Great for festival stalls! Handmade game ideas
Festivals are one of the events everyone looks forward to, aren’t they? In addition to local community festivals, they’re also held as events at preschools, schools, and senior facilities.
If you’ve been put in charge of a booth, you might be wondering, “What should I do?” In this article, we’ll introduce handmade games that are perfect for festival stalls.
Along with classic games like target shooting and yo-yo fishing, we’ve gathered a variety of ideas that both children and adults can enjoy.
We’ve focused on things that are easy to make with readily available materials, so feel free to use this as a reference!
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Recommended for festival stalls! Handmade game ideas (1–10)
Thousand-String Lottery
Senbon-kuji (the thousand-string lottery) is always a big hit at festival stalls.
You pick one string you like and pull it, and you’ll get a prize like candy or a toy.
The thrill of not knowing what you’ll win is part of the charm.
It may look hard to make, but it’s actually easy.
Prepare a large cardboard box and make some holes.
Thread strings through them and clip on prizes that everyone will love.
Try making a senbon-kuji yourself and have fun—kids and adults alike can enjoy it.
Coin Challenge
Coin challenge is a simple game where you just drop in coins, so anyone can enjoy it casually.
Especially at summer festivals, since it’s a hot season, a water-based coin challenge might be a hit.
First, fill a tank with water.
Then place several containers inside the tank.
It might be more fun to use containers of different sizes.
The way to play: drop coins into the tank, and the person who gets the most coins into the containers has the advantage.
It also seems fun to compete with a few people.
PET bottle darts
How about planning a “PET Bottle Darts” game for your festival stall that anyone can enjoy anywhere? All you need are plastic bottles and chopsticks! Place plastic bottles with the caps removed on the floor, aim, and drop a chopstick.
If it lands in the bottle’s mouth, you win! You can adjust the difficulty by changing the size of the bottles.
Decorate the bottles cutely to match the festive atmosphere.
Since this game uses quite a few chopsticks when there are many participants, prepare plenty by splitting each pair into two sticks.
ring toss
Ring toss is a game that people have enjoyed for ages.
Its charm is that everyone—from kids to adults—can have fun together.
You can easily make your own and enjoy it using cardboard and empty plastic wrap tubes.
Cut a few holes in the cardboard and attach the wrap cores.
Make the tossing rings by cutting them out of cardboard, too.
Add point values, and if you include a prize for high scores, it’s sure to get even more exciting.
It’s the perfect game for a summer festival.
grab bag
How about a grab-and-go game where you fill a box with lots of sweets and let people scoop them up with a ladle or their hands? It doesn’t cost much, and the treats can be eaten on the spot or taken home as souvenirs, so grab-and-go stalls are very popular.
It’s exciting and fun when someone manages to grab a lot of candy.
When preparing a large quantity, it’s convenient to use a local candy wholesaler or online shops.
If you put the sweets in a large inflatable pool and use toy grabber hands, it adds even more of a game-like feel.
