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

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.
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICsasashina
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. During my student years at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, I studied a wide range of fields including sound, lighting, and video technology, building a foundation in comprehensive stage production and creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, consistently building experience in production and engaging in a variety of music-centered tasks. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting and what I feel and discover through daily interactions with my kids. I hope my work can be of help to you, even in a small way!

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 in Childcare! A Collection of Ideas for Exciting Games and Crafts (21–30)

Puppet Paper Theater ‘Momotaro’

For teachers! This is recommended as an activity for Setsubun events.

A famous story featuring ogres (oni) is “Momotaro.” It’s the story of a boy born from a peach who is named Momotaro and sets off to defeat the oni.

Defeating oni is a bit similar to the Setsubun bean-throwing that drives away oni, isn’t it? So let’s present the story of “Momotaro” to the children using a paper puppet show (peep show).

Even children who are scared because the oni come during bean-throwing might feel encouraged to try their best after seeing Momotaro’s bravery.

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Attention childcare workers! How to play the role of an ogre

@nexus_official5
Setsubun is coming up soon. Nursery teachers! What kind of oni (ogre) will you play this year? Please take a look at Nonno’s carefully crafted oni!#nexus #memorytree nursery school Nursery teacher / Childcare worker Setsubun Demon 👹February 3 Bean-throwing (Setsubun)
♬ Runaway Baby – Bruno Mars

If you’re going to do a full-on bean-throwing for Setsubun, you can’t go without an oni, right? At daycares and kindergartens, teachers may even dress up as an oni and appear in front of the children.

Here are some easy ideas to turn yourself into an oni! First, wear a matching tracksuit in the same color as an oni’s skin.

Then put on an oni mask, and top it with an afro wig with horns.

Pull tiger-print shorts over your tracksuit pants, and finish the look with black gloves and long black room socks.

You’re all set!

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Hand play ideas perfect for Setsubun

https://www.tiktok.com/@nexus_official5/video/7457115397142170898

It’s not about an oni itself, but a fingerplay song themed around oni horns.

You raise both index fingers and move your hands up and down to the lyrics that go “tsuno tsuno tsuno~.” Then you show one horn… two horns… by placing your index fingers on top of your head to represent horns, and you strike poses or change your facial expression to match the “◯◯ horns” part.

For example, for “stretching horns,” you fling both index fingers upward above your head, and for “sleeping horns,” you close your eyes.

Have fun thinking with the children about what kinds of horns you can express.

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Easy! Newspaper Theater

[Daycare] Setsubun Performance / Newspaper Theater / Easy Prep Yet Exciting [Bean-Throwing Event]

Easy! Newspaper Theater

Let’s make an ehomaki using newspaper! Use the first sheet as the seaweed, then stack additional sheets as the “fillings” suggested by the children.

Once you’ve finished stacking, roll it up while wishing for everyone’s good health to complete the ehomaki.

But we’re not done yet! Next, while pretending to eat it, the teacher will make a cross-shaped cut on one end of the newspaper with scissors.

After making the cuts, twist the center of the newspaper and pull it out.

Now the ehomaki has turned into a metal club (kanabō), so from here, let’s enjoy mamemaki (bean-throwing)!

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Theater “Bikkuri Mamemaki”

[Theater] “Bikkuri Mamemaki” by Naomi Abe

Theater “Bikkuri Mamemaki”

This is “Surprise Bean-Throwing,” performed with paper cups decorated with illustrations.

The characters are Kitty-chan and Doggy-kun.

They were smiling happily, but a Crybaby Ogre and an Angry Ogre slipped inside their bodies! Kitty-chan starts to cry, and Doggy-kun gets angry—it’s a big problem.

Let’s scatter beans to drive out the ogres inside them! On each paper cup, attach two illustrations on the sides: one with a smiling face and one with the transformed face.

When you want to switch the expression, simply rotate the paper cup.

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Sketchbook Theater: “Let’s Do Bean-Throwing!”

[Sketchbook Theater Childcare] Let’s Do Bean-Throwing! ☆ How to Enjoy It and How to Make It ☆ Childcare

Sketchbook Theater: "Let's Do Bean-Throwing!"

I want to briefly explain what Setsubun is! This sketchbook theater is perfect for that.

Setsubun is performed with wishes for everyone’s health.

We drive away oni—symbols of evil spirits—by throwing roasted soybeans, and we eat our age plus one bean.

This sketchbook theater conveys these important Setsubun customs with gentle illustrations and a simple story.

In the bean-throwing scene, flipping the paper shows the beans moving.

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Panel Theater: “Let’s Defeat the Oni in Our Hearts”

#87 [Daycare] Setsubun (Oni) Panel Theater 🌿 ~Defeat the bad ogres in your heart~

Panel Theater: “Let’s Defeat the Oni in Our Hearts”

This is a panel theater that also explains the origins of Setsubun! Why do we throw beans? What is “holly and sardines” for? It thoroughly answers those pure questions children have.

As the story unfolds, characters like the “Lazy Ogre,” “Grumpy Ogre,” and “Crybaby Ogre,” who live in the characters’ hearts, appear.

Let’s drive these ogres away one by one by throwing beans.

And after driving out the ogres, we invite in good fortune! You could also have the children think about what kind of ogres might live inside themselves.

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