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 (41–50)
Newspaper Dart
Let’s make it out of scrap materials! Here’s a game called Newspaper Darts.
When you hear “darts,” you might worry that you need special equipment, right? This time, we’ll make darts using just newspaper and cardboard.
Cut circular, triangular, and square holes in the cardboard, and assign points to each hole.
Roll newspaper into long, thin sticks to use as darts, and score points by getting them through the holes.
It’s also a good idea to adjust the starting line depending on the players’ ages.
Recommended for festival stalls! Handmade game ideas (51–60)
A UFO catcher made from a candy box
A UFO catcher made from an empty Tabecco Animal cookie box is a playful craft.
Use the box as the base, and create the frame and decorations with construction paper and colored paper.
Combine straws of different thicknesses—slide a regular straw inside a tapioca (boba) straw—to support the movement of the arm.
Reinforce it with parts from a milk carton, and thread string through it so the arm can move up and down; this mechanism is key.
Design the tip of the arm so it can grip prizes securely.
Using double-sided tape or glue during assembly will make it sturdier.
It’s a cute, fun-to-play idea that makes great use of everyday materials.
A crane game where you can grab capsules
A capsule-compatible claw machine made from cardboard offers an impressive look and engaging controls.
Cut the main body parts from cardboard, temporarily hold them in place with tape, then assemble.
Making use of the corrugated structure increases strength and stability.
Thread yarn through the claw section for opening and closing, and set up additional yarn to support the body so it can be operated.
To prevent the claw from opening too wide, use items like batteries as stoppers for a more realistic motion.
Reinforce the claw so it can grip capsules without dropping them, and add eye designs to give the appearance a sharper finish.
Small adjustments to the details change the difficulty, making this a three-dimensional idea that expands the fun of play.
Basketball
“Basketball” is a popular game you can always find at least one of in any arcade.
This time, I’ll share an idea for a handmade basketball game.
The hoop is made by combining cardboard and a paper cup.
For the launcher to shoot the ball, attach a chopstick to the side of a clothespin and glue a plastic bottle cap to the tip of the chopstick.
Stick the hoop onto a cardboard base and set the launcher in front of it.
Decide the number of balls or number of shots, and see how many times you can score.
Number Touch Game
When it comes to games that are easy to set up on a wall, the “Number Touch Game” is a great pick.
Stick pieces of paper with numbers on them randomly on the wall, and at the start signal, touch them in order starting from 1.
Set a time limit and compete to see how far you can get.
It’s a good opportunity to learn numbers, and it also seems like a game that can train concentration and reflexes.
If you have enough space, create a few stations so multiple people can try at the same time—it’ll make it more exciting.
If you want to increase the difficulty, hand out balloons and have players keep them afloat while doing the number touches.
watermelon splitting
Here’s an idea for enjoying the popular summer festival and fair game “suikawari” (watermelon splitting) in a safe, worry-free way.
Use plastic bowls and decorate them with green and red colored paper or paint, then stack them to make a watermelon.
Instead of a stick, use a bat made by rolling up newspaper so even small children can take part safely.
Adjust the rules according to age—for daycare, kindergarten, or elementary school—and it becomes a game anyone can enjoy.
It can be done indoors and is easy to set up.
It’s a perfect idea for summer events that will be just as exciting as using a real watermelon.
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.