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.

Participatory Attractions (1–10)

mochi pounding

[Japanese Tradition] Mochi Pounding: How to Do It & Tasting Freshly Pounded Mochi

mochi pounding

Speaking of mochi pounding, it’s a year-end tradition, but it’s sure to draw attention as an attraction at a cultural or school festival as well.

You can rent tools like stone mortars and equipment for steaming glutinous rice from rental shops.

Visitors can take turns pounding the rice, thump-thump.

The freshly made mochi can be served or sold with toppings like kinako (roasted soybean flour) or sweet red bean paste.

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Intro Quiz

Copyright-free BGM Intro Quiz!!

Intro Quiz

How about an intro quiz? You could set up a special stage and let the challengers who answer correctly sing the full chorus—people might enjoy it with a live-concert feel.

Try brainstorming ideas for song selection, setup, and rules to create a unique intro quiz.

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Student Comedy Battle

Seika ☆ Ōgiri Battle!! Faculty vs. Students OP

Student Comedy Battle

It seems that every university has a rakugo club—commonly called the ‘Ochi-ken’—and one of their main stages is the campus festival.

At some universities, they may have no other opportunity to perform besides the festival, so student comic battles (oogiri) are an essential attraction.

If they can’t get the crowd going here, then when can they? That’s the vibe.

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arm wrestling

I’m gonna storm the arm-wrestling arena and challenge the dojo!! [Arm Wrestling] PDS

arm wrestling

Gather skilled contestants and assign ranks such as Komusubi, Sekiwake, and Yokozuna in order of ability.

Challengers first face the Komusubi, and if they win, they advance to the next rank.

Make it so they can earn prizes based on the highest rank they reach.

Wouldn’t this be exciting?

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Bean-grabbing contest

Team Competition! Azuki Bean Relay [A Great Game for After-Parties and Year-End Parties]

Bean-grabbing contest

Picking up beans with chopsticks is surprisingly difficult, isn’t it? So why not turn it into a game? The person who moves the most beans from the right plate to the left within the time limit wins.

People who usually hold their chopsticks properly might have an advantage.

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ball pit

[Treasure Hunt] We tried a New Year’s gift scavenger hunt game in a giant ball pit! 🧧

ball pit

If you expect lots of young children to attend, how about setting up a ball pit? As the name suggests, a ball pit is an area filled with many small balls, and little kids are sure to love it.

Turning a regular classroom—where lessons are usually held—into a whimsical space full of colorful balls sounds dreamy and fun, doesn’t it? And not only small children; surprisingly, even high school and college students might enjoy it.

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Interactive Attractions (11–20)

Werewolf game

[Large Group] Men and women deceive each other! We tried a Werewolf game! [Bonbon Academy]

Werewolf game

In the Werewolf game, participants are randomly assigned various roles such as Villager, Seer, and Werewolf.

Through discussion, players try to uncover and exile the werewolves who are hiding among the villagers.

Since werewolves lie and pretend to be ordinary villagers while launching attacks, you might discover a new side of even your closest friends.

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