My 9 y/o is turning 10 in 2 weeks. She wants a carnival party. My sister did one a few years ago and still has some of the things that I need like a bean bag game, balloon game and some wooden stand-ups. I plan on having a few other games and doing popcorn, cotton candy and prizes with the tickets they get from the games. If you've done this, what were the "hit" games of the party? My mom can make the cake, so I'm looking for ideas for a cake too. I was thinking of an "admit one" ticket cake, but not sure.
Please don't send me to links. I can do that myself, I'm looking for tried and true ideas please. If she were younger this would be simpler, but you know how bored 10 year olds can get. :)
The party is at our home in the backyard.
The kids here loved the soda pop ring toss. I would use 20 ounce bottles instead of 2 liters. They also ove pingpong balls bounced into cups to win the prize.
If you have a tree or some way to hang it, you can drill a hold through an old bowling ball(free at bowling alley) and tie a rope to it. Then you bowl by pulling the ball back and letting it go. This is really fun.
This may be on the younger side... Just yesterday my friend was telling me about a party she did for her daughter when she was 5 or 6, she made a candy land game in her back yard by painting squares on the grass. She said for 3 weeks all the neighborhood kids kept coming over and asking to play. She did the same with Twister at the elementary school year end bash.
When my kids were young I did an backyard party and played the "grand prize game" from Bozo's Circus. Kids liked it. Set up 5 or six buckets or sand pails in a row. They throw a ping pong ball in the 1st bucket (it must stay in) they get a small prize, then the 2nd bucket and they get a bigger prize, and so on. If they miss, they're out. You could give them tickets instead of prizes.
We did this when my dd turned 1 but can easily modify for an older kid. I made post card sized tickets. It says " admit______" then it lists the details. they mailed out as postcards. They can bring the ticket to the party for a raffle (Make sure you have spares for those who forgot. You can also have them make funky carnival hats from brown paper bags. We used grocery bags. Kids can decorate them with poms, feathers, foam stickers, paint (tempura), glitter and anything carnival like. If you can get a juggler that would be cool too.
We recently were at a party and the host provided an empty picture frame and some dress up hats and accessories and made their own picture booth. All the kids loved it (multiple ages) and everyone was taking pictures with their cell phones. You might want to do this and have an appointed photographer to take the photos. Then print them out and give them to the guests.
My friend made a cake for her daughter's carnival party that was a carousel...it was way cute! She did a regular cake mix (I think 2 actually) and just did regular round cake in a pan for the bottom base and then poured the other cake mix into a bowl and baked it in there so it was a semi circle. She then used those wedding cake columns to hold up the dome above the base. She frosted the whole thing and then she used a cheap toy horse and put it in the middle. Then she decorated the whole rest of the cake with candies to make it look carnival-y and festive. It was so, so cute and pretty easy. I'm sure your 10 y/o would probably really get a kick out of helping to decorate it too!
As far as games, I think you're never too old for a lollipop tree! You can use blow pops or giant Tootsie pops to appeal more to the older crowd. I would get a styrofoam cone and just stick them in!
