Hoopla Ideas for Funfair Side Stalls

Hoopla is a simple, addictive and effective game, and is great when it comes to raising money for charity, at funfairs, fairgrounds or just to pass the time at private parties.

A staple part of village fetes and community events, Hoopla can be played by all, and while the game itself is fun everyone's eyes will be on the prizes on offer. This funfair side stall game is all about accuracy and skill, and you often find people having multiple goes as they get so close (yet so far) from winning their desired prize.

If you’ve not played before, a simple explanation of the aim of the game is to toss a hoop around a block. There can be a dozen or so of them laid out on the ground or on a display table. Players toss wooden hoops with the aim to land one of them around one of the cylindrical blocks. It's harder than it looks, and some blocks are harder to loop around than others due to their proximity and size - it's all about angles and delicate throwing. Each block has a different prize attached to it and it depends where you want to place them. The standard is to have the bigger prizes at the back to tempt people to shoot further and easier ones at the front.

It's up to you what the prizes are but having something slightly high ticket can really draw people in and keep them coming back for more. We’ve even seen a weekend away as the top prize - and you can bet people were taking multiple goes to win it! Other great prize ideas are cuddly toys, a bottle of wine, food hampers etc. It’s good to offer a range of prizes for both children and adults.

Take a shot and win a prize!

Players cast their eyes over an array of exciting prizes and then it’s up to them to take their shot- do they take the easy prize or risk it all for a big one.

This simple game is a top way to raise money at a charity fundraiser and you can get companies to donate some of the prizes too so you can end up with a really exciting game which people will gather to watch as well as play. It's also a great feature at corporate events and teambuilding days, or even weddings! Why not hire a branded game for exhibition stand entertainment?

You can even get creative with the layout, obviously the standard wooden pole is functional but you can get themed hoopla toss games: Space themed where the blocks are rockets and the rings are UFOs, you can have a wild west theme where the blocks are cactus or totem pole shaped. That’s just for a bit of added pizazz; the game remains the same and just as fun and addictive.

If you think this Hoopla seems like the right kind of game for your event and you want it to be bit more high end then the ones you can pick up in the shops, get in touch with We Are Tricycle today and we can help bring this splendid feature to your event.

We have many other funfair attractions for hire, too, ranging from fairground rides to event catering. You can rent everything you need for all kinds of events with us!

Build a Hoopla Stall Around the Type of Event

Hoopla is a simple fairground concept, but the way it is presented can vary considerably. The stall, targets, prizes and surrounding theme can all help it fit into anything from a traditional fair to a corporate event or seasonal celebration.

fairground side stalls and games provides further traditional stall ideas if you are planning a larger games section rather than using hoopla on its own.

Create a Traditional Fairground Hoopla Stall

For a classic funfair theme, hoopla can sit alongside other familiar games with colourful stall fronts, prizes and straightforward turn-based play. Grouping several traditional activities together can create a dedicated side-stall section within the event.

Hook A Duck Side Stall, Tin Can Alley Side Stall and Coconut Shy Side Stall can complement hoopla in this type of line-up. Funfair History FAQs provides more background on the traditions behind familiar fairground entertainment.

Use Hoopla as Part of a Skill Games Zone

Hoopla can also be presented as one challenge within a broader collection of accuracy games. Guests might move between activities based on throwing, aiming and judgement, with each game offering a different task.

skill games provides more ideas for this format, including other traditional side-stall concepts. For organisers interested in how hoopla developed as a fairground game, What Is the History of Hoopla? explores its background separately.

Make Prizes Part of the Hoopla Experience

Prizes can change how a hoopla stall feels. They might be used as the main visual focus of a traditional stall, incorporated into a competition or selected to suit the theme and audience of the event.

prize games brings together more entertainment where winning a prize can form part of participation. Organisers can also mix prize-based activities with games that are played primarily for scores or friendly competition.

Adapt the Hoopla Idea for Seasonal Events

The familiar ring-toss principle can be reworked visually for different times of year. This allows organisers to retain an easy-to-understand game while changing its presentation to suit the event.

Hoop A Witch's Hat Halloween Funfair Stall gives the concept a Halloween treatment, while Hoop A Nutcracker Funfair Side Stall provides a Christmas variation. More themed options can be found in seasonal funfair stalls.

Turn Hoopla into a Branded Activity

At exhibitions, company events and promotional activations, a hoopla-style challenge can be incorporated into a wider branded games area. The targets, stall presentation and surrounding graphics can then relate to the organisation or campaign rather than relying solely on traditional fairground styling.

Bespoke Branded Funfair Game Stall demonstrates another route for adapting side-stall entertainment, while How to Use Interactive Games at Exhibitions provides related advice for exhibition environments.

Mix Hoopla with Games That Test Different Skills

A complete side-stall section does not need several versions of essentially the same challenge. Hoopla can provide an accuracy-based throwing game while neighbouring stalls introduce knocking, aiming, grabbing or other forms of play.

Down A Clown Side Stall, Ball In The Bucket Side Stall and Soft Crossbow Side Stall can introduce different mechanics. carnival games provides further choices when building a varied games area.

Plan Hoopla as Part of the Wider Fairground

The most suitable hoopla idea will depend on the event theme, audience, available space and other entertainment already booked. It can operate as a standalone activity, one element of a side-stall row or part of a larger carnival-style entertainment programme.

How to Choose the Right Funfair Rides & Games can help with the wider entertainment mix, while How to Manage Queues at Funfairs provides related guidance for popular participation activities. You can also browse competitive games, themed events and all products, visit our Guides, or contact us to discuss funfair side-stall ideas.