[For Kids] Fun Entertainment and Activities to Liven Up a Festival
We’ve collected ideas for entertaining performances and attractions that will liven up large community fairs as well as school and daycare festival events.
Since these are aimed at children, this is perfect if you’re looking for things like “performances involving lots of kids” or “entertainment for children enjoying the festival.” We’ve selected a variety of ideas, from activities that are especially fun within a close-knit group to ones that get everyone excited—even among people who don’t know each other.
Feeling unsure if you can pull it off? Don’t worry—keep challenging yourself to create wonderful memories, and let’s make it a fun festival!
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[For Kids] Fun Performances and Attractions at Festivals (21–30)
Haunted house
How about holding a haunted house as a recommended attraction that both children and their guardians can enjoy together? Try designing a not-too-scary haunted house so even small children can participate! Instead of assigning people to scare guests, you could create the haunted-house atmosphere with handmade ghosts, spider webs, skeletons, and gravestones.
It’s also a good idea to set some ground rules for the haunted house in advance, and adding game elements—like retrieving a treasure—could make it even more exciting.
Children’s Dedication Sumo Tournament
Let’s hold a children’s sumo tournament! While sumo is a form of entertainment, it originally began as a traditional Shinto ritual in Japan.
That’s why hosting a sumo tournament at a festival is a perfect fit—there’s even a tradition called ‘dedicatory sumo’ (hono-sumo).
Since there can be differences in physique, divide boys and girls, and within each group, organize matches by lower, middle, and upper elementary grades.
[For Kids] Fun Entertainment and Booth Ideas for Festivals (31–40)
Sparkle scooping
A glitter scoop game that’s popular at festivals and easy for kids to try.
It’s a booth where children scoop up shiny floating trinkets and super balls bobbing on the water.
There are all kinds of scoopable toys—candies, animals, goldfish, bugs, and more—so choose according to the target age.
You can float the toys in an inflatable pool, a washbasin, or a bucket; if your budget allows, renting a basin with a flowing-water feature could make it even more fun for the kids.
Live painting
Live painting is the act of creating a painting on the spot and turning it into a show.
These days, you might see it at live music events or on TV, so many people may already be familiar with it.
You don’t usually get to watch someone paint in real time, and experiencing it together is sure to get everyone excited!
Japanese classical dance (nihon buyo)
How about performing some Nihon buyo (Japanese dance)? Nihon buyo combines traditional Japanese dance and movement.
Like the tea ceremony, it has many schools and styles.
The dance incorporates elements from classical performing arts such as gagaku and Noh.
That said, there aren’t strict rules you must follow—feel free to dance as you like.
The elegance of kimono attire will captivate the audience and is sure to get them excited.
Stacking empty cans
Precisely because it’s a fun festival, it’s important to stay mindful all the way through to the final cleanup.
By washing the empty cans generated during the festival and using them for a game, people may become more conscious about keeping the venue clean.
The rules are simple: within a time limit, players compete to see how many empty cans they can stack.
Even if the stack collapses, you can try again as many times as you like within the time limit; your record is the highest number of cans you successfully stack.
Even when it feels like you’ve reached your limit, boldly going for one more layer can be the key to victory.
Kendama performance
Kendama is a toy where you place the ball on the cups of the part called the sword, or stick the ball onto the spike.
If you’re around elementary school age, chances are you’ve tried it at least once.
It’s so popular in Japan that tournaments are held, and many tricks have been created.
How about taking on a “Kendama Performance” as one of your acts? If you can show off some cool tricks, thunderous applause is guaranteed! If performing tricks is tough, we also recommend “Rhythm Kendama,” where you play along to music in time with the beat.