Birthday Party Ideas and Carnival Games
- Replicate a ticket to a carnvival as the party invitation. Include the time, address and any other special instructions, such as "dress up like a clown" or "parents and guests welcome." The simplest kind of ticket to make is an "Admit One" ticket, but many formats can be found online (see the Resources section of this article). In the information section of the invitation, print out the phrase "This ticket admits [name of attendant] and his family to the Birthday Carnival!"
- Caramel apples can be found at just about every carnival and state fair, so include them in your birthday carnival. The ingredients are simple -- caramel candy, green apples and milk. The total preparation time for the caramel apples is eight hours so make these treats a day or two before the party. You need to coat the apples and them let them sit until they harden. Wrap each apple with plastic wrap and hand out as favors for each guest.
- Recruit volunteers to be the target in the pie-in-the-face game. Substitute pies with small paper plates topped with whipped cream. Have the target sit on a chair with a poncho and goggles. Line up the pie throwers and have them, one at time, throw their pies at the target. The younger-aged children should stand closer to the target, while adults should be lined up farther away to make it more challenging.
- Set up a face-paint booth. Purchase stencils, face paint and face glitter. Shapes such as butterflies, fairies, stars and hearts are popular. Have small paint brushes nearby to add embellishments, and add glitter on top of the paint for more sparkles. Save a special design for the birthday girl or boy.
