses a board covered with a special fuzzy fabric called panel cloth as the stage, and pictures made from a nonwoven material called P-paper are stuck on and peeled off as you perform.
You flip them over and move them around the stage as you act.
Since you don’t need to create elaborate backgrounds, it’s simple, and for those who aren’t good at drawing, ready-made panel theater picture puppets are available for purchase.
Please give it a try!
Tango of the Red Ogre and the Blue Ogre
Speaking of “The Tango of the Red Ogre and the Blue Ogre,” it’s the song sung by Isao Bito that aired on NHK’s music program “Minna no Uta” in 1978.
The original video—famous for featuring lots of rabbits—was truly delightful, and inspired by that imagery, I created this original choreography for the song.
Dancing makes it more visually appealing, so it would be great fun if this dance became widely known to make the song more memorable.
It’s not too difficult, so please give it a try!
In conclusion
We introduced ideas for activities to liven up Setsubun gatherings at nursery schools and kindergartens.
There were plenty of options to choose from—songs and dances, paper puppet shows, and panel theater—tailored to children’s interests and developmental stages.
With read-aloud picture books that explain the origins of Setsubun and plays everyone can enjoy, there are many ways to have fun depending on your creativity.
Be sure to create a memorable Setsubun event together with the children.