Fairground games are plentiful, and we are all familiar with old-school classics such as ring toss, tin can alley, ball in the bucket, test your strength, hook a duck, and more. For those who have to jog their memory a bit to remember these games, hook a duck, for example, is a game where you can become a ‘fisherman’ and try to literally hook a duck from a pond. Test your strength is another all-time favourite at any funfair, and it involves the use of a hammer so you can ‘test your strength’. Of course, those who are the strongest win a prize. And who can forget ring toss, one of the simplest fairground games of all, where all you have to do is throw hoops over glass bottles so you can test your skill and perhaps win a prize? All these games are well-loved around the world, and if you are organising a fairground event, it pays to know which ones you should choose to make your fairground event a total success. Here’s everything you need to know about fairground games – and which ones are the most popular.
The basics of fairground games
Fairground or funfair games are essentially games of either skill or chance which you can see at most – if not all – amusement parks, fairgrounds, carnivals, fairs, and so on. You can usually participate in a fairground game on the basis of ‘pay as you play’, which means that you can get a turn as soon as you pay. Typical prizes for fairground games and stalls include stuffed toys (a well-loved favourite of both children and adults alike), posters, toys, and more. You are encouraged to continue playing as you may be able to trade several small prizes for a much larger reward.
The kinds of fairground games available
There are basically two kinds of fairground games as a general rule, separated into two categories: games of chance and games of skill.
Games of chance
Games of chance are definite crowd favourites primarily since they don't depend on a person's actual 'skill' or prowess at a game. A game of chance will have a random result or outcome, and one example is the penny (or dime) pitch. This is where you get to toss a coin onto a board placed horizontally, which has random markings on it. The marks will be the same size as the coin, and if you can completely cover the mark with your coin, you win. Another simple game involving chance and luck is the ping-pong ball and fishbowl game, where you can throw your ping-pong balls at a special table that is filled with empty fishbowls. If you can get your ball into a bowl, then you could take home a goldfish or another prize. The duck pond or hook a duck is another popular game of chance, especially for young kids.
Games of skill
Of course, there are games of skill at a fairground, and we also have plenty of these as fairground stall hire specialists. The typical game of skill will test your expertise when it comes to hitting a particular target using either a weapon or a ball. Some games include ring toss, crossbow shooting, balloons and darts, and so on. Another skill game which has been previously mentioned is the test of strength game – only the strong survive, as they say, and the prizes are usually more than worth it!
Read our fairground game guides for more advice.
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