Wonderful school festival / cultural festival

[For Elementary Schools] Recommended Exhibits and Recreational Activities for a Cultural Festival

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICsasashina
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. During my student years at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, I studied a wide range of fields including sound, lighting, and video technology, building a foundation in comprehensive stage production and creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, consistently building experience in production and engaging in a variety of music-centered tasks. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting and what I feel and discover through daily interactions with my kids. I hope my work can be of help to you, even in a small way!

One of the events elementary school students look forward to is the cultural festival.

Sometimes it’s held under a unique name like “Friendship Festival” or includes the school’s name as in “◯◯ Showcase.”

This article is perfect for an elementary school cultural festival!

It introduces activities and recreations that the whole class can enjoy together.

You’ll find a variety of ideas—from performances you can do in the classroom to recreations suited for larger spaces like the gym or school grounds.

If you’re having trouble deciding on an idea, feel free to use these as a reference.

[For Elementary Schools] Recommended Booths and Recreational Activities for the Culture Festival (1–10)

maze

Let's Make and Play: A Cardboard Maze

maze

Use classroom or gym space to create a maze out of cardboard.

In addition to cardboard, you can also form paths with desks, or build a maze using plywood and ropes.

This is a recreational activity where you make a maze and then let people play in the finished maze!

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true-or-false quiz

[Shocking] Do you know the real way to read Japanese? True-or-False Quiz

true-or-false quiz

If you want everyone to enjoy a quiz together, a True-or-False (Maru-Batsu) quiz is perfect.

As you know, the rule is to answer each question with either a circle (true) or a cross (false).

You can also split a large space like a gym into two areas—one for O and one for X—and have participants move to the side that matches their answer.

If only those who answer correctly remain each round, it adds a fun, game-like element.

Try coming up with questions that feel answerable but aren’t obvious—ones with that perfect, tricky difficulty.

Questions whose answers are surprising also get the crowd excited.

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Haunted house

Haunted House: Nankei Branch School (Revised Edition)

Haunted house

It’s also a great idea to set up a haunted house where everyone can scream and get excited.

Try brainstorming ideas together to scare people and put them into practice.

A common technique used in school festival haunted houses is to stimulate the five senses—for example, covering the floor with newspaper to change the feel underfoot, or placing items with unusual smells.

You can also give the haunted house a storyline.

By the way, if you want to make a room completely dark, taping cardboard over the windows works well.

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[For Elementary Schools] Recommended Booths and Recreations for School Culture Festivals (11–20)

Baby photo guessing quiz

Liven up your thank-you party! How to make a question video for a baby quiz

Baby photo guessing quiz

A lively baby photo guessing quiz is also recommended.

In this game, baby photos are shown on a monitor or screen, and everyone tries to guess who it is.

There might be moments of surprise and discovery, like “Wait, that was me?” It can also be a great way to appreciate how much everyone has grown.

Depending on the schedule and venue, if possible, it may be more fun to include photos of everyone.

Also, showing videos instead of still images tends to get the crowd even more excited.

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circuit

Track and field jumping activity play: “Jump-Fun Circuit” — let’s enjoy lots of different ways to jump!

circuit

A highly recommended attraction for the gym or schoolyard that lets kids really move their bodies is a circuit.

It’s a compact, obstacle-course-style activity you can set up using items like mini hurdles and cones.

Kids can hop rhythmically or dash through at speed, and those who love physical activity will especially get hooked.

You can easily adjust the difficulty by changing the hurdle height and the spacing between items, so it might be good to create several courses and let kids choose which one to try.

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ring toss

Aug 30 Ring Toss Exchange Event

ring toss

Ring toss, which you often see at festival stalls, is also a popular attraction.

It’s a game that people of all ages can enjoy.

There are two main ways to enjoy ring toss.

One is a prize format, where you receive rewards based on the number of rings you land.

The other is a competitive format, where individuals or teams compete for the best score.

Try adopting whichever format is easier for you to implement.

By the way, there’s also a variation where it’s not enough just to land the rings—you have to line them up vertically or horizontally like bingo.

That version might feel more challenging and satisfying.

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Giant Jenga

@akikusa.hs
Akikusa Gakuen High School #Akikusa High School School Introduction Girls' school Private high school Saitama Prefecture Cultural Festival #KikyoFestival #KikyoFestival2022 Festival booth Giant Jenga Jenga
♬ Mario like action game 2 – Jun Takahashi

Jenga is said to have originated in the UK.

It’s a game where you pull out rectangular blocks while strategizing against your opponent so the Jenga tower doesn’t fall.

It’s been featured on many TV variety shows, so most of you probably already know it.

How about making a giant version of that Jenga using styrofoam or cardboard boxes? Giant Jenga makes an impact with its size alone.

You can color-code the blocks, write point values on them—there are plenty of ways to customize the game!

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