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!
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Fun Setsubun Activities in Childcare! A Collection of Exciting Game and Craft Ideas (41–50)
Oni roly-poly doll
Here’s an idea for a roly-poly oni (ogre) made with balloons from the 100-yen shop! You’ll also use shoji paper and flower paper.
First, inflate a balloon, add a small weight, tie the neck, and make it the base.
Tear the shoji paper, then use glue thinned with water to layer it onto the balloon and shape it.
Once dry, stick on flower paper to add color, and attach eyes, mouth, and horns made from construction paper to complete the oni.
Kids will love how it pops back up when knocked over.
It’s also fun to adapt it for the season into a daruma or animals.
Fun Setsubun Activities in Childcare! A Collection of Engaging Game and Craft Ideas (51–60)
A demon biting into an ehomaki
Ehomaki rolls are eaten to ward off misfortune and invite good fortune.
This lucky charm comes with a unique idea: an ogre—considered a symbol of evil spirits during Setsubun and driven away with beans—takes a big bite! Make it by dividing it into parts for the head, fangs, body, and the ehomaki, then assemble them later into a single design.
Creating it in the original size might be challenging, so try using larger origami paper.
Once finished, it can also be used as a wall decoration, instantly bringing a festive Setsubun atmosphere to the space.
Make and play! Setsubun crafts
After you make it, you can enjoy bean-throwing too! Here are some oni craft ideas.
First, prepare an envelope in your preferred size and cut it in half.
Please use a gusseted envelope.
Attach small pieces of cut paper along the cut edge to represent the oni’s hair, then stick on the horns and face parts made from construction paper.
Finally, draw the eyebrows and mouth with a pen to complete the oni! Mount the oni on the wall and throw “beans” made by crumpling paper at it.
After the bean-throwing is over, try a challenge to see how many beans you can put into the envelope!
Egg-shaped red ogre & blue ogre
This is an oni made by covering an egg-shaped polystyrene ball with chirimen fabric! All you do is cut and stick the chirimen fabric, yet it turns into a very elegant and lovely piece.
After making it, place it on a table as a Setsubun decoration.
You’ll need chirimen fabric for the oni’s body, pants, hair, horns, club, and mouth, so prepare any designs you like.
The process is simply to apply double-sided tape to the back of the chirimen fabric, cut out the parts, and stick them onto the polystyrene ball.
Since the body and pants cover a large area, stretch the fabric as you apply it to avoid wrinkles, and trim any excess fabric with scissors.
Ehomaki (lucky direction sushi roll)
Let’s make an Ehomaki using a toilet paper roll core.
The main materials are a toilet paper core, origami paper, tissues, rubber bands, and tape.
First, attach black origami paper to the side of the core to resemble seaweed.
Next, cut the origami paper for the fillings into 7.5 cm × 15 cm pieces.
Fold the cut paper in half to make a strip, roll it up tightly from the end, and glue it.
Once all the fillings are rolled, bundle them together and secure with a rubber band, wrap them with tissue, and fix them inside the core.
You’ll need the same on the other side as well, so please make two sets of fillings.
Exciting tag game
Let us introduce “Three-Color Tag,” a game you can enjoy in red, blue, and green groups! Participants split into three groups—red, blue, and green—and everyone is “it.” Each group has its own base, which is a safe zone.
However, once you leave your base, you’ll be targeted by players from other groups, and if you’re tagged, you’ll be captured by that group.
You can call for help from a member of your own group; if they tag you, you can return to your base.
Those are the basic rules, but in the Setsubun version, the teacher beats a drum and calls out “Demons out!” When this signal is given, all the “it” players must leave their bases.
Anyone caught after the signal must sit down where they are and call for help from their teammates.
Setsubun ball play
It’s a game where you defeat ogres located in various spots around the nursery room.
The balls used are made by crumpling up newspaper.
There are ogres made from boxes and ones made of paper hanging from the ceiling.
The box ogres have separate head, body, and legs that stack to form an ogre.
They collapse easily when hit by a ball, but they also come back quickly, so you need to stay alert.
The hanging ogres are high up, so you have to throw the ball firmly to reach them.
We’ve also prepared a safe zone for children who are scared of the ogres or want to rest.
Let’s all work together to defeat the ogres in the room.