Daruma Dolls  Japanese Folk Dolls Signifies good luck Legend says .... The Dharma was a Buddhist priest. He sat and meditated for nine years. When he finally moved to stand up, his arms and legs were too stiff to stand upright. Nothing can stop the teachings of the Buddha, the Dharma thought to himself. I must move from village to village, sharing with the people what I have discovered while meditating. Since the Dharma could not stand up and walk, he rolled from village to village, spreading his teachings. Today ... Daruma dolls are used as scarecrows in fields to scare away birds and evil spirits. Daruma dolls are used as characters in children's plays.The "wishing" daruma doll has a face that is painted without eyes. One eye is painted on the "wishing" doll when a wish is made. The second eye is painted when the wish is fulfilled. Darumas come in many sizes - from lifesize (and larger) to dolls no larger than a fingernail. They're made of many materials and are the creations of many talented artists. You can make your own daruma doll out of clay. Form your clay into a shape like an egg. Then, push a sinker (a weight) into the bottom of your clay. Paint your doll's face. Leave overnight to harden. Lesson Plans & Activities Daruma - Make your own Japanese folk toys (lesson) Daruma Dolls - New Years Day (lesson) Daruma Dolls - Goal Setting (boys and girls) Daruma - What is it? Who is he? (Linkclub Japan) DARUMA-SAN (background, lesson) Daruma worksheet (create goal) Daruma Dolls (art lesson, Indiana Ed) Daruma Festival (Kidsweb Japan) Be a detective! See what you can find!  Copyright © 1997-2007 All Rights Reserved Counter start date January 2006     Clip Art Credit: Daruma & Linkclub Japan Have a great year!