Wonderful school festival / cultural festival

Better than a theme park! Attractions perfect for school cultural festivals

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
Keyboard playerSAKI
I’ve been playing the Electone since I was six, mainly performing Disney music, anime songs, and music from dramas and films. I post performance videos on YouTube and social media, and I also give concerts. Building on my Electone experience, I took up synthesizer and piano during my student years and performed at school-sponsored events. As a writer, I’ve covered not only music-related topics but a wide range of genres, so I hope to draw on my experience to deliver articles that make readers think, “I want to try that!” or “I want to listen to that!”

Why not create theme-park-level fun together with your whole class? For your school festival attraction, you can actually build a full-fledged, hands-on experience right in your classroom.

From handmade whack-a-mole games and a carousel built with wood and pipes, to a VR-powered roller coaster…

You’ll feel the satisfaction of creating something with your classmates and the joy of seeing visitors’ smiles.

In this article, we’ll share everything from how to craft a Disney-like dream space to practical tips for building the attractions themselves.

Simple Game Experience Attractions (11–20)

Whac-A-Mole

“School Festival” Handmade Whack-a-Mole and More — A whack-a-mole game made by a college student

Whac-A-Mole

How about planning the classic whack-a-mole game for your school festival? It’s a simple game where you hit moles popping out of holes, but it’s so fun that both kids and adults can’t help getting absorbed.

The ones at arcades move automatically, but a manual version isn’t that hard to make.

Drill holes in some wood, decorate it, and use plastic bottles as stand-ins for the moles, popping them in and out.

Give participants toy hammers and let them have fun whacking the moles.

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Water Shooting

Blast away with cold water! [How to Make a Water Gun] How to make a water gun

Water Shooting

How about creating a target-shooting attraction using water guns? You’ll feel like a spy—the satisfaction of nailing it in one shot is something else! To give it that attraction-like feel, it’s a good idea to incorporate ideas like moving the targets or having the participants themselves move around.

You could even have someone play the role of the target.

The nice thing about water guns is that they won’t cause injuries even if you get hit.

If you prepare some prizes, it’ll get even more exciting.

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batting center

[Batting Cage Things] I summed up the habits everyone ends up doing lol

batting center

Let’s really amp up the excitement—not only by adjusting pitch speed and pitch selection, but also by allowing players to choose opponents from staff members acting as pitchers with different uniforms and pitching styles, and by having a live announcer provide real-time commentary.

And let’s make it an activity that’s enjoyable not just for men, but for women too!

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Irritating Stick

The mightiest ever?! We tried the wire loop game at the school festival.

Irritating Stick

It’s an attraction where you stretch metal wire across a large board to create a maze, then use a rod to make your way through it.

If the rod touches the wire or any metal part, a sensor triggers and you’re out.

Moving obstacles appear along the way, too.

I like the fine detail of the mechanism where a lamp lights up when you make a mistake.

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Face paint

Adorably cute face paint

Face paint

Face painting, familiar at places like Disney Resorts and USJ! It’s the perfect attraction to make the most of a single day at a school festival.

There are options where you actually paint with a brush, as well as simple sticker-type designs you can just apply.

If you’re doing hand-painted designs, you can rely on the art club or anyone good at drawing.

Why not include school-specific characters, trending characters, or stylish patterns as a way to create fun memories?

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Goldfish scooping

Tips for Goldfish Scooping

Goldfish scooping

Goldfish scooping is a huge hit at festival stalls.

Caught up in the atmosphere, plenty of people end up scooping a goldfish and then hurriedly buying an aquarium afterward.

These days, the activity is popular enough to have large competitions.

It’s also a favorite attraction for school and cultural festivals.

Hosting a regular goldfish scooping booth will likely draw a crowd, but mixing in a few larger fish to create a “There’s no way I can scoop that!” situation is a classic way to amp up the excitement.

Let’s also prepare oxygen to help the goldfish live longer and make it a kinder, animal-friendly attraction!

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Taki no namida pin ku

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Russian roulette

A roulette chocolate so insanely spicy it surpasses Death Sauce—it's a total monster!

Russian roulette

The classic Russian roulette with food that everyone has probably tried at least once! It’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

Cream puffs are the standard, but pizza, takoyaki, pancakes, or even sushi—if you want to go a bit fancy for a school festival—could work too.

The usual twist is making one super spicy with wasabi or mustard, but trying an ultra-sweet version with whipped cream or condensed milk could be fun as well! This thrill-packed idea is definitely worth doing.

Just make sure not to waste food!

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