What child doesn’t look forward to a birthday party whether it is her own or that of a friend. Birthday parties can have many different themes depending on the child and on the parent’s budget. Carnival theme birthday parties can be created without spending a fortune. Follow these simple steps to create a delightful carnival theme birthday party.
Planning the Event
Send out ticket shaped invitations to the children who will be invited to the party. Hang streamers in the yard from trees or swing sets to give the backyard a carnival atmosphere. Have tables set up in the backyard as carnival game stations. Decorate the tables with streamers, table cloths and hang a hand decorated sign on the front of each one so the kids will know what the game is.
Purchase goody bags with a circus or other carnival theme. Fill them with dollar store items such as small, plastic animals, small rubber balls and clown shaped erasers. Let the kids take one home after the party.
Renting a clown for the afternoon of the party is a great way to keep in the carnival atmosphere. Clowns can put on a small show for the children to entertain them during the party.
Have a teenager or an adult provide face painting for the children during the party. Face paints are available at pharmacies and discount stores like Target.
More Carnival Ideas
Hot dogs are a staple carnival food. They can be grilled in advance and kept warm in the oven until meal time. Have ample condiments on hand. Heat up frozen pizzas and slice them into child size slices. Keep the toppings simple as it’s easier to feed a crowd with simple plain cheese or cheese and pepperoni pizza. Cut apples into slices and brush them with a bit of lemon juice so they won’t turn brown. Serve them with caramel dips.
Since creating a carnival birthday party takes a lot of decorating work, keep the birthday cake simple by making cupcakes. Ice the cupcakes and decorate them with colorful sprinkles and place animal crackers on top.
Most cities have popcorn machine and cotton candy machine rentals. Some even offer delivery. Call well in advance to place the order so the machine will be available on party day. When the machines are delivered, be sure that all necessary ingredients are delivered as well including bags for the popcorn and paper cones for the cotton candy. Be sure to have an adult handle the machines. To keep costs down, pop corn in the microwave and hand it out in small white bags.
Some great carnival kid friendly games to have on hand are
- Bucket Toss - have the children toss small bean bags or balls into buckets
- Pin the tail on the donkey - hang the donkey on a tree or the backyard gate
- Penny Pitch - set up plates at a distance so kids can toss pennies onto them
- Plastic boats - float dollar store platic boats in a large tub and number the bottoms with marker. Have the children take turns choosing a boat. If the boat has a special number, the child wins a prize
- Hang a hula hoop from a tree branch and have the kids toss a basketball or a footbal through the hoop
Susan Ayers - Susan Ayers, a former Training Designer for Circuit City Stores, Inc., is a freelance writer in Richmond, Virginia. Susan is the Richmond ...
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