Ticket invitations, a popcorn box cake, cotton candy and lots of games add fun and excitement to a carnival themed birthday party.
Step right up and have a turn! There is fun to be had by all at a carnival birthday party. Bring the excitement of the carnival into your next party with the ideas below.
Invitations
- Create an "Admit One" ticket invitation to send out to guests.
- Design your own ticket on your computer using text boxes or using the free templates included with your word processing software.
- In bold letters across the top type, "Admit One for a Birthday Carnival!" Underneath include the party information- date, time, place, RSVP by date and contact number.
Cake
- Create an easy popcorn box cake. First, make two 9"x13" cakes using your favorite cake mix. After they have cooled, wrap them in wax paper and tin foil and stick them in the freezer. The night before the party take them out and decorate.
- Begin by cutting out the popcorm box. Place the cake vertically and cut in from the top corners to form the diagonal sides of the popcorn box. Frost the cake white and ice with red strips.
- Place the other cake horizontally on your work space. Use a knife to round the bottom corners and then create rounded bumps along the sides and top.
- Pop a bag of microwave popcorn and set aside. In a microwave safe dish melt caramel candies, stirring every thirty seconds. Spread the popcorn on a wax paper covered cookie sheet and use a spoon to drizzle the caramel over it.
- Frost the cake with white frosting and then decorate with the caramel popcorn. "Glue" the two cakes together with more white frosting and cover with wax paper until serving time.
Food
- Cotton Candy- No carnival is complete without the cotton candy! Rent a cotton candy machine and have an adult make and serve cotton candy to the kids as they walk around the party. To avoid sugar overload, make sure each serving is kid-sized!
- Lollipop Tree- Purchase a large styrofoam cone at a craft store and spray paint it bright green. Buy bags of lollipops and stick them into the cone to form a tree. Before placing the last lollipop in the tree mark the bottom of the stick with a marker. Let the guests know if there is a mark on the bottom of their stick they receive a special prize.
- Soft Pretzels- Visit the frozen food section of your favorite bulk food store or local grocery market. Buy large boxes of frozen soft pretzels and cook according to package directions just before the party begins. Create a booth by attaching a sign to a small table and have an adult hand out pretzels from behind it.
- Caramel Apples- Buy large apples, caramel candies, and wooden lollipop sticks. Melt the caramels and roll each apple in it. Poke a wooden stick into the bottom of the apple, dry on wax paper, and serve from another booth.
Games
- Duck Pond- Go online or to a party store and get a large bag full of little yellow ducks. On the bottom of one of the ducks write the number 3 and on the bottom of ten of the ducks write the number 2. Write the number 1 on the remaining ducks. Fill an old plastic swimming pool with water and add the ducks. During the party the kids can take turns choosing a duck. The prize they receive corresponds with the number on the bottom. The prizes for the ducks with a 1 are small, such as a sticker or eraser, the ducks with a 2 correlate with a medium prize, such as a small toy, and whoever chooses the duck with the 3 gets the large grand prize!
- Ring Toss- Fill empty plastic two liter soda bottles with colored sand and fasten the tops on tightly. Obtain a package of plastic rings for the children to toss on the bottles. Have the kids stand behind a tape line to throw the rings. If they get three rings around the bottles they a prize.
- Face Painting- Have a adult or older child volunteer to be the face painter. Get a package of acrylic paint and a package of small paint brushes. Set up a table and chair for the painter to use and have him paint animals and shapes on the guests' faces. Use a baby wipe to "erase" any mistakes before the paint dries.
- Dunking Booth- If the weather permits a dunking booth is a lot of fun! Have the birthday child or other designated person sit in a rented dunking booth. Each kid can take turns throwing the balls at the target to knock the birthday child into the water.
The sky is the limit for the fun that can be had at a birthday carnival!
More birthday party ideas: ladybug picnic, a very buggy birthday, toddler pool party
The copyright of the article A Carnival Birthday Party in Children's Parties is owned by Megan Sheakoski. Permission to republish A Carnival Birthday Party must be granted by the author in writing.
