Tips, Tricks & Checklists
GAME IDEAS: 1. Ladder Toss: Use a ladder & bean bags In this game, you have to number each slot in the ladder and kids will throw their bean bag through a slot. That slot numbers equals the number of tickets they ll get. 1. Tic Tac Toe: Use a blow up one (like shown) or you can make one using a box box and get about 6 wiffle balls. In this game, kids need to toss the balls to get three in a row. 1. Pop It: Buy or make popcorn holders out of bags, boxes or cups. Use bean bags or something at the bottom for weight. Get 6 plastic golf balls or ping pong balls in whit or yellow and a small table. In this game, kids bounce a ball on the table and try to get it into the popcorn containers. 4. Catching Fish: Get plastic fish, toy fishing rods (magnetic or hooks) and a small blog up swimming pool. In this game, kids fish in the pool and the fish have numbers on them and kids get that number of tickets.
5. Spin The Wheel: Buy or make a spinning wheel and use a table. In this game, write funny things kids can do like do 5 push ups or hop on one foot for 10 seconds and they get the number of tickets on the wheel for completing that task. 6. Ring Toss: Buy or make rings and the holder with stakes sticking up. In this game, kids toss the rings on to the stakes and get tickets for each ring they get. 7. Mouse Hole Roll: Take a box, cut out mouse holes, add decorations, use 6 ping pong balls, make bumpers out of cardboard to keep the ball falling off the table. (Daniella made this game pictured on the right.) In this game people try to roll the 2 ping pong balls through the 2 holes in the box, if they get the ball through they get tickets. 8. Knock Em Down: Take drink cans, decorate with duct tape, put marbles or rocks to put some weight in the bottom of the can, use 6 bean bags, decorate a small box (if you need more height) and use a table. In this game, kids throw bean bags to knock over the cans and if you knock off all the cans then you get tickets)
9. Bucket Toss: Get colored buckets and plastic golf or ping pong balls. Put numbers on each bucket. In this game, kids stand behind a line in front of the buckets and throw balls into the buckets. They get the number of tickets on each bucket. 10. Face Painting & Tattoos: Get face paint and temporary tattoos. Bowl with water and a sponge. Baby wipes in case of mistakes. It s helpful to have some design choices printed out for the kids to choose from. (This one is for your artistic friends to do!) 11. Carnival Entry Area: You ll need a cash box, bracelets/wristbands or hand stamps. Make sure you have some $5 bils available to make change. 12. PRIZE Table: Put out all of your prizes in buckets or boxes clearly marked with how many tickets it takes to get that prize. Use brown paper bags to give kids for their prizes and have a marker to write their name on it. Need prize ideas? Click here and here
Food: Drinks: Fruit: Water Juices: Snacks: Desserts: Sodas: Checklist of condiments and serving items: Ketchup Mustard Relish Forks Spoons (regular & serving size) Knives Paper plates (small and large) Garbage bags (pop up ones are great!) Napkins Bowls (to hold food such as fruit) Jugs & Coolers to hold drinks Ice
Staffing: Ask your friends and family to help by becoming staff. Make sure they are there at least 30 minutes in advance so you can tell them which game they will be starting with on how it works and we give them their staff shirt and some lunch so they are ready to go! I like to rotate everyone to a new game about halfway through the day so that they don t get bored. I ask everyone to stay for at least 30 minutes after the carnival ends to so that they can help with clean up. It s SO much faster than having to do it all yourself. If you let everyone know what to expect ahead of time, they are usually more than happy to help out without complaints. Staff T-shirts: You can buy low-cost t-shirts at your local craft store or drugstore. We got some iron-on transfer paper from our local office supply store and you can get them online. We printed out the logo and ironed it on the front and then printed out the word STAFF and added it to the back. We chose bright colors so that everyone would know who was part of the staff in case they needed something or had a question. MAKE SURE TO SEND THANK YOU NOTES TO YOUR STAFF! I like to make take our staff picture like I did above and turn that into the thank you card!