Creative Kids Carnival Party Ideas

Kids carnival party ideas will thrill all your party guests, even the adults. The food, the games and the shows create wonderful memories. Even better, a carnival theme is flexible. It's a wonderful idea for a birthday party, a neighborhood party or even a school fundraiser. Here's how to make your carnival a hit:

Plan Ahead

Obviously, you want to plan for a time when the weather is going to be good, and you should decide on an alternate date if it rains. Then consider your place. You can have a small carnival in your backyard, but if you are planning on a larger neighborhood or school party, you will need to consult with local authorities or neighborhood associations to get the right permits. For example, you may want to close off a section of the street so you can set up booths.

Decide how many "booths" you are going to have. You may need to borrow extra tables for the booths. If you are planning on renting a popcorn or cotton candy machine, you will want to do this early. Then talk with friends, family members or fellow committee members, and prepare a schedule so someone will be available to staff each booth or sit at tables to hand out raffle tickets. For a fundraising event, start consulting community businesses and ask them to donate prizes, such as gift certificates to their stores.

Once you have your time and place, get ready to send out invitations. Be sure to include the actual date and time, along with the rain date. Also ask guests to bring hats and sun block because, if all goes as planned, they will be having fun outdoors for a long time.

Setting the Scene

Turning your back yard into a carnival can seem overwhelming, but remember the number-one party planning rule: Keep it simple. Colored streamers strung along a fence, ropes tied between trees or posts with chips, popcorn or cotton candy bags clipped to them and colorful tarps will all lend a festive look to your carnival. Large appliance boxes, available from local stores, can be decorated and made into entry ways, small displays and pretend buildings. You will want lots of balloons at your carnival party. Tie them in bunches all around the yard. Consider having a clown or a magician as the main attraction.

Party Food

The food should be like what you would find at a fair: hot dogs, popcorn, chips, ice cream, soda pop and even pizza slices. Decorate a food booth, and let kids come and go when they are ready to eat just like they were at a real carnival. You can purchase popcorn bags and hot dog papers at places that rent the machines or at your local restaurant supply store.

Fun and Games

The best part of any carnival is the games. You can purchase a roll of raffle tickets from just about any retail store. If you choose to use the tickets as a way to get prizes, save plenty of these at each booth to give to the kids as they play the games. Let them redeem their tickets at the prize booth that you have set up with inexpensive little toys and treats.

In the case of a fundraiser, sell the tickets, which will give each guest a chance at playing the game. Then they will win prizes at the individual booths. Set up a table with a poster stating the cost of each ticket, and ask someone to staff the cash box.

Here are some fun game suggestions for a kid's carnival party:

Guess the Jelly Beans: You can use any type of candy for this. Fill a container with the jelly beans, and allow children to write their name and amount on a slip of paper. Award a ticket for playing. After everyone has guessed, award the closest guesser either extra tickets or the candy-filled container.

Bean Bag Toss: Arrange bean bags to be tossed into containers or a piece of cardboard with an opening decorated to look like a clown's open mouth.

Tin Can Alley: Set up empty pop cans and see who can knock them down using foam balls. For an added challenge, set up the cans at varying distances and also award prizes to the person who can throw the farthest.