Wonderful school festival / cultural festival

[School Festival] Ideas for gimmicks to incorporate into a haunted house

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked for 10 years as a kindergarten teacher and for 7 years as an after-school childcare instructor, then took a post as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I also engaged in activities that shared Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational play, working with many children. Afterwards, through freelance writing, planning, and editing work at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and conveying ideas. Leveraging the perspective cultivated in educational settings and my experience as an editor, I aim to deliver practical information—focusing on fields related to music and children—that values both input and output. Hobbies include instruments, singing, handcrafts, toys, drawing, traditional play, the outdoors, books, DIY, and crafts. Special skill: spinning-top tricks.
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICsasashina
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. During my student years at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, I studied a wide range of fields including sound, lighting, and video technology, building a foundation in comprehensive stage production and creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, consistently building experience in production and engaging in a variety of music-centered tasks. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting and what I feel and discover through daily interactions with my kids. I hope my work can be of help to you, even in a small way!

Have you ever seen that moment at a school culture festival haunted house when a friend looks confused and says, “Wait, who is this person?” In the dark, people swap places, the floor turns wobbly under your feet, and when you approach a creepy doll, its head suddenly spins…

Successful haunted houses hide lots of clever tricks that keep participants on edge.

From cardboard-made tombstones and talismans for spooky effects to floor pranks, with a bit of ingenuity the entire venue can be filled with screams and laughter.

Here, we introduce a variety of fun haunted house ideas.

Set props, decorations, and concepts (11–20)

coffin

Cardboard crafts! “Let’s make coffins for the ghosts!” ★Cardboard coffin★

coffin

Building a coffin is also a recommended idea.

If you have a coffin in your haunted house, visitors will feel a thrill, thinking “something might come out from inside,” and you can even use it to actually pop out and scare them.

However, the shape is a bit complex.

When making one, prepare cardboard and follow tutorials on videos or websites as you work.

Alternatively, you can get a craft kit—that way, you should be able to put it together right away.

And don’t forget to prepare costumes that match the coffin.

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sickle

Let's make fun and spooky Halloween decor! Create furniture with cardboard crafts♪ HIMAWARI House No. 5 himawari-CH

sickle

A scythe can be used not only as a prop object but also as a handheld accessory for the person playing the ghost.

Since it’s a large prop, it also has the appeal of conveying a strong impact.

To make one, shape it out of cardboard and use aluminum foil on the blade to create the effect.

Alternatively, you can form it out of newspaper.

Choose whichever method seems easier for you.

By the way, as a specific use case, it’s recommended for someone dressed as the Grim Reaper to carry it.

If they pose with it, it will result in a pretty scary look.

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skeleton

Let's make fun and spooky Halloween decor! Create furniture with cardboard crafts♪ HIMAWARI House No. 5 himawari-CH

skeleton

Skeletons are also a common prop you see in haunted houses.

Another advantage is that it’s easy to adapt the design to different ages and styles.

For example, a stylized skeleton can give a comical or cute impression.

In contrast, a realistic-looking skeleton will create a scarier feel.

You can also add touches like painting the skeleton with fluorescent paint.

If a skeleton glows in the dark, it’s sure to give people a start.

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bagged doll

Continuing with shipment prep. Time to bag everything!

bagged doll

A creepy, skin-crawling scare! Here’s an idea for bagged dolls.

Just imagining a bunch of dolls stuffed into bags is enough to give many people the chills, isn’t it? In the video, there are also splashes of red liquid that look like fake blood.

Dolls piled up inside bags are eerie on their own, but the blood effect ramps up the realistic terror even more.

Use this for a haunted house at a school festival, and visitors are sure to freeze in their tracks!

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In conclusion

A haunted house at a school festival can be transformed into a special space that shakes participants’ hearts with just a single trick. Try combining the effects introduced here to create a production that delivers surprise and fear—and ends with smiles. The terrifying world you build together with your classmates will become an unforgettable memory of the festival.