Games that rival street festivals and variety shows!? Crowd-pleasers for school cultural festivals
Looking for games or events that will get everyone excited at your school festival? There are plenty of easy, classroom-friendly activities like the “10-in-a-row Kendama Challenge,” “Gachapon,” and “Thousand-String Pull,” and with a bit of creativity, they can be even more fun.
They’re simple yet adjustable in difficulty, and perfect for instantly boosting the atmosphere at your venue.
In this article, we’ll introduce mini-games for school festivals that are sure to put smiles on everyone’s faces.
They’re also easy to prepare, so be sure to use them as a reference!
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- [For High School Students] A roundup of recommended attractions for the school festival
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- Recommended for school cultural festivals! Stall ideas that let you enjoy a traditional fair atmosphere
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- A fun, everyone-joins-in game that gets everyone excited!
- Better than a theme park! Attractions perfect for school cultural festivals
- Attraction Ideas for School Festivals That Only High Schoolers Can Pull Off?
Large-group physical activity games (11–20)
Lifting Competition
Isn’t it surprisingly common to meet “hidden” soccer players who say they played back in elementary school? If you provide a soccer ball and set up a juggling (keepie-uppie) contest, it seems like lots of people would give it a try.
Plenty of girls have soccer experience too, so it’s nice that both men and women can participate.
Blindfold musical chairs
Musical chairs is a game where you prepare fewer chairs than the number of participants, walk to the music, and sit in a chair the moment the music stops.
That alone is exciting, but how about trying it blindfolded? In fact, that might even feel fairer! This is guaranteed to be a hit!
sports test
How about a sports test as an attraction for your school festival or cultural festival? There are many events—grip strength, standing long jump, running long jump, side-steps (shuttle run), sit-ups, forward bend, vertical jump, long-distance run, and short-distance sprint—so you can compete on each measurement or simply enjoy them as a hands-on experience!
Flag-raising game
The “Flag-Raising Game” is a simple game where you just follow instructions to raise or lower a flag.
It’s simple, but it really gets everyone excited! The expressions people make while deciding whether to raise or lower the flag are indescribably funny.
To make it even more entertaining, try occasionally mixing in instructions that are completely different from the usual ones!
obstacle course
The team that makes it through various obstacles—such as burlap sacks, rope tunnels, ladders, and candy-biting—and reaches the finish line first wins.
It can be played as a team event, so it’s sure to get a large group excited.
It’s a game anyone can enjoy, whether you’re good at sports or not.
Free Kick Tournament
If you have access to a large area like the schoolyard or courtyard, how about hosting a Free-Kick Contest? Not only the soccer team—people who don’t usually kick a ball might discover unexpected talent! You can make a large target, like a baseball strikeout board, out of cardboard.
Get a bingo and win a prize! You can also set rules like letting girls kick from a closer spot than boys—the time you spend fine-tuning these details is part of the fun.
For soccer bowling, just line up plastic bottles in the distance and aim your kicks at them.
If your school’s cultural festival is open to the public, you’ll likely attract little kids too.
Don’t just stop at kicking—add a plus alpha to your ideas and bring even more excitement to the festival!
Mini 4WD Race
This Mini 4WD race is perfect for large spaces like classrooms.
Use cardboard and other materials to create your own original track, or set up courses by difficulty—both are great options.
It’s sure to be a hit with everyone from kids to adults.
