Why have a carnival theme party? Because carnivals were created for the kid in all of us, and that makes it the perfect theme for a party! Bright colors, balloons, clowns, and games combine to create a festive celebration that kids of all ages will enjoy. Hosting a carnival party is easy if you take the time to plan. Recruiting friends as volunteers can also be a great way to share the fun and help ensure the success of your event.

Here are a few easy tips for planning and hosting a carnival theme party.

Enlist Help

Talk to friends and loved ones that you can enlist to help you with your carnival. While the process will not necessarily be difficult, it is always easier to throw a party if you have back up assistance for setting up and running the different activities involved with a three ring circus! Having other adults at a party can not only be a great support, but also a lot of fun.

Invites

Invitations set the tone for your party and can be a great way to get people excited about the event before it even starts. Send out your invitations two to three weeks in advance of your party so that you give your guests plenty of notice. Be sure to include your party’s date, time, location, and an RSVP so that you’ll know how many people to expect.

Decorations

Carnival decorations are brightly colored, festive, and fun. If you want to go all out, you might consider setting up a large canopy tent. However, you could always hang crepe paper streamers from a central point on the ceiling to achieve an inexpensive circus tent look. Colorful balloons, tableware, popcorn boxes, and giant swirly lollipops are all great decorating items that can help give your party a carnival atmosphere.

Games

Set up several game and entertainment booths for your guests. Possible games include a ring toss, face painting, cake walk and a water balloon toss. If you are having a party for younger children, consider pin the tail on the donkey, bowling, and floating rubber ducks. You could also schedule some group games such as relay races or musical clown noses (played like musical chairs). Try to organize the games so that everyone can win at least a small prize.

Contests

You can set up many different contests for your carnival theme party. Best costume, talent show, and pie eating are all kid favorites and very easy to organize. Set up a panel of judges for the talent and costume contests, and come up with a range of award categories (such as funniest, most creative, most unusual, etc.) so that everyone goes home a winner.

Conclusion

Imagination and creativity are the building blocks of a good kid's party. If your budget allows, you might liven up the day by hiring a magician, a petting zoo, or a clown, but that is merely the icing on the cake. With a little ingenuity and planning you can create a fabulous carnival party your kids will never forget. On with the show!