There’s one thing that’s for sure and it’s that, if you’re going to have a carnival birthday party, you’re going to need some games for the kids to play. There are lots of fun games you can set up in the backyard which will earn the kids small prizes and favors. They’ll feel like they’re at a real carnival!
Set up a squirt gun game that will have the kids lining up for fun. Make at least three different containers, like bowls, jars or boxes, and fill them with prizes. Each container should have different prizes than the others. Drill holes in a piece of wood or poke holes in a Styrofoam slab. Set a golf tee in each hole and balance a ping pong ball on top of each one. Before the games actually begin take a couple of shots at the balls to determine how far back the kids should stand. Place a yardstick or other object on the ground and have them stand behind that line. Give each child three shots to knock off up to three balls. If you want, color-code the prize containers with the colors of the tees so kids know from which container to choose.
Another fun game for children at a carnival birthday party is the classic clothespin drop. Set up a quart canning jar and set a chair beside it. Give each child ten clothes pins and have them get on their knees on the chair. Keeping his hands no lower than the back of the chair, each kid drops the pins, one a at time, into the jar. Give a prize to each child, depending upon how many clothes pins he or she got into the container, or just give prizes to those who get in all ten of the pins.
Set up a board or box and align a row of short glasses against it. Add another row in front of that one, then a row in front of that one, until you have a large triangle shape with just one glass in front. Kids stand behind a line and toss ping pong balls into the glasses; it’s harder than you think. The kids who get all three balls in with three throws win prizes.
Set a small, child’s pool out in the yard but omit the water. Instead, cut pieces of paper into fish shapes and write a prize name on each one. Some prizes could include stickers, pencils, eraser toppers, notepads or other small things. Slide a paper clip on each fish. Tape a button magnet to a string, and tie the string around a stick, to make the fishing pole. Blindfold each child and let him “fish”. Each child can fish until they catch a prize but he or she won’t be able to see which fish have what prizes.
Although it’s not actually a game another cool thing to have for the carnival birthday party is a temporary tattoo booth. An adult can apply tattoos to kids as they drop by the booth. Have a bowl of water and a washcloth on hand to apply the tattoos.
