Games that liven up festivals. Ideas that children can enjoy.
Festivals and fair days are fun events that kids can take part in, aren’t they? In addition to local festivals, many kindergartens, nursery schools, and elementary schools also plan summer festivals, don’t they? In this article, we’ve gathered ideas for festival games and activities recommended for those who want to find games that kids will love or want to know about events beyond food stalls.
It’s packed with fun ideas you can enjoy both indoors and outdoors, so please use it as a reference.
If you’re making the games by hand, having the children help will make great memories!
Games that liven up festivals. Ideas kids can enjoy (21–30)
Number push
Number Push lets kids experience the fun of moving their bodies.
In addition to the rule of touching the number cards on the wall in order, the key twist is that players must hold a balloon and keep it floating in the air at all times.
If the balloon drops, they have to start over, so both caution and speed are required.
It builds a sense of rhythm and reflexes, and the game encourages kids to move energetically.
Small groups can take turns, avoiding crowding while still sparking a competitive spirit and bringing lively energy to the festival venue.
Because it engages both seeing and touching at the same time, it keeps children interested and eager to try again.
Stacking empty cans
Precisely because it’s a fun festival, it’s important to stay mindful all the way through to the final cleanup.
By washing the empty cans generated during the festival and using them for a game, people may become more conscious about keeping the venue clean.
The rules are simple: within a time limit, players compete to see how many empty cans they can stack.
Even if the stack collapses, you can try again as many times as you like within the time limit; your record is the highest number of cans you successfully stack.
Even when it feels like you’ve reached your limit, boldly going for one more layer can be the key to victory.
crane game
If you want to create an authentic festival vibe, a handmade “claw machine” is perfect.
It can be made from familiar materials like cardboard, string, and paper cups, yet the thrill of operating it feels just like the real thing.
The mechanism is simple—pull the strings to grab a prize—but kids get totally absorbed.
Using plush toys or sweets as prizes boosts their sense of achievement.
You can adjust the size and difficulty to suit daycare, kindergarten, or elementary school events, and it’s great for indoor play.
It’s a thrilling idea packed with excitement that can be the star attraction of a fair or summer festival.
Dice game
This is a twist on a classic festival game.
Participants roll a pair of dice twice, and the prizes are determined by the total or by specific combinations of the results.
Beyond leaving it to luck, the anticipation of predicting the outcome is part of the fun.
If you display the prize lineup in advance, it will heighten participants’ excitement.
The rules are easy to understand and enjoyable for all ages, so it naturally creates moments where parents and children can join in together.
To make it a game people want to play again and again, we also recommend adding a rule where certain rolls earn a special prize.
Pinball
A handmade pinball machine made from cardboard is a festival-friendly idea that lets you enjoy the fun of crafting and the excitement of a game at the same time.
The mechanism where you move the flippers to guide a marble into scoring zones looks simple but is surprisingly deep, keeping kids fully engaged.
Seeing how the ball bounces makes it appealing as an introduction to basic physics.
The materials—cardboard, chopsticks, rubber bands, and other everyday items—are easy to gather, with many available at 100-yen shops, so preparation isn’t a high hurdle.
You can decorate it freely or add more scoring zones to create your own original version.
It’s a hands-on game where you can learn how it works while you play.
Balance game
A balance game made with paper plates and cardstock is a perfect festival activity that demands more focus and finesse than it looks.
Fold a paper plate and place cut pieces of cardstock on top to form the base.
Then stack cardstock parts taped together on the base.
The subtle wobble created by the plate’s curvature makes the balance precarious, so a careful touch is essential.
The tension of seeing how many pieces you can stack and how you read and respond to the wobble draws kids into deep concentration.
Since all the materials are paper, it’s lightweight, easy to handle, and safer, too.
From crafting to playing, you can enjoy the whole process, making it a hit for parents and children or groups of friends.
Slack Out-style target game
You often see baseball players on TV shows testing their control by throwing balls at panels with numbered targets, like in a strikeout challenge.
The kids’ version of that game is called a target game.
The idea is the same as strikeout: you throw a ball at the numbered sections and see if you can hit them accurately.
Using light items like rubber balls makes it safe and fun even for small children.