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Fun Setsubun Activities for Childcare: A Collection of Exciting Games and Craft Ideas

When it comes to Setsubun, bean-throwing is the classic activity, but many teachers at daycare centers and kindergartens may be wondering what kinds of games to include.

Especially for very young children like one-year-olds, it’s important to come up with ideas they can enjoy without being scared.

So here, we’ve gathered a variety of play and game ideas perfect for Setsubun.

From oni target-throwing and bowling to treasure hunts, these are all ideas that will bring smiles to children’s faces.

Many can be prepared with materials you already have on hand, so please feel free to use them as a reference!

Fun Setsubun Activities for Preschool! A Collection of Exciting Game and Craft Ideas (1–10)

Balloon Ogre Target Game

[Craft] Setsubun Activities for Infants [Daycare/Kindergarten]
Balloon Ogre Target Game

Let’s have fun playing target practice with balloon ogres (oni)! First, inflate the balloons.

Next, use tape to attach the ogre’s face and horn parts made from construction paper, as well as yarn hair.

Finally, hang them from the ceiling to complete your ogre targets! Make the balls by crumpling newspaper into a ball.

By adjusting the height of the hanging ogres, this activity can be enjoyed by infants and preschoolers alike.

If you’re wondering what game to play for Setsubun, try this ogre target game.

Using balloons in various colors will make it look more festive.

Pak-kun Tag Golf

[Ages 0–2 (Infant Class)] “Oni Game (Let’s Enjoy Seasonal Play)” | Minami Senrioka Yuiku-en [Nursery/Kindergarten Event]
Pak-kun Tag Golf

This is a game where you make an ogre target out of cardboard and paper cups, and try to get balls into the ogre’s mouth.

It’s a good idea to decide in advance how many balls it takes to defeat the ogre.

You move the balls using a homemade golf club.

You can probably make one if you have a long stick-shaped item and a roll core, like from plastic wrap.

Unlike throwing by hand, aiming is a bit harder—which is exactly what makes it fun.

You can play this game indoors or outdoors, so work together as a team or class to take down the ogre!

Demon Bowling Game

[Crafts] [Handmade Toy] Perfect for Setsubun! PET Bottle Oni Bowling Game
Demon Bowling Game

Introducing the “Oni Bowling Game,” where you throw a ball to knock down pins.

First, let’s make the pins and the ball.

Prepare several empty plastic bottles and stuff them with tissue paper.

Decorate them with construction paper to create oni (demon) designs, and the pins are done.

For the ball, simply crumple up some newspaper into a sphere and wrap it with colored tape.

Using tissue paper in several colors will make it look festive.

If the pins are too light and topple too easily, try using colored water or something similar instead!

Fun Setsubun Activities for Childcare! A Collection of Exciting Game and Craft Ideas (11–20)

Setsubun ball-toss game

How about having fun with a ball game using ogres made from cardboard? The rules are simple: just throw a ball into the ogre’s mouth.

Infants don’t need to throw—putting the ball directly into the mouth is fine.

If you make the ogre’s mouth jagged, that alone can add a bit of excitement and thrill.

For preschoolers, assign different point values to each ogre and add a time limit so they can compete for the highest total score.

It should make for a pretty heated game.

Knock down the ogres and have fun playing!

[Craft] Oni Den-Den Daiko (Devil Hand Drum)

[Setsubun/Craft] How to Make an Oni Den-Den Daiko? Easy with Cardboard!
[Craft] Oni Den-Den Daiko (Devil Hand Drum)

How about making an Oni Den-Den Daiko, a toy you can play with during Setsubun? Use cardboard to make the drum body and decorate the oni’s face with construction paper and yarn.

For the striking parts, use twine and buttons.

For the handle, simply sandwich a chopstick between layers of cardboard to secure it—done! Please have a teacher or guardian tie the buttons to the twine.

This drum has an oni face on both sides, so you can make two different oni faces.

Encourage the children to change the colors and expressions of their oni as they create them!

[Origami] Oni (Japanese ogre/demon)

[Origami Play] Easy Setsubun Craft! Let's Make Cute Oni (Demons) with Origami
[Origami] Oni (Japanese ogre/demon)

Let’s make an oni (demon) out of origami—perfect for Setsubun crafts and wall decorations! For this version, you’ll use two sheets of origami paper to create the head and body.

With the same folding method for the facial parts, you can make either a one-horned or two-horned oni, so it’s fun to make two in different colors.

The body follows the same steps as the “deceiving boat” (damashi-bune) fold up to a certain point.

If you align the horns carefully and make crisp folds, it will come out nicely.

If children are folding, teachers or guardians should demonstrate a sample and guide them step by step, checking each stage as they go.

Target game where the oni’s face changes

[Handmade Toys] Oni-Busting Game for Setsubun Bean-Throwing | Easy Crafts Kids Will Love | Great for Families with Children, Daycare and Kindergarten Projects | DIY Using Empty Milk Cartons and Recycled Materials
Target game where the oni’s face changes

Let’s have fun with a demon-themed target game made from a milk carton.

This version has two types of demon faces attached to the sides of the carton: when you hit and knock down the target by throwing a ball at the scary-looking demon, a sad-faced demon appears.

First, leave about 5 cm from the bottom of the milk carton, then cut along the corners so that each side can be separated.

Cut off two of the sides and leave the other two.

Decorate the remaining parts with construction paper.

Finally, attach a scary demon face to the inside of one of the remaining sides, and a sad demon face to the outside of the other side to complete the target.

Use a small, lightweight ball.