Handmade summer festival games: a collection of ideas you can enjoy at kindergartens, daycare centers, and at home.
At the festivals held all over during summer, you can enjoy all kinds of games like goldfish scooping, target shooting, and raffles! If you could bring fun summer festival games to a daycare, kindergarten, or even your home, the kids would definitely have a great time! In this article, we’ll introduce a bunch of ideas for handmade summer festival games.
They range from games you can actually play at festivals to make-believe play with a summer festival vibe.
Pick a few ideas from the ones we’re about to share and try hosting your own DIY summer festival!
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Handmade summer festival games: A collection of ideas you can enjoy at kindergartens, preschools, or at home (1–10)
Yo-yo fishing
Yoyo fishing has long been a favorite game for children at summer festivals.
However, yoyos filled with water are heavy and hard to catch, so let’s make lightweight paper yoyos that are easier for kids to fish.
All you need to do is cut construction paper into strips and connect them into rings, but this might be tricky for little hands.
In that case, have the children decorate them with round stickers and more so they can feel the satisfaction of making something themselves.
Make the pipe-cleaner loop attached to the yoyo a bit larger.
Easier-to-catch yoyos are sure to be popular with the kids.
Target shooting
You can make a safe shooting game using a paper cup and a balloon.
First, cut out the bottom of the paper cup.
The teacher should prepare this in advance.
Next, attach a tied balloon to the bottom area.
Cut off the side of the balloon opposite the knot, then stretch it over the cup.
Secure the seam between the balloon and the cup well with tape.
After that, put a ping-pong ball into the cup and pull the balloon—pop! The ping-pong ball shoots out, and your shooting game is complete! Make various targets and enjoy the game.
Lucky Ball
Lucky Ball is a game whose play styles and formats vary by region.
Similar attractions are popular at places like Disneyland and Universal Studios Japan, too.
You line up cups or make a grid of holes in a board and toss balls about the size of a baseball.
You can set your own rules, such as getting the ball into a designated color or lining them up vertically and horizontally like bingo.
As long as you can throw a ball, anyone—young or old—can enjoy it.
And don’t forget some eye-catching, luxurious prizes!
Handmade summer festival games: A collection of ideas (11–20) that can be enjoyed at kindergartens, nursery schools, or at home.
Candy grab
Candy grab games are full of dreams, aren’t they? You can make up your own rules, but a common one is that you can take home as much as you can grab with one hand.
These days, many allergy-friendly snacks are available, so it’s a good idea to choose the candy carefully so that children with food allergies can join the game.
On the day, if you let both adults and children participate, people will naturally start cheering for whoever’s playing.
It would be great if everyone could score lots of treats as a fun festival memory.
Goldfish scooping
You can even make a classic summer festival game—goldfish scooping—by hand! All you need are everyday items like a milk carton, vinyl tape, and PE tape.
First, make a “poi” scoop using a ring-shaped strip cut from a milk carton and a drain strainer net.
It’s safer for the teacher to handle the cutting and stapling.
Wrap the vinyl tape around the scoop you made.
For the goldfish, cut the milk carton into an egg shape, draw goldfish-like patterns, and attach PE tape as the tail with tape—that’s it! These goldfish actually float on water, so it feels more realistic.
Hope you catch lots of goldfish!
fishing
Enjoy a fishing game at your homemade summer festival.
First, prepare sea creatures like fish and octopuses to catch.
You can use free illustration materials, or have the children draw them for extra fun.
Laminating the pieces you make will make them water-resistant and safe.
If you don’t have a laminator, use laminating film from the 100-yen shop.
Attach a paper clip to each piece, then fasten string and a magnet to a pair of chopsticks—and you’re done! Catching the fish is fun, but playing the shopkeeper and serving customers adds a different kind of enjoyment.
Have everyone make lots of pieces together!
Takoyaki Ball Toss
https://www.tiktok.com/@yumelabo/video/7397344473459559697Let’s have fun throwing balls! Here’s an idea for a Takoyaki Ball Toss game.
When you think of summer festivals, delicious food stalls are the highlight, right? This time, let’s try a ball-toss game decorated like a takoyaki stall.
Cut nine holes into a black cardboard panel.
It’s cute if you make the balls in takoyaki-like colors.
The key is to control your strength so the takoyaki balls land in all the holes! Be sure to include this in your summer festival.