Games that liven up festivals. Ideas that children can enjoy.
Festivals and fair days are fun events that kids can take part in, aren’t they? In addition to local festivals, many kindergartens, nursery schools, and elementary schools also plan summer festivals, don’t they? In this article, we’ve gathered ideas for festival games and activities recommended for those who want to find games that kids will love or want to know about events beyond food stalls.
It’s packed with fun ideas you can enjoy both indoors and outdoors, so please use it as a reference.
If you’re making the games by hand, having the children help will make great memories!
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Games that liven up festivals. Ideas that children can enjoy (41–50)
Chikirin Tournament
Chikirin refers to the small metal gong used in festival music.
At the Chikirin competition, groups perform traditional rhythms using this chikirin along with Japanese drums and flutes, and they compete based on their performance.
It’s an attraction that lets you enjoy and become familiar with traditional Japanese instruments and classical music that have been passed down since ancient times.
Festival music is indispensable to any festival, so it’s highly recommended—spectators can soak up the festive atmosphere too!
Games that liven up a festival. Ideas that children can enjoy (51–60)
All-you-can-fill candy
From a child’s perspective, an all-you-can-pack candy game is a dream come true.
There are all sorts of “pack-as-much-as-you-can” activities out there, but for kids, candy is the way to go! Prepare lots of individually wrapped treats like gummies and hard candies, set them out, and add a time limit—the excitement will skyrocket.
You can even have a contest to see who can pack the most by being the most clever.
Just be sure to avoid meltable sweets like chocolate if the festival is held outdoors in the summer.
Pocky & Pretz Game
Let me introduce a heart-pounding Pocky & Pretz Game where you’ll be on edge wondering if it will topple over.
For the Pocky sticks, roll sheets of newspaper into long, thin rods and use yellow and black duct tape to make them look like Pocky.
For the Pretz sticks, roll newspaper the same way, wrap them with yellow tape, and use colored pens to draw toasted patterns.
The key is to keep the length and thickness as uniform as possible.
Since you’ll be working with your hands while seated, you can enjoy the activity from the preparation stage.
Once you’ve set the Pocky sticks in a ring, take turns removing one stick at a time.
The person who causes the Pocky to fall when they pull a stick loses.
It’s a great game for getting a big group excited!
Takoyaki Ball Toss
https://www.tiktok.com/@yumelabo/video/7397344473459559697Let’s have fun throwing balls! Here’s an idea for a Takoyaki Ball-Toss game.
When you think of summer festivals, delicious food stalls are the highlight, right? This time, let’s try a ball-toss game decorated like a takoyaki stall.
Cut nine holes into a black cardboard panel.
It’s cute if you color the balls to look like takoyaki.
The key is to control your strength so the takoyaki balls land in all the holes! Be sure to include this at your summer festival.
Curling game
A handmade curling game that lets you enjoy strategy and a satisfying feel using familiar materials.
Cut cardboard to your preferred size to create the course, then lay a PVC sheet on top to form a slick playing surface.
Use plastic bottle caps as stones and flick them with your fingers toward the target area.
Beyond the fun of aiming by adjusting force and angle, competing with friends makes it a hit at festivals and events.
You can also customize the caps—add stickers or weights—expanding the gameplay depending on your ideas.
Balancing competitive play with crafting, it’s an easy-to-join game for children from lower to upper elementary grades.
Empty Can Fishing Game
Introducing an “Empty Can Fishing Game” that kids will want to try over and over.
Just attach paper clips or rings to empty cans and use a fishing line with a magnet or hook to lift them—simple rules that even adults can’t help getting absorbed in.
It takes concentration and a bit of technique, making you want to keep trying.
Add point values to the cans or sort them by color to make it more game-like and even more fun.
Adjust the can sizes and distances to suit the child’s age so it can be enjoyed safely.
It’s easy to prepare, low-cost, and perfect for game corners at festivals and summer fairs.
New Year’s gift game
First, make a tray-like shape using a piece of cardboard.
Cut a hole in the center that’s slightly larger than the balls.
Put in ten or more balls, and compete to see who can drop all of them through the hole the fastest.
At first, since there are many balls, they fall quickly, but once there are only a few left, it gets quite tricky.
You’ll need to tilt it deliberately to aim, or they won’t drop easily.
Do your best and try not to get frustrated!