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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Quiz/variety games (11–20)
Puzzle solving
A kind of puzzle that’s a little different from a quiz: a “mystery-solving” game.
It’s been popular lately on TV variety shows and YouTube.
You use the hints you’re given to figure out the answer—like a quiz, but a step more difficult, with the difficulty level raised.
It’s fun to get together in a classroom and solve puzzles, but if you make use of the school building—solve one mystery to reveal the next location, then go there to find a new puzzle, and so on as you level up—it gets really exciting.
It’s also great fun to tackle in groups while pooling your wits.
Candy fishing game
Many people probably played a game as children where you clip targets and fish for them with a rod made of string and a magnet on the end.
This time, let’s turn those targets into candy and play! Write point values on each candy, and the person whose total score from the candies they catch is the highest wins.
Of course, letting players take home the candies they caught will make it even more enjoyable.
Preparation is easy: just attach clips to the candies and write the point values, then tie a magnet to the end of a piece of string.
It’s a quick and simple activity to set up.
music game
There’s a wide variety of music all over the world, and there are many types of rhythm games that use it.
How about challenging participants to see how far they can push their records in such rhythm games? Choosing the right rhythm game is key—ideally one that can be played on a large screen so it’s enjoyable for spectators as well.
Since some people are better at this genre than others, make sure the difficulty level can be adjusted.
If the music spans a broad range of genres, even more people are likely to have fun.
Drink guessing game
It’s a game where you wear a blindfold and guess what drink it is.
Comparing products from different brands can be fun, but since there are also flavored clear beverages on the market, there are versions you can play without a blindfold too.
Comparing different teas or mineral waters makes it more challenging and really exciting!
Roulette
Spin the roulette and take on the challenge that comes up.
You can buy a roulette wheel, but it’s also fun to make your own with original prompts.
You can either spin the roulette or use darts to play it like a target game.
Quiz Rally
It’s a game where you solve quizzes to collect keywords, then use them as clues to find the treasure.
To make sure everyone has fun, consider giving out hints gradually so all participants can enjoy the process.
It could also be nice to prepare prizes based on the order in which the treasure is found.
Hyakunin Isshu
If you want a game that can be played one-on-one, Hyakunin Isshu is perfect.
Hyakunin Isshu is a type of karuta using waka poems, devised in the Kamakura period.
It’s named for the fact that one hundred poets each selected a single poem.
The rules are a bit more complex than standard karuta, which makes the game all the more exciting.
You can also add positive twists, like playing blindfolded.
Since some people may not know the rules, it might be a good idea to set up a section where they can study in advance.
