Many children enjoy hearing a good story. Invite a storyteller to attend the festival to entertain children. Because this is a festival activity, and festivals should be fun and lively, the storyteller should be dramatic and flamboyant when telling the tale. The storyteller should also not read directly from a book and instead memorize the story. His attire, accent and overall appearance should resemble the character or story setting. And, the tale should be no longer than 10 minutes so that children can move on to other festival exhibits fairly quickly.
Because many children love small animals, hosting a petting zoo booth or area at a festival may be a popular children's activity. Goats, puppies, rabbits, ponies and pigs are just a few animals that are child friendly. A local farmer may be willing to bring her animals for children to enjoy. Depending on the number of animals, the petting zoo area may need to be a large area.
An activity that combines art with the environment is the Trash to Treasure activity. Put a pile of old, recyclable materials on the large booth table. Include old egg cartons, milk cartons, sour cream containers, empty soda cans and plastic bags. Ensure that these items are clean, and all metal pieces are void of sharp edges. Instruct the children to create a treasure from the pile of trash. Include wire, tape, glue, scissors, crayons and markers for the children to use when creating their works of art. You could incorporate a theme, such as encouraging the children to create animals from their trash material. This activity works with children of all ages, but elementary-aged children may be the most appropriate age group.