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 enjoy a festive atmosphere (1–10)
lantern
When you think of festivals and fairs, you think of food stalls—and lanterns are an essential part of those stalls.
In fact, lanterns are easy to recreate with origami.
The method is simple, but there is a step where you use a craft knife to make slits and create an accordion shape.
It might be best for an adult to handle just that part for safety.
Make several lanterns and hang them up to recreate the atmosphere of a festival or fair.
After you’re done, you can fold them up and store them to use again next year.
Also, trying your hand at making a large lantern can be a lot of fun.
lottery; drawing lots; raffle
Many people probably enjoyed the lottery-style games at festivals and fairs.
So how about setting up a lottery booth yourself? I especially recommend the string lottery booth.
It’s a type of draw where you pull a string that has a prize attached at the end, and the fun part is that you find out your prize right away.
As for how to make one, the common method is to use cardboard as a box, punch holes in it, and thread strings through.
At festivals you can usually only draw a few times, but with this setup, you can even try pulling them all for extra fun.
choco banana
Chocolate-covered bananas that are so fun to look at with their colorful toppings.
You can make them at home even with a small amount of chocolate.
Halve the bananas and stick them on skewers, or cut them into bite-size pieces and stick them on cute picks—perfectly safe even if you have kids around.
Next, melt chopped chocolate bars in a hot-water bath and coat the bananas with the chocolate.
Before the chocolate sets, sprinkle on your favorite sprinkles or silver dragées, and you’re done.
Stick them into a piece of Styrofoam to give it that authentic festival feel!
[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.
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.
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.