Non-food attractions for school festivals! A collection of hands-on ideas that will get everyone excited
Are you struggling to decide what to do for your school festival booth—other than food? Let’s energize the venue with unique ideas that are a bit different from the usual food stalls! From hands-on attractions like those at amusement parks, to photo spots, to performances your whole class can take on together, this article is packed with ideas that will win over your visitors.
We’ll also share helpful tips from preparation through day-of operations, so use this as a guide to create a booth that’s uniquely yours.
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Exhibits (11–20)
Cardboard art
Cardboard, commonly used for delivering packages, is also excellent as a crafting material thanks to its sturdy structure.
Depending on your approach, it’s possible to create fairly large objects.
You can enjoy a variety of techniques: leveraging its original linear form to bond pieces together or slot them with cuts, or first crushing it to soften it and then assembling it to create curves.
A display featuring multiple large cardboard objects would likely make quite a strong impression.
Showa Retro Exhibition
In recent years, the spotlight on social media has been on “Showa retro.” Showa retro refers to retro items like products and home appliances with designs no longer in use today.
They’re especially popular among younger generations who aren’t familiar with them, calling them “cute” and “refreshingly new.” So how about gathering Showa retro items and holding a Showa Retro Exhibition? Try searching your home or relatives’ houses to find nostalgic pieces.
Another appeal is how photogenic they are—you’ll want to post them on social media.
food sample
How about making our own food samples—like the ones often displayed at restaurant entrances—and exhibiting them as artworks? These days, DIY kits are available, making it easier to create them.
Setting up a hands-on corner where visitors can try making samples themselves would make it even more exciting.
balloon arch
A balloon arch, which uses balloons to form an arch, is a common sight not only at cultural and school festivals but also as a decorative item for entrance and graduation ceremonies.
By installing colorful arches in various locations, you can create a festive atmosphere for your event.
In recent years, many people post photos on social media like Instagram, so creating a stylish balloon arch that becomes a photogenic spot will likely excite the students who visit.
In any case, since it’s an exhibit where your sense of style is key, it’s something you’ll want to refine repeatedly as you work toward completion.
Independent film screening
It’s a straightforward idea: just have your class screen a film you made yourselves.
The prep work can be tough, but on the day, you only need to run it at the scheduled time, so it’s nice that you can relax during the event.
There’s a wide range of ways to approach it—parodies of existing movies or an original script—so it’s important to meet and decide which direction to take.
If you decorate the screening space to match the movie’s world, the audience will enjoy the experience even more.
short film
From realistic stories to cinematic worlds! Here are some ideas for short film projects.
Many of you may be thinking about preserving your precious student days in photos and videos.
For those people, creating short films is highly recommended.
Try writing your own script and challenging yourselves with camera setups and video editing.
It may be your first attempt, but I believe a work you create yourselves will stay in your hearts forever.
Plus, it’s exciting to witness the audience’s reactions in real time as they watch your film projected on a big screen.
Umbrella Sky
This is about linking colorful vinyl umbrellas together with string to create a beautiful decoration.
The key to making it look vibrant is to prepare several strands, each made by connecting many umbrellas—so be sure to have plenty on hand.
Choosing which colors to connect is also important; arranging them to form a rainbow-like gradient is an easy-to-understand approach.
Another point is that, although the idea is simple, there are many details to refine: how dense to make each strand, how many to create, and where to display them.