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!
- Unusual attractions you can do in a classroom for a cultural or school festival
- [By Genre] Cultural Festival / School Festival Booth Catalog [2026]
- A roundup of recreational activities to liven up cultural and school festivals
- Recommended ideas for student council projects at a school festival, such as recreational activities and stage events.
- [For High School Students] A roundup of recommended attractions for the school festival
- [Simple Games] Recommended Indoor Recreational Activities for Adults
- Cultural Festival: Ranking of Popular Booth Ideas
- Recommended for school cultural festivals! Stall ideas that let you enjoy a traditional fair atmosphere
- Ideas for stage events and attractions that will liven up a school festival
- [Non-food] Cultural festival attractions: from classroom exhibits to stage events
- 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?
Handmade Challenge Game (21–30)
Darts made with paper plates and masking tape
@dekitakun Spiderweb darts with paper plates and masking tapeI tried making it#TikTok ClassroomworkArt#diy
Goodbye Declaration – Chinozo
Let me introduce darts, a surefire hit for livening up your school festival casino games.
Get some paper plates and masking tape, and let’s make it! Stick the masking tape onto the paper plate to form a spiderweb pattern.
When attaching the tape, place it with the adhesive side facing outward.
For the darts, crumple tissue paper into a ball and wrap it tightly with masking tape to make it a slightly firm ball.
Once it’s finished, stick the target on the wall and have fun playing!
Origami poker chip
We’ll show you how to make poker chips used in casino poker games out of origami.
Fold while making crisp creases as you go.
Fold it into a pinwheel shape, then inflate the pocket section to form the round disk shape of a poker chip.
By using origami paper in your favorite colors or with patterns, you can create original poker chips.
Once you tidy up the shape at the end, it’s done! The steps are simple and easy to follow, so give it a try.
Cardboard crane game
Claw machines are loved by both kids and adults, aren’t they? That thrill when you operate it yourself and win a prize is ageless! In fact, you can even make a claw machine by hand.
Of course, building a large one can be challenging, but a small version can be made in just a few hours if you have cardboard! For prizes, you can put in snacks or handmade trinkets—coming up with the contents is fun too.
If you have the time and budget, try making a large claw machine that can be the highlight of a school festival.
Slot machine made of cardboard
How about handcrafting a slot machine that’s sure to be a hit at the school festival? The mechanism is a bit complex, but by understanding it as you build, you’ll likely learn how power transmission works too.
To make the reels stop precisely on the symbols, the inner drum contains marbles and corrugated cardboard—impressively detailed craftsmanship.
The spinner uses things like the core from a roll of plastic wrap.
Aside from that, most of the materials are just cardboard.
It’s a recommended project for crafty, handy people.
Bank Bowling
Here’s an introduction to bank bowling, a bowling game that uses a slope.
In regular bowling, you roll the ball straight down a lane to knock over the pins.
In bank bowling, there’s an incline like a ramp.
You calculate how to use that sloped section and throw the ball.
Not only do power and release position matter, but changing where you throw the ball can send it to completely different spots.
It might be harder to hit the pins, but when you do and they fall, it’s sure to be exciting.
You can make the sloped section using cardboard.
A slot machine that moves with twine and stops with a magnet
One of the classic casino games is the slot machine.
You can find them in many arcades, too.
If there were a slot machine at a school festival, people would probably think, “I want to try it!” It’s known for its spinning reels, but it seems difficult to make one yourself, right? Actually, you can build one using craft paper, twine, and a hot glue gun.
You can probably get everything at a 100-yen shop.
The reels are powered by the twine.
Playing with a slot machine is fun, but a handmade slot machine would likely spark even more excitement.
How to make a wooden medal game
We’ll show you how to make a wooden medal game that has a warm, handmade feel.
Prepare wood, a motor, casters, adhesive, and screws, then get started.
When using a saw for cutting, firmly secure the board with your foot while you cut.
It’s important to wear shoes during cutting to help prevent injury.
After processing the parts, assemble everything at the end.
Use screws and adhesive for assembly.
The key is to check the positioning and movement as you put it together.
Give it a try!