Ideas for pretend festivals you can enjoy at home
We’ve always taken it for granted that we could enjoy festivals, but during the COVID-19 pandemic many were canceled, and even when they were held, they were scaled down, so the chances to enjoy them dropped dramatically.
Amid this, a quiet trend has emerged: enjoying festival fun at home—kids love food stalls and festival games, while adults savor stall-style gourmet foods with a drink in hand.
Even just serving dishes you don’t usually eat at home or switching up the tableware can instantly create the right atmosphere, so try using items from 100-yen shops and have fun with it!
It’s not just for home—you can enjoy it at preschools and elementary schools too!
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Festival play ideas you can enjoy at home (11–20)
Hashimaki
Hashimaki—okonomiyaki wrapped around disposable chopsticks—is a great idea for enjoying a festival vibe at home.
It’s simple to make: first, mix flour, eggs, and water, pour the batter into a tamagoyaki pan, and cook over medium heat.
Next, flip it and, while pressing with a turner, wrap the batter around a pair of chopsticks.
Finally, plate it and add color with toppings like nori or cheese, and you’re done.
Its cute appearance will really stand out on social media like Instagram!
Tornado potato
In recent years, one of the most popular festival foods has been the tornado potato.
It’s a dish made by cutting a potato into a spring shape and deep-frying it.
It’s also known as “swirly potato” or “spiral potato.” The reason for its appearance is partly to make an impact, but it’s also designed to be easy to eat while walking around.
It sounds fun to snack on one as you make the rounds of the food stalls.
It’s a good idea to offer different flavors as well, such as consommé or salted.
baby castella (mini Japanese sponge cakes)
Baby castella are little balls made from castella batter, and their cute look is absolutely irresistible! You can easily make them with a takoyaki maker, so even if you’re not confident in cooking, give it a try.
First, add eggs, pancake mix, and milk to a salad bowl and mix them together.
Pour the batter into the takoyaki molds until about halfway, and when holes appear on the surface, place another layer of batter on top.
Once you’ve topped them all, they’re done! If you make several and pile them up on a plate, they look really festive, so be sure to try it.
Prepare meal tickets or handmade tickets
At real festivals, you hand over money or purchased tickets to play games or get food, right? To create an authentic atmosphere, how about preparing your own original currency or tickets? You can design them like banknotes or make them cute—either way works.
Try making something that will get the kids excited.
If you don’t have time to prepare, you can substitute coins or something similar.
In any case, handing over something really sets the mood.
Yo-yo fishing
How about yo-yo fishing, a game you can enjoy from the moment you make the purchase? In this game, you fish water balloons with rubber strings out of a small pool.
Of course, you can play with the balloons after you catch them, but simply dangling one from your hand also lets you enjoy the festive atmosphere.
If you’re planning to play at a school or kindergarten, it’s best to get a kid-sized pool and a commercial balloon set.
Also, there are many varieties of balloons, including ones printed with popular characters.
Offering a wide lineup makes it fun for everyone to find a design they like.
mini basketball
@brechojuribas Construímos um jogo de Mini Basketball para a festa junina, querem tutorial? #tutorial#festajunina#arraia#festajunina2025#minibasketball#basketball#jogo#minijogo#vaipraforyou#foryoupage#fyp
♬ som original – Ju Ribas
Let’s make something with items you have at home! Here are ideas for a mini basketball game.
These are great for anyone who wants to set up a basketball-like corner.
You’ll need cardboard or boards, paint, construction paper, plastic cups, double-sided tape or glue, clothespins, and balls made by crumpling paper.
The appeal is that you can make it with materials found at home or in a classroom! Give it a try.
You can also adapt it by changing to a hand-thrown ball method to suit the child’s age.
Handmade mask
One thing you can’t help but want at a festival is a mask.
If you have children, many of you probably get begged for one every time you go.
Try bringing that mask booth experience into your at-home festival, too.
While making a full-fledged mask is difficult, there’s a simple version you can make at home: print a character image on paper, laminate it and cut it out, punch out the eye holes, and thread a rubber band through holes made with a craft punch.
Be sure to prepare a variety of designs so the kids can enjoy the time spent choosing their favorite.
Play footage of fireworks
Fireworks that beautifully color the night sky are the grand finale of a festival, leaving you with a real sense that it was a fun celebration.
Since actually launching fireworks yourself is difficult, how about getting into the mood by watching them on video? It’s a good idea to be selective with your video choices and to watch in an environment that makes the visuals stand out even more.
After experiencing powerful footage, you might feel an even stronger desire to go there in person and feel the sound and vibrations of the fireworks yourself.
karaage (Japanese-style fried chicken)
Festival food stalls are irresistible, aren’t they? Candy apples, shaved ice, frankfurters, yakisoba—everyone has flavors they can’t forget.
Today, let’s take a look at one of the all-time classics: karaage (Japanese fried chicken).
Karaage is easy to eat while walking, and it’s hard to go wrong no matter which stall you buy it from.
Plus, it’s simple to make at home—just season, coat, and fry.
If you serve it in a paper cup and eat it with a toothpick like at a festival, you can capture that festive feeling right at home!
cotton candy
With its fluffy look and texture, cotton candy really accentuates the fun, bustling atmosphere of a festival, doesn’t it? How about using a dedicated machine to make your own cotton candy at home, letting people imagine the excitement of a festival along with the delicious taste? At festivals, you usually just buy and eat what’s already made, so a big perk of doing it at home is that you can enjoy the whole process from making it to eating it.
And if you use hard candies instead of just granulated sugar, you can add colors, so trying your hand at creating your own original cotton candy might be a great idea.