[Childcare] Fun February Indoor Play Ideas That Work for Both Small and Large Groups

Sinking Game

[For Childcare Workers] Teacher Rio’s Active Play That Gets Kids Excited [The Sinking Game]

This is a game called “Sinking Game” for daycare and kindergarten.

In this game, the whole room becomes the sea, the mats are the ships, and the players try to escape so they won’t be eaten by sharks.

As long as you’re on a ship, you won’t get eaten.

However, when the person playing the shark shouts “It’s sinking!”, everyone has to move to a different mat, so be careful not to get caught by the shark as you move.

If you play this on Setsubun, you can make the shark into an oni (ogre) to fit the mood.

You could also add your own rules—for example, not only running away but rescuing captured children by defeating the oni with beans.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

sasashina

Report a problem

Ball-toss game

[Okeiko Lab] Enjoy Setsubun with your child! Defeat-the-Oni play with cardboard crafts♪

Let’s play by tossing beans into the ogre’s mouth you made in a craft project using a cardboard box.

You can also use small balls or ping-pong balls instead.

It’s fun to change the points depending on where you place the box.

Enjoy a seasonal game and have a great time with the kids!

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

Report a problem

Spot the Differences — Setsubun Edition

[Quiz / Moving Spot the Difference] Setsubun Spot the Difference [For Kids / Picture Book Video, Animation]

Spot-the-difference puzzles are popular with both adults and children.

Here, you can enjoy a Setsubun-themed spot-the-difference puzzle in video form.

Even a familiar game becomes more fun when you add a seasonal touch, right? Since the pictures move, it might be a bit tricky to find the differences.

Look closely at the screen and try to spot them.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

Report a problem

Oni and the Twister Game

Everyday Play: It’s Setsubun! Bean-Throwing Time! Twister with the Red and Blue Oni! Ma-chan [7] and O-chan [5] #667

Twister has always been a hugely popular game, and since it’s Setsubun, how about enjoying it with someone dressed up as an oni (demon)? The scene might look a bit odd, but by adding a seasonal touch to a familiar game, it will be even more exciting and become a fun memory that sticks with you.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

Report a problem

Whack-a-mole, Setsubun-style

[Experiment] I Tried Making a Whac-A-Mole Out of Cardboard! [Crafts/Dokan Alien]

How about making a “whack-a-mole” game using cardboard, toilet paper cores, and wooden chopsticks? If you do it for Setsubun, swap the moles for ogres, and the kids will be thrilled! Let’s whack them hard and drive the ogres away! Feel free to adapt the materials to suit the children’s ages.

Fingerplay song “Mame-maki” (Bean-Throwing)

Mame-maki (with gestures) – “Demons out, good fortune in” [Japanese Song/Children’s Song]

This is a song included in “Ehon Shoka,” published by the Music Education Publishing Association in the early Showa period.

As Setsubun approaches, you can hear it coming from all around, so many of you probably know it.

As the title “Mame-maki” (Bean Throwing) suggests, it naturally includes gestures of throwing beans, making it a popular hand-play song.

Try acting out various ways of tossing beans, or use your index fingers to make ogre horns and place them on your head.

It’s also nice to talk with the children about ogre features other than “horns on the head.” It’s a song that can be enjoyed not only by children but also by older adults.