[Nursery/Daycare] Recommended for Summer Festivals! A Collection of DIY Game Ideas
In summer, fun festivals that children love are held at nursery schools and kindergartens! Speaking of festivals, there are classic games that kids adore, like fishing games, ring toss, and target throwing.
Here, we’ve gathered ideas for handmade summer festival games that children can enjoy.
There are various options, such as target games using colorful balls and original games you can make with simple crafts.
Handmade games nurture children’s imagination and let them have fun with friends.
Be sure to use these ideas as inspiration to liven up your summer festival!
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[Daycare] Recommended for Summer Festivals! A Collection of DIY Game Ideas (21–30)
Yacht game with caps
The “Bottle Cap Yacht Game,” where you compete by floating boats on water, is a clever craft that lets you enjoy heated matches using just plastic bottle caps and straws.
Put flags on color-coded caps—like red and blue—finish them in a yacht style, and float them in a water-filled container.
Blow through a straw to propel your yacht; if you get yours into the opponent’s territory first, you win! It’s easy to make, yet it sparks intense battles that demand strategy and focus.
As a craft you can enjoy with everyday materials, it’s an especially popular, recommended game among boys.
ladle scooping
Try “ladle scooping,” a twist on the classic goldfish scooping game! Fill a box with balls of various sizes, then just have players scoop them up with a ladle.
That alone gives you a summer festival vibe.
It’s super easy—no need to fill a tub with water or prepare the special scooping tool (poi) used for goldfish.
When someone manages to scoop a ball, celebrate together! As a variation, you could add a rule like “How many can you get within the time limit?” for an extra dose of excitement.
Yo-yo fishing
Yo-yo fishing has long been a favorite game for children at summer festivals.
Because real yo-yos are heavy and hard to catch, let’s make lightweight yo-yos out of construction paper so kids can catch them more easily.
All you need to do is connect paper strips into rings, but this might be tricky for little hands.
In that case, let them do the decorating with round stickers and the like, so they can still feel a sense of accomplishment.
Make the pipe-cleaner loop attached to the yo-yo a bit larger.
Easy-to-catch yo-yos are sure to be a hit with the kids.
Treasure Hunt
For a summer festival, we recommend a “treasure hunt” booth that kids will be eager to explore.
Fill a large box, like one made of cardboard, with crumpled newspaper and flyers.
Have the children help crumple and pack the paper as part of the preparation—getting ready together will build excitement for the festival.
Hide treasures inside the box and let the kids search for them! The key is to make the treasures unusual.
Providing items like brightly colored medals is sure to delight them.
string lottery
Let’s make a string lottery game where children pull their favorite string from among many and see what they get.
Attach stickers, handmade toys, or other goodies that kids will love to colorful plastic strings.
You can make a stand out of cardboard, or tip a desk on its side and set up the string lottery there.
The key is to make sure the items attached to the ends of the strings aren’t visible to the children.
Some kids may excitedly pull a string wondering, “What will I get?” It should be fun not only for children who’ve never tried a string lottery before, but also for those who have.
Goldfish scooping toy
Goldfish scooping, a classic at summer festival stalls, is actually easy to make and enjoy at home! Cut a milk carton into a long strip to form a ring, attach a handle made from another piece of the carton, stretch a drain net over it, and secure it with vinyl tape to make a poi (scooper).
Next, draw fish on a milk carton, cut them out, and make your goldfish.
You can also cut goldfish from construction paper and laminate them between layers of OPP tape.
Float the goldfish in water and scoop them up with the poi.
Since the poi won’t tear, even small children can enjoy it.
Goldfish scooping made with construction paper
Let’s make it with simple steps! Here are some ideas for making a goldfish scooping game out of construction paper.
Wouldn’t it be fun to recreate the goldfish scooping you see at festivals and food stalls at your preschool or at home? This time, let’s try making a goldfish scooping game using construction paper and paper plates.
You’ll need long, thin strips of colored construction paper, paper plates, a stapler, scissors, cellophane tape, glue, and stickers.
Make the goldfish out of colored paper and the poi (scooping paddle) out of paper plates.
Even without water, putting them in something like a kiddie pool should create the right atmosphere.