Chapter 1 – Kids Carnival Themed Party
Ever give a party for child and it turned out to be boring and even you wanted to leave the party? Kids themes parties have been rising over the years. Whether it’s superhero, movie, book, cartoon, etc… theme; theme parties are becoming more and more popular.
The question is though, is what type of party do you want to give your child that will be memorable for everyone? Kids and adults alike?
I once gave my son a carnival themed party. He was a very young age and I wanted children and adults that were friends and family to enjoy it. It took about three months to plan, but it tuned out wonderful. I had so many people tell me that it was the best kid’s party that they had ever attended. It made me feel great! So, now I will share with you how I went about planning it.
Step One: Make your guest list.
This is important when planning any party. You want to make sure you have enough food, prizes, gift bags, etc… Always have more than what you need. Also, if you are on a budget, you want to set your maximum number guests and stick with that number. For my son’s party, I had 100 guests.
Step Two: Decide on the menu and snacks to serve.
I went to a bulk food store. There are some that don’t have a membership requirement, try to find one in your area, they can save you a lot of money! I bought hot dogs and all the condiments, chips, veggie platters and bulk potato salad enough to feed a little over 100 people. I also picked up various cans of soda and bottled water and large tubs to hold them in with ice. The carnival company that I hired also brought a cotton candy maker and enough cotton candy for everyone.
Step Three: Find a carnival company.
You can search online for the nearest place that will supply you with the carnival games, booths and any rides you would like to have. Ask your local church or school who they usually go with. The right company will set up and take down everything for you.
If you would like to take a cheaper route, you can just have carnival games and no rides, maybe just one of those kid’s bouncy things instead. Here are some games you can create on your own.
The Duck Pond Game
You will need: One kid’s pool (blow-up or plastic type), rubber or plastic ducks, black magic marker and a small fish net.
Get at least 25 ducks. Underneath them with the black magic marker, make sure it’s the permanent kind, write a number like 1, 2, 3, etc… this will determine how many tickets the child will win. Fill the pool with enough water to make the ducks float. Add the ducks and when it’s the child’s turn, give them the small fishing net. The best ones are the ones that have a handle and a small net, like for small fish in fish tanks. Let the child grab a duck with the net and whatever number is underneath that duck is the number of tickets the child wins.
The Ring Toss Game
You can find a ring toss game online or at your local toy store. Or if you want to, you can make one. Here's what you need: 3/8 inch or ½ inch rope, something to cut the rope with like a knife or scissors, ½ inch stick or dowel rod, masking tape or electrical tape, saw, sandpaper, paint, marker, water bottles, plastic cups, and sand. Read thoroughly before beginning to make.
How to Make the Stakes and Rings
1. Cut the rope to make three to five rings. Cut the length of the rope to measure 15 inches long, this will be for each ring.
2. To make the ring, you need to join the two ends of he cut ropes together in a circle and secure with the tape. Make sure you use a short piece of tape to hold the ends together, then you want to wrap the longer piece very tightly at the ends to secure he rope ends to one another. Take the wooden stake and drive it into the ground. Make sure that the sticks or dowels are cut to 15 inches long. Make sure one end is pointed by whittling it with a utility knife. Then you need to sand the stake smooth. Then make sure you paint the stake because it will last longer if it’s painted.
3. You can create indoor stakes or outdoor stakes. Depending on where you are holding your party and games. For indoor stakes, you need to take an empty water bottle and fill it with sand or gravel. Screw the lid on tightly and tape it to secure. You can also use this method if you do not want to put the steak in the ground in your yard.
Now you are ready to play the ring toss game. Depending on how may rings you made. Give the player the rings and have them toss them to make them around the stake. For children, put the stakes closer, for adults, put the stakes further away. Give out tickets for prizes.
The Football Toss Game
What you will need: Three Nerf footballs or regular footballs, a tire tube or pool inner tube will work, rope and two poles.
Take the rope and tie the tire tube or inner tube securely to the poles with the circle opening of the tube facing the player. Tying it securely will keep it from moving or spinning around. Once the tire is secure, you can have the children stand closer than the adults.
The object of the game is to throw the football through the opening of the hole. When the player gets the football through the hole, they get a prize ticket or tickets!
Pop the Balloon Game......... You can read the rest of this story from any of the major book sellers, or also at http://www.vincestead.com or http://www.fun2readbooks.com You can also listen to it in Audio.
