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 a festival. Ideas kids can enjoy (31–40)
Corinth game
Also known as a pachinko game, the classic Corinth game is something you often see at festivals.
You can win various prizes depending on the points for where the ball lands, and since you never know where the ball you launch will end up, you can enjoy the excitement right up to the end.
Although it has an image of being an old-fashioned pastime, it’s sometimes made as a summer vacation project, so it’s surprisingly familiar to kids today as well.
Small ones are fun to make yourself, but there are also places that rent out larger versions for a few thousand yen.
If your festival is on a larger scale, it might be worth taking the plunge and renting one.
Beigoma (spinning top)
How about incorporating traditional Japanese games into your booths for a school or cultural festival? For example, with beigoma, people of all ages can play together.
Beigoma is a game where you spin small iron tops without axles on a platform and compete to see whose top keeps spinning the longest.
Since several people spin their tops on the same platform, the tops naturally collide.
Staying on the platform without being knocked off is another key to winning.
Because of this, there are several ways to wind the string for beigoma.
It’s likely to create a friendly atmosphere where everyone teaches each other how to wind the string and shares tips on throwing.
Pocky & Pretz Game
Let me introduce a heart-pounding Pocky & Pretz Game where you’ll be on edge wondering if it will topple over.
For the Pocky sticks, roll sheets of newspaper into long, thin rods and use yellow and black duct tape to make them look like Pocky.
For the Pretz sticks, roll newspaper the same way, wrap them with yellow tape, and use colored pens to draw toasted patterns.
The key is to keep the length and thickness as uniform as possible.
Since you’ll be working with your hands while seated, you can enjoy the activity from the preparation stage.
Once you’ve set the Pocky sticks in a ring, take turns removing one stick at a time.
The person who causes the Pocky to fall when they pull a stick loses.
It’s a great game for getting a big group excited!
Takoyaki Ball Toss
@yumelabo Hello, this is Yume Labo! Here’s Part 2 of the second installment introducing the summer festival corners from the Kannon Classroom⭐️ We’ve made a small improvement to the takoyaki machine, adjusting it so it goes from a slant to a flat surface. It’s now easier for children to put them in! The staff member from last time is making a comeback—how many will fit this time!? The summer festival is finally happening this weekend! We hope parents and children will enjoy it together 😊#YumeLabPraise-based therapyChild Development SupportChild Development Support Yume Lab#HandmadeToysA child's potential is limitless.Aki District, Fuchu TownNishi Ward, Hiroshima City#Minami Ward, Hiroshima City#Parent-Child Event#TherapeuticSupportGoodsExercise TherapySummer FestivalTakoyaki
Sounds great! – Appare!
Let’s have fun throwing balls! Here’s an idea for a Takoyaki Ball-Toss game.
When you think of summer festivals, delicious food stalls are the highlight, right? This time, let’s try a ball-toss game decorated like a takoyaki stall.
Cut nine holes into a black cardboard panel.
It’s cute if you color the balls to look like takoyaki.
The key is to control your strength so the takoyaki balls land in all the holes! Be sure to include this at your summer festival.
Slime Treasure Hunt
A slime treasure-hunting game where you turn the pool water into slime and search for hidden prizes inside.
There’s a product called slime powder, and using it lets you easily transform water into slime.
Lots of kids love slime, and if you play in summer it might feel nice… or maybe a little gross? Either way, you can enjoy a quirky kind of treasure hunt.
Put in small items like super balls, and the child who collects the most within the time limit wins! How about offering prizes to the winners? If you fill a vinyl pool with water and run it there, it won’t take up much space, so it’s great for small festivals.
Games that liven up festivals. Ideas that children can enjoy (41–50)
grab bag
How about a candy grab, where you fill a box with lots of sweets and let people scoop them up with a ladle or their hands? It keeps costs low, people can eat what they get right there, and it also makes a nice take-home treat—so these grab-and-go booths are said to be popular.
It’s exciting and fun when someone manages to grab a lot of candy.
When stocking up, it’s convenient to use a local candy wholesaler or shop online.
If you put the candy in a large inflatable pool and have participants grab it with a toy grabber arm, it adds even more of a game element.
cutout
A long-time staple of Japanese festival stalls: kata-nuki (shape cutting).
Have you ever tried it? It’s a small, flat candy made from sugar or powder, etched with outlines of flowers, animals, and more.
You carefully cut along the lines, trying not to break the candy.
If you manage to cut out the shape cleanly, you win a prize.
Don’t get too bold—go slowly, or it’ll crack right apart!