Fun for adults and kids alike! Home festival ideas to capture the lively spirit of a Japanese matsuri
Triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have probably found fewer opportunities to fully enjoy themselves outdoors or spend time in crowded places.
There are plenty of fun things to do at home, but lots of kids still look forward to festivals and fair-style events.
However, sometimes festivals aren’t held, or it’s difficult to go where there are crowds.
In times like these, why not host an at-home “Ennichi” fair that you can enjoy with family and friends? Prepare classic festival-style foods and games, and have fun with attractions that are every bit as appealing as the real thing! It’s not just for summer—doing it for your child’s birthday, for example, is sure to make them happy!
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[Fun for adults and kids alike!] Home festival ideas to capture that summer fair vibe (11–20)
Decorating with bamboo blinds
When you recreate a festival or fair at home, I think the entrance is important, too.
Even in your usual living room or garden, having a proper entrance will make it feel like a different place.
But figuring out how to make an entrance can be tricky, right? That’s why I want to introduce an idea for decorating a sudare (bamboo screen).
It’s simple: attach construction paper to a large sudare to decorate it and turn it into a sign.
It’s easy, so give it a try!
Candy and toy fishing
A simple game where you use a fishing rod to hook and lift the treats or toys you want from those available on the spot.
You can customize and adjust the difficulty in various ways, such as by changing the length of the rod, the weight of the prizes, or the mechanism for catching the target.
An easy-to-understand approach is to attach magnets to the end of the fishing line and to the prizes, then pick them up by sticking them together.
By mixing stronger and weaker magnets, you can also enjoy the added challenge of not always being able to catch what you want as easily.
Target shooting
The shooting gallery at festival stalls is something even adults get hooked on.
If you aim well, you can hit the targets, but actually winning a prize can be pretty tough.
Each stall has its own rules, like the item has to fall over or drop into a designated area.
But if you’re doing a festival-at-home, set the difficulty low so everyone can simply enjoy it.
You can buy shooting stands from online shops, or make one out of cardboard.
As for the guns, check out 100-yen stores—they have various toy gun types to choose from.
Yakisoba on a hot plate
When you go to a festival or a fair, isn’t yakisoba the go-to main dish? It’s relatively inexpensive and really filling.
Plus, the appeal of eating it fresh off the griddle can’t be beat.
How about recreating that fair-style yakisoba on an electric griddle at home? Just serving it in a plastic container instantly sets the mood.
By the way, pairing it with corn on the cob or trying your hand at candy apples is also recommended.
Both are simple to make, so be sure to look up some recipes.
Make special money for the at-home festival only
When you go to festivals or street fairs, one thing you always end up doing is paying, right? It might be hard for children to handle money at actual food stalls, but at home it’s totally possible.
And if they give it a try, it can spark their interest in money and arithmetic.
So, what I recommend is making your own original play money.
They can draw pictures on paper or stick on stickers.
If you want to make it look more realistic, place a coin under a sheet of paper and gently rub over it with a pen.
Whole cucumber pickles
As a treat for adults, how about offering whole pickled cucumbers at your stall? They pair well with alcohol and are excellent for refreshing the palate after fried foods.
Peel a little of the cucumber skin and soak the cucumbers for about a day in a mixture of water, sugar, salt, vinegar, salted kelp, and dried red chili pepper.
If you want kids to enjoy them too, leave out the chili.
Once the cucumbers are well seasoned, insert a disposable chopstick, and they’re ready to serve.
While it’s an idea geared toward adults, serving a whole cucumber like this might also pique children’s curiosity and make them want to try it.
Super Ball scooping
Didn’t you do this at festivals and street fairs when you were a kid? It’s super ball scooping.
The colorful super balls give the stall a festive, summery feel.
Just like goldfish scooping, you use a ‘poi’ scooper to scoop up the super balls, and you get to keep however many you catch.
These days, it seems the prizes can vary depending on how many you scoop, too.
You get greedy trying to scoop a big ball, and the poi tears right away…
It’s the kind of thing even adults might get really into.
Frankfurt
If you have a hot plate, how about trying Frankfurt sausages? “Trying” is a big word—basically, you just line them up on the hot plate and grill.
They’re sold with sticks already inserted, but it can be fun to start by skewering the sausages together with your kids.
If you’re comfortable using a knife, you can make diagonal slits while keeping an eye on your child’s hands; it will make the casing even crispier when grilled.
For an even more authentic feel, put ketchup and mustard into squeeze dispensers from a 100-yen shop!
Wear a yukata or jinbei
Wearing a yukata or jinbei is one of the fun parts of festivals, isn’t it? Especially these days, when there are fewer chances to wear them, why not take this opportunity to dress someone up in one? That said, some people may feel it’s a waste to buy one, so in that case, making it yourself could be a good option.
Downloading a pattern from the internet will make the process smoother.
If you want to go for a more authentic look, try preparing geta sandals and a uchiwa fan as well.
Putting together an outfit like this will make taking photos even more enjoyable.
ring toss
Wouldn’t it be even more exciting to have a game that anyone—young or old, men or women—can join? A great option is ring toss.
As long as you have rings, all you need to do is set up some suitable objects as targets.
It’s fun to have a rule where you get a prize if your ring lands on a target, and it’s also great for friendly competition between parents and children or among siblings.
You can adjust the throwing distance to create handicaps.
If you’d like to enjoy some crafting as well, try using water-filled plastic bottles as the targets and making your own rings out of cardboard.