[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 Sideshow Acts and Performances to Liven Up Festivals (51–60)
Chikirin Tournament
Chikirin Bayashi is a folk song from Oita.
It’s a festive hayashi featuring drums and bells.
There’s a version that turns this hayashi into a melody with lyrics, and it’s said that Harumi Miyako released a recording of it in 1971.
In this Chikirin, the bell sounds take the lead and the rhythm is played at a slightly faster tempo.
If you use a small taiko drum and parade while playing, it really livens things up.
body percussion
Body percussion involves using your body like a musical instrument, striking it with your palms to produce sounds.
How about choosing songs that children love or tunes that are likely to get them excited and giving it a try? It’s a performance that can be shown by a single person, and you don’t have to worry much about the number of participants, so it works well even with large groups.
Start with clapping, then as the song progresses, slap your knees, hips, and belly to create bold, resonant sounds! Since you use your whole body, it’s dynamic and also feels like a dance performance.
Rakugo Children’s Performance
There probably aren’t many kids with the refined taste to regularly listen to rakugo.
So how about putting on a rakugo performance? Rakugo may seem difficult at first, but it’s often full of “funny and amusing stories,” so kids are sure to enjoy it.
With big gestures and sound effects, even younger children can have a good time.
It’s best to choose simple, easy-to-understand stories.
Whac-A-Mole
It can also be fun to enjoy the unique thrill of whack-a-mole.
There are several ways to make a DIY whack-a-mole game, but the basic setup is a box with holes, with someone inside popping a mole out through the holes.
And although it’s called whack-a-mole, it can be just as enjoyable if you base the game on other animals.
By the way, a tip to make it more exciting is to make the pattern of the moles appearing as irregular as possible.
The less predictable it is—so players wonder, “Where will it be next?”—the more exciting it will be.
Kids Flea Market
How about having the kids run a flea market by themselves? There are lots of items like children’s clothes and toys that quickly become too small or no longer age-appropriate, yet feel too good to throw away.
Let the kids take the lead in selecting items and setting prices, with other children as the customers.
It’s a great activity that teaches valuing things and the importance of money.
Snowboarding Experience
Snowboarding is usually a winter sport, but this experience sets up a slightly sloped platform right in the city, with a few tweaks to make the board glide more easily.
Participants compete to see if they can ride the board over the platform without falling and stick the landing.
Artificial turf is laid out at the bottom as a cushion.
Put on a helmet and pads and have fun!
handbell
Handbells are a popular performance and entertainment option for Christmas.
While they might seem a bit difficult—even for adults—with the right choice of songs, even small children can take part.
Try selecting simple nursery rhymes, festive-sounding tunes, or seasonal songs that are easy to play.
If you’re looking for something that works across different age groups, this could be a perfect fit.
Practice will likely take some time, but the sense of accomplishment after the performance will make for a wonderful memory!
ball throwing
I don’t think there’s anyone who has never been to a festival or a fair.
And the festivals and fairs you went to as a child are the kind you remember even as an adult.
When it comes to fun-filled fair games, “ball toss” is the go-to—if you’re unsure, pick this booth! If there are lots of elementary school kids, the trendy strikeout-style ball toss is recommended; it’s fun for both adults and children.
For festivals focused on younger children, lay the targets flat instead of standing them up.
Using sponge balls makes it enjoyable even for little kids.
Sometimes a ball will just roll and accidentally drop into a hole.
You could even set up two versions tailored to different age groups!
ring toss
When it comes to festivals, you can broadly divide things into food stalls like takoyaki and cotton candy, and participation-based attractions like goldfish scooping and lotteries.
Among the participation-type games, the classic of classics has to be ring toss—you just can’t leave it out.
One reason it’s so recommendable is how easy it is to customize: you can change the throwing distance based on the children’s ages, or adjust the size of the rings.
You can probably rent a ring-toss target board—one with numbers and wooden pegs—from a rental shop.
It’s also fun to lay out snacks directly and use them as the targets to toss rings onto.
And of course, it’s almost a given to display one or two big snacks that are practically impossible to win.
Great for sparking conversation!
Float Parade
It’s written as 山車 and read “dashi.” Aomori’s Nebuta Festival is famous for its many vibrant dashi floats.
Let’s all make one together and enjoy a parade.
If you install lights inside to make it glow or light it up from the outside, it will look great at night.
Making one featuring your favorite characters would be exciting too.