The enduring charm and levity of a traditional carnival can give your party a new and exciting lease of life. Bring the joy and wonder of the circus, fair, or sideshow to your next celebration by using the theme and decorating concepts of a playful, old-fashioned carnival. You really can’t go past a carnival party, with games, amusements, and vibrant colors and patterns. Here are some helpful carnival party ideas.
Carnival Party Ideas—Preparations
1. Prepare Party Supplies
Grab some bright-striped napkins and cups as well as bowls in simple primary colors; you can buy these or create your own with a little crafty know-how. But in addition to the usual party goods and supplies, you may choose to hire or purchase some carnival style services and activities:
A bouncing castle or a bouncy house- Popcorn making supplies, including popcorn machine and bags, boxes, or cones
- A fairy floss or cotton candy machine
- A bubble mix or a bubble machine
- A crushed ice drink machine for snow cones
- Sideshow games such as a dunking tank
- Striped circus marquee
- Carnival music
- A candy filled piñata
2. Invite Your Guests
Whether you make your own invitations or purchase some professionally-made ones, you can set the mood and theme of your party before it even starts with judicious use of colors patterns and fun fonts. If you have time to make your own, here are some ideas to help you make super personal and exciting carnival style invitations for your event.
Using striped red and white paper and card can make your invitations look like iconic vintage style popcorn bags.- Judicious use of fun fonts can add to the look of the invitations.Just make sure your guests can read the important information!
- Use circus confetti or carnival-themed stickers to add an extra lively touch to your invitations. Paper embellishments, stickers, and die-cutting tools are available in most craft shops. Sprinkle a little confetti in your invitation envelopes for an additional fun surprise.
- Use the shape of a circus tent to create a novel invitation. Use striped or bright card and cut it into the shape of a classic circus tent, with a white card in the center with easy-to-read party information.
Carnival Party Ideas—Decorations
1. Carnival Themes
Vibrant stripes and ornate text are iconic parts of carnival themes. Using wooden signs with circus style lettering, tablecloths with striped bold fabrics, and bunting or flag garlands in spots, stripes, or solid colors are some easy ways to create your own personal sideshow alley. Night time events allow you to use the bright recognizable lights so often seen at carnivals, and bright or metallic streamers can add to the festive feel.
2. Carnival Booths
Creating carnival booths is simpler than you think! Grab some brightly colored sheets or fabric and use a tent pole or other pole or stake to prop up the center of your booth. Tie the corners to trees to create the appropriate shape, or use a few large painted cardboard boxes to create the base structure and cut away a large square to form the window. Ask a few volunteers to wear aprons and man booths.
3. Carnival Food Tables
Create fun sideshow food tables with bright fabric for tablecloths, circus style decorations, and brightly colored balloons. Cupcake Ferris wheels and bags of sideshow treats such as popcorn, candy, cotton candy, and hot dogs lend an extra carnival touch to your spread. You can also make or buy paper cones to serve tiny treats in. Air-filled water balloons and scalloped, knotted fabric around chairs are some extra touches you can use for decorations.
Carnival Party Ideas—Foods
Food is a huge part of creating a carnival atmosphere. Here are some classic carnival food ideas to get you started:
- Burgers, hot dogs, corn dogs, or chicken fingers
- Popcorn, cotton candy, cracker jacks, and peanuts
- Chips, wedges, or French fries
- Nachos, corn chips, and salsa
- Soft pretzels and stadium cups with lemonade
- Toffee or caramel apples
- Ice cream or snow cones
Carnival Food Staples
DIY Hot Dog Bar.Put a twist on the sideshow classic with a wide variety of tasty toppings and sauces, like classic cheese, tomato ketchup, mustard, and fried or fresh onion.Get creative with nacho salsa, sour cream, coleslaw, guacamole, bacon, chili, jalapeños, and mayonnaise.
Classic Carnival Cotton Candy. As a tried and tested carnival favorite, cotton candy is sure to be a hit whether you get it pre-packed in bags or use a cotton candy machine. There are a veritable rainbow of fluffy flavors to choose from.
Sideshow Snow Cones. Crushed ice with syrup forms the basis of a uniquely festive carnival style drink or dessert. This frozen treat is a must-have at parties, and you can offer a huge variety of syrups to color the ice cones.
Carnival Party Ideas—Games
1. Dropping the pin
Kids stand above and open empty bottle with a clothes peg and try to drop into the mouth of the bottle. Trickier than it sounds, winning the game can come with a prize of one ticket, a token, or even a candy bar.
2. Balloon Darts
Secure balloons to a board and use standard darts to pop them from a distance. Older children can throw the darts at different colored balloons to get different points and earn tickets if they reach a specified goal. Or you can ask them to aim for a specific color to win.
3. Football Tossing
Hang a hoop or tire from an overhanging, strong branch with some rope. Paint a line on the ground for kids to stand behind and allow them to throw the ball at the hoop three times with tickets for getting it through the center.
4. Mystery Box
This classic game of chance is perfect for little people. Line up similarly decorated boxes that have prizes, tickets, treats, apples, or “try again” signs and get the kids to pick from the lineup.
5. Prizes
But how to reward your tiny victors? Set up a prize stall with a series of small party favors that can be purchased with the tickets or tokens won with each game. Many party supply stores sell such party favors for all ages and interests, such as yoyos, small whistles and horns, toys, and stickers.
Watch the video below for more fantastic carnival party ideas: