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, daycares, or at home (41–50)
Turtle scooping
Try scooping up turtles that are floating and swimming around! Here are some ideas for a turtle-scooping game.
Fill a plastic pool or tub with water and float plastic turtles in it.
You can adjust the tools to match the children’s ages, using scoops or paper scoops (poi), and enjoy the turtle-scooping fun.
Decorating the area with light-blue plastic bags or raffia tape to create an ocean theme will help set the mood.
Give it a try and create a game corner that gets kids excited!
stamp rally
Let’s move forward toward the goal! Here are some stamp rally ideas.
A stamp rally is an activity where participants collect stamps based on a specific theme.
For example, you could have a stamp rally where participants visit all the game booths at the event, or one where they search for hidden points around the playground—just coming up with the theme is exciting, isn’t it? As a unique feature of a summer festival, it’s sure to delight the children.
Be sure to incorporate a stamp rally into your summer festival!
Newspaper Dart
Let’s make it from scrap materials! Here’s an idea for newspaper darts.
When you hear “darts,” you might worry that you’ll need to buy special equipment.
This time, let’s make darts using newspaper and cardboard.
Cut round, triangular, and square holes in the cardboard and assign points to each hole.
Roll up strips of newspaper to make dart-like projectiles, and score points by getting them into the holes.
It’s also a good idea to adjust the starting line depending on the age of the participants.
Can Stacking Game
Will it reach the ceiling? Here’s an idea for a can-stacking game.
It’s a simple game corner using empty cans.
The moment you place each can while keeping the balance, you’ll find yourself holding your breath in concentration.
It works well as either a team game or an individual challenge.
Since the stack may end up taller than the children, it’s a good idea to have a chair ready.
In that case, make sure a parent or teacher stays close by to prevent falls.
crane game
If you want to create an authentic festival vibe, a handmade “claw machine” is perfect.
You can make it with familiar materials like cardboard, string, and paper cups, yet the thrill of operating it feels just like the real thing! The mechanism is simple—pull the strings to grab a prize—but kids will take it seriously and get really into it.
Use stuffed animals or candy as prizes to boost the sense of accomplishment when they succeed.
You can adjust the size and difficulty to suit ages from nursery and kindergarten to elementary school, and it’s great for indoor play.
It’s a thrilling idea that can be the star attraction of a fair or summer festival.
Wani Wani Panic
Whac-A-Croc is a guaranteed hit with kids at shrine fairs and summer festivals.
It’s easy to add to daycare, kindergarten, and elementary school summer events, and you can make it with familiar materials like cardboard.
Every time a crocodile doll pops out, the kids go wild! The hammer for whacking can be made safely by rolling up newspaper.
The game is simple, but the speed and suspense get the whole venue excited.
Set a time limit and compete for points to boost everyone’s motivation! With a bit of creativity, you can expand the designs and rules, making a fun, original corner for your event.
Ball rolling game
The “ball-rolling game” is a game where you tilt a cardboard track to roll a ball, and you succeed if you can get the ball into the final hole without dropping it.
To make it, first cut cardboard and connect it in a zigzag.
This will be the path for the ball, so punch holes along one side where the ball can fall.
Insert the zigzag path into the base with the holes, and it’s complete.
If you want to lower the difficulty, it’s a good idea to add some walls along the sides of the path to keep the ball from falling off.
