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 a festival. Ideas that children can enjoy (51–60)
ladle scooping
Try ladle scooping instead of goldfish scooping! Just put balls of various sizes into a box and have them scoop them up with a ladle.
It’s a simple idea that lets you enjoy a summer festival vibe.
You don’t need to fill anything with water or prepare the delicate paper scoops used for catching goldfish, so it’s super easy.
When they manage to scoop up a ball, celebrate together! As a twist, you could add a rule like “How many can you get within the time limit?” to make it even more exciting.
Gem scooping
Shops with scooping games—like goldfish scooping, yo-yo balloon scooping, and super ball scooping—really spark that urge to take on a challenge.
Part of the appeal is how easy they seem: you find yourself thinking, “I could do that,” or “Even I can get one.” That’s why I recommend the glittering “gem scooping.” You’re scooping toy gems, of course, but combined with the festival atmosphere, you somehow end up wanting them.
You can probably source fake jewelry that looks real at a low cost, so it’d be nice to mix a few in as prizes.
Candy shaped like rings would likely be a hit, too!
grab bag
How about a candy grab, where you fill a box with lots of sweets and let people scoop them up with a ladle or their hands? It keeps costs low, people can eat what they get right there, and it also makes a nice take-home treat—so these grab-and-go booths are said to be popular.
It’s exciting and fun when someone manages to grab a lot of candy.
When stocking up, it’s convenient to use a local candy wholesaler or shop online.
If you put the candy in a large inflatable pool and have participants grab it with a toy grabber arm, it adds even more of a game element.
Children’s Dedication Sumo Tournament
Local festivals are Shinto events held to pray for a bountiful harvest and safety for the year.
Among these is children’s offering sumo.
It is held to wish for children’s health and growth.
Let’s have not only boys but also girls participate and make it lively and fun together.
It’s a good idea to divide matches by gender or by age.
Let’s also make a handmade sumo ring so both adults and children can enjoy it!
Games that liven up festivals: Ideas kids will enjoy (61–70)
Haunted house
A haunted house is something people tend to be split on—even adults either love it or can’t stand it.
Even when you know the ghosts aren’t real, it’s scary and can really make you jump.
Haunted houses are a popular attraction at school festivals and the like, and they’re sure to be a hit with kids too, right? When it comes to haunted houses, you need ghost actors, sets, and BGM.
Prepare eerie, spooky background music to build the atmosphere.
These days, there are plenty of makeup supplies for costumes, so go all in and try some ghost makeup too!
In conclusion
We introduced some exciting games and events for festivals—what did you think? Once you decide which games to play, it could be fun to make them together with the kids, or have the kids act as stall vendors on the day. If you’re busy and short on time, there are plenty of items you can rent, so feel free to use those without overdoing it!