If you’re looking for an interactive idea for your school’s open night, I highly recommend making mini onigiri balls for visitors to enjoy. They are not only simple but fun to make with our ‘Furi Furi Gohan Ball Shaper‘. Students have so much fun shaking the rice balls into shape. All you need to do is loosely fill the shapers with rice and shake it for about 30 seconds for it to take shape. I recommend having a few furikake seasoning options, including two slightly exciting flavours like ume or shiso-based, and one with just salt and black sesame seeds (for those with simpler taste buds). You can pre-sprinkle the furikake ready for the visitors to simply take and enjoy, or leave it for the visitors to sprinkle on their own for an even more interactive activity. Our ‘Obento side dish divider cups (round)‘ are perfect for holding these onigiri balls as they are glossy on the inside, which makes them less sticky compared to traditional cupcake baking cups.
Depending on your estimated visitor numbers, you will probably want to prepare 5-10 cups of (uncooked) rice. Another tip would be to slightly wet the ‘Furi Furi Gohan Ball Shaper‘ before putting rice in it. This prevents the rice from sticking to the shaper and makes it easier to release. I recommend using a disposable tablecloth for this activity since the rice may get messy, and when it sticks onto the table, it can be a hassle to clean up. By using a disposable tablecloth, you can wrap everything up at the end and easily dispose of it.
If you’re interested in making different shapes, you might want to try shaping some cocktail sausage-shaped onigiri using our ‘Furi Furi Stick Onigiri Shaper,’ which fits perfectly on our ‘Obento side dish divider cups (oval)‘.
Also don’t forget to get your students serving the visitors to wear happi coats. This instantly adds an authentic touch to the onigiri station, making the experience more immersive for visitors!
This activity would also be perfect for a super easy after school Culture Club activity or even as a “cooking” lesson with primary school students.
Let me know in the comments if you do try this out at your school!
Products mentioned:
Furi Furi Gohan Ball Shaper – https://suppliesforsensei.com/product/furi-furi-gohan-ball-shaper/
Furi Furi Stick Onigiri Shaper – https://suppliesforsensei.com/product/furi-furi-stick-onigiri-shaper/
68pc Obento side dish divider cups (round) – https://suppliesforsensei.com/product/divider-cups-round/
42pc Obento side dish divider cups (oval) – https://suppliesforsensei.com/product/divider-cups-oval/://su
Happi Coats – https://suppliesforsensei.com/product-category/fashion/happi-coats/
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