If you are having a special get-together, school fundraiser, party or event and need entertainment for the kids, carnival games are a great idea. You can easily create fun carnival games that will create hours of fun for kids of all ages. Below are a few fun carnival game ideas for kids that everyone will enjoy playing. Don’t forget to have lots of prizes on hand!
One of the easiest carnival games to create at home is the ring toss game. All you will need for this game are several plastic bottles filled with sand, rings cut out of cardboard (be sure to cut the centers of the rings large enough to easily fit over the bottles), a piece of string or a jump rope, prizes, and some paint. Paint the bottles bright colors. Paint the rings white. Space the bottles on the ground far enough apart to allow for the rings to hook on the bottles. Place a piece of string or jump rope as far back as you would like. This will be the line that the participant will need to stand behind to play the game. The goal is to ring as many bottles as possible.
Another fun game is Feed The Elephant. You will need a cardboard box with a large opening cut in the front, paint, jump rope or string, un-shelled peanuts and prizes. Paint a cute elephant face on the front of the box using the hole as the mouth. Have participants stand behind the jump rope or string. The goal of this game is to throw the peanuts into the opening of the box. The one who “feeds the elephant” the most peanuts wins the game.
The Duck Pond game is great for toddlers and preschool aged kids. You will need a small wading pool, several rubber ducks, a black marker, paper, prizes and a fish bowl or plastic bowl for this game. Fill the pool with water. Write a number on the bottom of each duck with a black permanent marker. Place the ducks in the pool Now write the same numbers on individual pieces of paper. Fold the numbered pieces of paper and place in the bowl. The object of this game is for the child to pick a number out of the bowl and try to find the duck with the matching number. If the numbers do not match, the paper goes back into the bowl and the duck goes back into the pond. The kids take turns trying to find the matching pair. Each time a matching pair are found, that child gets a prize.
With a little time and imagination, you can throw a great carnival themed party that would rival the real thing. The main thing is to find games that are easy enough for smaller children, yet still fun for the older kids to play. Add some hot dogs, cotton candy, and caramel apples and you and your guest will be guaranteed a day of fun!
