Here are some recommended recreational activities themed around Setsubun.
Setsubun is one of the major events in February, so many nursing homes and day service centers likely enjoy fun activities like bean-throwing (mamemaki) and making masks.
While everyone does the recreation—grabbing beans and throwing them at the “oni” (ogres)—it might bring back memories of childhood.
There are also plenty of hand games and activities that can be done while seated, so everyone can enjoy them together.
- [For Seniors] Simple Recreational Activities You Can Enjoy While Seated
- For Seniors: Fun Activities in February — Celebrate Setsubun, Valentine’s Day, and Snow
- [For Seniors] Liven Up Setsubun Crafts! Handmade Ideas Using a Variety of Materials
- [Day Service] Setsubun decorations that bring smiles. Ideas for enjoying them with a variety of materials.
- [For Seniors] Today’s Recommended Activity: Fun and Engaging
- [For Seniors] Recommended Events for February: Fun Ideas to Fill Everyone with Smiles
- [For Seniors] Fun February Crafts: Ideas Inspired by Setsubun, Valentine’s Day, and Other Events
- For Seniors: Wishing for Good Health — Handmade Setsubun Decoration Ideas
- [For Seniors] Recommended Handmade Activities! Simple Ideas
- [For Seniors] Fun Recreational Activities Without Equipment
- For Seniors: Wall Decorations to Brighten Up February — Festive Ideas for Setsubun, Valentine’s Day, Plum Blossoms, and More
- [For Seniors] Exciting Team-Based Recreational Activities
- Recommended fun performances that will appeal to elderly people
[For Seniors] Recommended Recreational Activities for Setsubun and Bean-Throwing (1–10)
Bean-throwing (Mamemaki)
Setsubun coincides with Risshun, the first day of spring and the turning point between winter and spring.
In the past, people believed that seasonal changes brought about evil spirits, so Setsubun was held on the day before Risshun as a way to ward off misfortune.
People throw beans at the oni (ogres) while chanting, “Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi!” (“Devils out, good fortune in!”).
It’s a classic, but bean throwing is still one of those can’t-miss, fun recreational activities.
First, have the staff play the roles of the oni and good fortune and move around.
Older adults can sit in a circle and throw beans at the moving oni to drive away bad luck.
After enjoying the bean throwing, eat the same number of beans as your age and pray for a year of good health.
Oni target practice
When it comes to Setsubun, it’s all about ogres, so here’s an easy indoor game with an ogre theme.
For preparation, attach an ogre illustration to plastic bottles weighted with water or similar so they won’t tip over.
Arrange the ogres evenly, and lay a towel or something similar behind them to make a goal.
The game is to avoid the ogres and kick or roll the ball into the goal! Think of it as indoor mini soccer with ogres as the goalkeepers.
It’s a fun way for anyone to enjoy the season indoors.
Ehomaki Game
Speaking of Setsubun, eating ehomaki has also become an established custom, hasn’t it? You face that year’s lucky direction and eat a big nori roll.
Since it’s fun to make ehomaki by rolling everything up, I think this kind of game would be interesting too! Make the fillings—salmon, cucumber, egg, and nori—out of construction paper, and use a towel for the rice.
Roll up the fillings, then wrap the “nori” around the outside and secure it with a rubber band.
Let’s compete to see how many we can make within the time limit!
Balloon Demon Craft
Would you like to make an ogre for bean-throwing? Crafts use your hands, so I think they’re a perfect recreation for seniors.
First, prepare some yarn, a balloon, and yellow construction paper.
Make pom-poms with the yarn, and place them on the balloon head to create hair.
The yellow construction paper will become the ogre’s horns—roll it into a cylinder and add stripes with a black marker.
Tape the horns onto the hair, and your ogre is almost done.
Just draw the eyes, nose, and mouth to finish.
You can hang it by the window and actually throw beans at it, or use it as a decoration for Setsubun.
Please give it a try!
Ehomaki Rolling Game
Ehomaki, which used to be eaten mainly in the Kansai area for Setsubun, is now known all over Japan.
Let’s turn that ehomaki into a game and enjoy Setsubun! It’s called the “Eho-Maki-Maki Game.” Just like making real ehomaki, place a black non-slip mat on your lap to represent the seaweed and a white ventilation fan filter sheet to represent the rice.
Then, on top of that, place rolled colored paper tubes in the correct order.
The order works as brain training, so it’s okay to ask the person next to you—just make sure to place them in the right sequence.
Finally, roll up your ehomaki, and when it’s done, face the lucky direction for that year, pretend to eat it, and shout, “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” to end the game.
People around you should also say, “Banzai!” Rolling and gripping with your hands makes for good training, and shouting “Banzai” at the end creates a sense of unity and is lots of fun.
Song Exercise: “Oni no Pants”
How about doing a sing-and-exercise routine with the children’s song “Oni no Pants”? You exercise while singing, and it’s a safe routine you can do while seated, so even people with weak legs or those for whom standing exercises are risky can do it with confidence.
Moving slowly, singing along while doing hand-play motions and upper-body exercises makes it perfect for winter, when people tend to stay still and just want to move a little.
You can also add your own original lyrics or turn it into a parody version to make it even more fun.
Will the balls go into the ogre’s mouth? A ball-toss game.
Speaking of Setsubun, the classic activity is throwing beans while saying, “Demons out, fortune in.” Here’s a bean-throwing game that seniors can enjoy too: a ball-toss game to see if you can get the balls into the demon’s mouth.
Draw a demon’s face with a big open mouth on a large sheet of paper.
Cut out the big mouth, and attach a plastic bag behind the opening—that’s it! Aim for the demon’s mouth and, with a loud shout of “Oni wa soto!” (“Demons out!”), toss in ping-pong-ball-sized balls.
It’s fun to split into teams and compete to see who can get the most balls in.
This is especially recommended for seniors who may find it difficult to move around.
Feel free to get lively and have fun like you did when you were a child!