Building a carnival in your own backyard is a fun, out-of-the-box way to celebrate birthdays, holidays or to enjoy just because. Never planned a shin dig quite like this? Not to worry, I've got some creative, do it yourself ideas that will help mold a perfect backyard carnival to any scale you decide to take on. If you're planning to go big, you may want to grab your friends, some neighbor kids or any volunteers you can find to help you out. Might I also remind you, that more usually is merrier!
Name Your Rides and Attractions
First, you'll need to decide how many rides, attractions or booths you want to take on. I recommend somewhere around six, you don't want
too many but you definitely want to keep your patrons entertained. You should also be sure to consider the age group you'll have participating. Most games can be adjusted to enhance difficulty levels, so just keep your thinking cap on and always have your audience in mind. Here are a few of my favorite rides and attractions:
- The Cake/Cupcake Walk - Bake a few cakes or cupcakes (you can even ask guests to bring some), tape down colored or numbered paper plates in a circle, play music while participants walk in a circle and when the music stops call out a number or color and the person standing on it wins the cake or cupcake. You can also use cupcakes for qualifying rounds and host a main event walk that awards a full cake for the grand champion.
- Blindfolded Treasure Hunt - Fill a wading pool or like container with small prizes, (we suggest pennies, nickles, beaded necklaces, bouncy balls, and marbles) then cover it all with sand, blindfold one child at a time and give them 60 seconds to feel around and grab as many prizes as they can. You can limit hunters to one hand, one prize, or any other variation depending on how many prizes you want to supply.
- Face Painting/Temporary Tattoo Booth - Call on that artistic friend, get some washable non-toxic face paints, a few brushes and let them go to town! It may be beneficial for the face painter to display a select number of choices for guests to choose from (these can be displayed on a poster board or even just a sheet of paper) this way they'll save time and guests will know exactly what to expect. Another variation is to buy some temporary tattoos and apply them as guests like. Remember, for either option you should keep a mirror on hand!
Carnival Games and Prizes
Carnival games should be easy to set up, easy to explain, slightly challenging and should always be rewarded appropriately. Often the prize is more important than the game itself, people will be willing to play your games again and again if the prizes are worth their efforts. Some of my favorite prizes include:
- Candy - it's not too expensive, easy to buy in bulk and is always a crowd favorite. Try Candy Crate for loads of great bulk candy options.
- Plush Toys - a traditional carnival favorite. Check out Smile Makers, they have an outstanding variety of plush bears, dogs, puppets and more.
- Balls - they're a great prize for kids of all ages. Joissu has a fun collection of balls in all shapes, sizes and colors for you to choose from. Mix and match your selection to give your gamers a variety.
- Sticky Hands, Fun Bands, & Water Toys - are all popular kid favorites and can be easily purchased in bulk at a place like Oriental Trading.
If bulk prizes or budget friendly aren't a concern for you then you might try prizes like gift cards for ice cream, toy stores, or music, or even
higher priced items like backpacks, scooters, DVDs, or video games. As for the carnival games, you can purchase or build your own depending on how much you want to spend and how creative you want to get. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Beanbag Toss - While you can certainly make you own, I recommend dropping the dough to purchase one. They're easy to find online, relatively inexpensive and can be used year round over and over. I like the Mainstreet Micro Bag Toss from Walmart.
- Lucky Duck - This is a quick game that is great for the little guys. It's also super easy to make yourself; fill a bucket or trough with water and floating rubber duckies making sure one ducky has a colored bottom, mix them up and let players try to find the lucky duck.
- Dart Balloons - This another easy DIY game that players are sure to enjoy. Use pushpins to secure balloons on a cork board, prop the board up and allow contestants a select number of darts to throw and pop as many balloons as they can.
Concessions
You can't host a carnival without yummy treats. You may want to have guests help by bringing refreshments and baked goods or, you can buy candy and snacks in bulk and even charge a small fee for them. If you're hosting a backyard carnival for a birthday party some good concessions to stock up on are ice cream, cupcakes, popcorn, water bottles, peanuts and lemonade. If you're hosting your carnival as more of fund raiser then you may want to include some easily priced/individually sold items like corn dogs, canned sodas, churros, cotton candy, or corn on the cob. Looking to serve healthier foods? Try carrot sticks, reduced fat potato chips, sliced apples, nonfat frozen yogurt, pickles, watermelon or unsweetened iced tea.
Rally the Troops
Probably the most important component of your backyard carnival is your guests. Who you invite and how you choose to get them there will
be the key to your success. As I said before, more is usually merrier; people will be more likely to attend if they can bring a friend or loved one to participate with them and no one wants to attend a carnival in which they are the only guest. You should also consider the age group of your guests and ensure that you have activities planned for everyone to enjoy. Once you've got your guest list in mind it's time to rally the troops. If you are planning your carnival to be an intimate, free occasion then your invitation should reflect that same concept. A paper invitation or evite mailed directly to selected guests is a great way to go. One of my favorite places to find themed invitations is Fine Stationery, you can customize invitations with everything there, even ink and font style. If you're planning to charge for your event or to invite an small army then you might consider turning to a social media site like Facebook or Twitter to announce your event. You can also elect to design an informal flyer that can be passed out to neighbors, friends and family. Remember, both flyers and invites should include your star attractions, games, and concessions - all things that will get people interested!
Have some carnival food, prizes or game ideas of your own? Feel free to share in the comments section below and don't forget your camera - your backyard carnival is bound to be filled with lots of priceless moments and photo opportunities!
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