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 for 10 years as a kindergarten teacher and for 7 years as an after-school childcare instructor, then took a post as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I also engaged in activities that shared Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational play, working with many children. Afterwards, through freelance writing, planning, and editing work at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and conveying ideas. Leveraging the perspective cultivated in educational settings and my experience as an editor, I aim to deliver practical information—focusing on fields related to music and children—that values both input and output. Hobbies include instruments, singing, handcrafts, toys, drawing, traditional play, the outdoors, books, DIY, and crafts. Special skill: 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.

Theme Park-style Attractions (11–20)

Baymax’s Happy Ride

Hamamatsu Shūgakusha Sendan Festival 203 HR Class Project: K-MAX Happy Ride

Baymax’s Happy Ride

Let’s create an attraction you can enjoy to the rhythm! Here’s an idea inspired by Baymax’s Happy Ride.

It’s recommended for those who want to build a full-fledged attraction using wooden boards and pipes.

If there are teachers or parents of classmates who are skilled at making things, try building it with their advice.

Combine a spinning attraction with captivating music to create your very own original Happy Ride!

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VR Coaster

As a hands-on exhibit for a school or cultural festival, a VR roller coaster is highly recommended.

Recently, recreating a roller coaster in the classroom using desks and wood has become popular, and this attraction combines that setup with VR footage.

Because you can view stereoscopic visuals, the sense of fear is doubled, and it’s likely to become a very popular attraction!

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PythagoraSwitch-style device

Ibaraki Christian Gakuen Junior High School 2016 School Festival Science Club PythagoraSwitch

PythagoraSwitch-style device

PythagoraSwitch is a famous NHK program.

How about trying to make a PythagoraSwitch-style contraption yourself? It may take many prototypes to get from start to finish, and the road to completion might be long.

However, the sense of accomplishment when it finally reaches the goal is truly incomparable.

If you enjoy meticulous work—adjusting positions by millimeters, experimenting to find the optimal placement for each component—this might be perfect for you.

Give it a try and create your own original PythagoraSwitch machine!

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kinoshita ayaka

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Monsters, Inc. Ride & Go Seek!

Let’s create an attraction where you shine lights on monsters in a dark room! Here’s an idea inspired by Monsters, Inc.

Ride & Go Seek.

A ride with seats moves around a course set up in a darkened classroom.

Attach monsters made from colored construction paper to the course walls.

Guests hold red and green lights and enjoy searching for the monsters by following the beams.

To darken the classroom, try using black-colored plastic bags or cardboard.

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Attraction-style coffee cups

@__o8sk
A school festival we all designed from scratch—and it was a huge success!#05 Cultural Festival #jk #JK brand #fyp #Handa High School #Baymax’s Happy Ride
♬ Original song – a – k@nt

A must-see for Disney fans! Here’s an idea for a coffee-cup attraction.

How about adapting Baymax’s hugely popular Disney Park ride for your school festival? Turn off the lights in the classroom and create an atmosphere using a lighted mirror ball and stage lighting.

You could also have students sing along to the background music for a unique twist.

It’s sure to be a hit! If you want to make your school festival an unforgettable memory, definitely give it a try.

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Trampoline dunk

[Basketball × Trampoline] 4-Person Consecutive Dunk Challenge! [Indoor Athletics]

Trampoline dunk

Even if they haven’t played basketball, many people dream of a dunk—jamming the ball straight into the hoop.

That said, under normal circumstances, it’s nearly impossible even for experienced players.

You really do need a certain height and vertical leap.

So how about using a trampoline or having staff support the shooter’s body to help them pull off a dunk? If you zoom in on the rim at the moment of the score, it could make for a very Instagrammable shot.

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Theme park-style attractions (21–30)

Strikeout

[DIY Baseball Gear] How to Make a DIY Strikeout Target – Tutorial Video

Strikeout

Here, we introduce “Strikeout,” a surefire hit for the game corner at a school festival.

The rules are simple: throw a ball at the target and try to hit the numbered panels.

It’s simple, but it really gets the crowd going! Hitting the number you’re aiming for is trickier than you’d think, so playing in teams makes it even more fun—highly recommended.

It’s also great because even those who aren’t athletic can join in easily.

Be sure to include it in your classroom events at the festival!

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