carnival party games
BY A PROFESSIONAL PARTY PLANNER
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Carnival party games for kids
Indoor carnival party games
Homemade carnival party games
Carnival booth games
Circus party games
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i’m matt james
professional event producer
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CARNIVAL PARTY GAMES
Below are lots of suggestions for Carnival Party Games and Activities suitable for a Carnival theme party or kid’s birthday.
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carnival party ideas
Don’t forget to check out my main page of Carnival party ideas. Hit the ‘Read More’ button below.
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CARNIVAL STALLS
Here’s a great tip from Martha Stewart for how to create side stalls and booths for the Carnival party games below. Just raid your linen closet for colorful sheets, beach towels, and blankets (or pick up some cheap fabric by the roll) and hang these from ropes or clotheslines tied between trees.
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PRINTABLE CARNIVAL SIGNS
Then all you have to do is create homemade signs for each of the Carnival party games below to hang on top. Alternatively, you can buy some of these printable Carnival signs, available here.
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CARNIVAL TICKETS / TOKENS
One idea is to have the kids play individual Carnival party games to win tickets or tokens.
You could use these cheap Bingo chips (which come in bags of 500), available here, or a roll of tickets, available here in different colors, as the tokens.
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CARNIVAL PARTY GAME PRIZES
Then you can set up one big prize stall where they can redeem their tokens at the end.
You can stock the prize table with a whole range of different size prizes and treats with different values (ie a large plush toy could be 10 tokens, whereas smaller items might need only one or two tokens).
This way they can choose what they win and even leave with several prizes of different value. Check out this supplier or alternatively this supplier, for a range of toys and novelties which could be used as prizes for these Carnival party games.
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AWARD RIBBONS
For other games, such as sack races etc, you could use these 1st, 2nd, 3rd place and honoree mention award ribbons, available here, as prizes.
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BEAN BAG TOSS
Cut a large picture out of cardboard to act as the target, e.g. a clown face with a hole for the mouth. Then let the kids try to toss bean bags into the clown’s mouth from a distance.
Alternatively, if you don’t want to make this yourself, there are lots of variations of these Carnival party games available to buy, from simple canvas pouches to clown print stand up options. Check out all the options here and also here.
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DART BALLOONS
Attach lots of balloons to a cork board and use darts to see how many they can pop. Have a stock of spare balloons already blown up so that you can replace any that they pop quickly and easily. You can pick up packs of darts and balloons here.
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TIN CAN TOSS
Stack up tin cans in a pyramid and use rubber balls to see if they can knock them down. Alternatively you can buy this Carnival themed version, available here, which includes the tin cans and bean bags.
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RING TOSS
The Ring Toss is a bit more exciting when the kids are actually trying to get the ring over a particular prize, so set up some small plush toys raised up on blocks. Alternatively you could just use simple objects such as wine / soda bottles (but remember to weight them down so they don’t fall over when a ring hits them).
There are several variations of these Carnival party games that you can buy, such as this cardboard version or this plastic bottle version, both available here.
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DUCK POND
Set up a kids padding pool with lots of rubber ducks. Mark the bottom of some of the ducks in advance to indicate how many tickets they win (ex, none, one, two, etc).
Give the kids fish scoops to try to catch a duck while blindfolded. You can pick up fish scoop nets here and rubber ducks here.
Alternatively, check out the magnetic fishing games available here.
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PENNY PITCH
Lay out different targets on a table (or on the ground) and have the kids throw a penny to try and get it to land on the target.
You can theme some of the carnival party games such as this one even further by using these cut outs, available here, as the targets and writing on the back how much each one is worth.
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TATTOO / FACE PAINTING
Set up a Tattoo booth with temporary / washable tattoos for kids, available here.
You could also combine this with face painting / clown make up classes. You can pick up supplies here.
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DUCK SHOOT
Set up a row of rubber ducks, available here, and let the kids use a super-soaker, available here, to try to shoot them off. Alternatively, you could use ping pong balls balanced on golf teas (stick the teas into a block of Styrofoam).
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CARNIVAL PHOTO BOARD
Pick up this classic muscle man peep-through photo board or this general carnival themed one and use it for photo-ops. Both available here.
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WET SPONGE TOSS
Use the same muscle man peep-through plastic photo board (above) and let the kids toss a wet sponge to see if they can hit each other (or a parent!) in the face.
BALL IN THE BASKET
Let the kids see if they can toss a ball into a basket from a distance. Alternatively, use this 3 in a row game, available here.
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CARNIVAL SACK RACES
Use this pack of 12 carnival themed potato sacks, available here, to hold sack races and award prize ribbons to the winner and runners up.
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PIN DROP
One of the more classic Carnival party games which isn’t as easy as it sounds. Let the kids see if they can drop a clothes pin into a glass jar while holding their arm straight out in front of them.
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COCONUT SHY
Balance coconuts onto wine / soda bottles (weigh the bottled down first) and let the kids see if they can knock them off with tennis balls.
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BALL TOSS
Set up some glass jars / tumblers and let them try to throw ping pong balls into them.
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HOT POTATO
This inflatable hot potato game, available here, is so cute. It comes with a music CD with 33 minutes of kid’s songs. That should keep them busy for a while!
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FORTUNE TELLER
Have a parent or sibling dress up as a fortune teller and read the kid’s palms and dispense fortune cookies. Alternatively, use one of these standees, available here, to create your own fortune telling booth as part of the Carnival party games.
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HOMEMADE DUNK TANK
A variation on the dunk tank: pick up some cheap disposable rain ponchos, available here, for whoever is going to be the target and let everyone else use water balloons, available here, to try and get them wet.
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DECORATE A CLOWN HAT
This kit is a great little activity to include in your games. It includes 6 hats with various stickers, pom pom and foam attachments for everyone to decorate their own clown hat. Check it out here.
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CARNIVAL PARTY GAMES: COLORING
These coloring activities are perfect for indoor parties or if it ends up raining on the day. Either color your own Carnival scene, available here, or color in a Carnival themed paddle ball game, available here.
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CARNIVAL PARTY GAMES: PRINTABLE
Another great option for a rainy day is this carnival bingo printable. Check out this supplier for more printable Carnival party games.
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BOWLING
Set up some skittles for bowling, available here, or make your own using soda bottles.
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TEST OF STRENGTH
Let the kids play at being the Strongman by making some fake barbells using black balloons or Styrofoam balls sprayed black. Add the weight (ex, 100 lbs) to the balloons / balls using white cardstock. Alternatively, just use this Inflatable Barbell, available here.
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LOLLY TREE
Use a Sharpie to paint lollipop sticks in different colors. Have each color correspond to the number of prize tokens they will win (ex, Green = none, Red = one, Blue = two etc).
Have lots of the lower number colors and less of the higher ones.
Then, cut out a cardboard tree (or use this cheap cardboard tree, available here) and make numerous holes in it so you can slot the lolly sticks through.
When viewed from the front you should only be able to see the head of the lollipop on the tree, not the stick.
Have them take turns to pick a lolly to see what they win.
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CARNIVAL PHOTO BOOTH PROPS
Use these carnival themed photo booth props and signs, available here, to capture some fun memories of the day.
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GUESS HOW MANY
Fill a large jar with jelly beans or other small candies and have the kids try to guess how many there are.
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CARNIVAL PARTY GAMES
There are various ready made games available such as this Pie in the Eye disc toss, disk drop, or coin toss game. Check out all the options here.
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PIN THE NOSE ON THE CLOWN
A simple variation of ‘Pin the Tail On’, this ‘Pin the Nose on the Clown’ version, available here, ties in nicely with these Carnival party games.
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CARNIVAL PINATA
Finish off your Carnival party games with a Carnival themed pinata, such as these Big Top or Clown Pinatas, available here.
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more Carnival party ideas
Hit the ‘Read More’ button below to check out my main page of carnival party ideas.
I’m curious about the usual distance to stand back for a dime pitch into various glasses.
Thanks your website is interesting and informative.