Every year it comes around again: the foolish season, often referred to as the fifth season of the year, when young and old celebrate in colorful and dazzling costumes. Historically speaking, our ancestors celebrated this festival centuries ago with great enthusiasm and plenty to drink, in order to celebrate properly one more time before the following period of Lent. And even today, the festival still has a great tradition—in some countries more than in others. But especially for the youngest among us, these festivities are a special kind of fun. Such a party deserves to be celebrated properly. In kindergartens or schools this is usually common practice, but why not organize one yourself for a change?
Organize a children's carnival party perfectly
Decorations in the party room for the carnival party
Decorate the party room with colorful lanterns, garlands, and streamers. Your children are welcome to help, too. My children are always very excited when I decorate our house. They are happy when I ask them where we should hang the next lantern. Would you like a theme for the children's carnival party? Then decorate the party room accordingly. It does not have to cost a lot of money: perhaps the children can help and paint a beautiful large picture that can then be hung on the wall.
Ideas for a theme:
- Animals
- Famous personalities (Mom and Dad are included, of course!!)
- Pirates
- Princess/Princes
- Pajama party
- Superheroes (Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa are included here too, of course!!)
- Outer space
- Fairy tales and legends
Table for a carnival party
The table looks best when it is nice and colorful and fun. Colorful napkins, streamers, or confetti should not be missing from the table. You can also find inexpensive little clown hats or small paper trumpets to place at each child's seat.
Extra tip: I got this idea from our kindergarten teacher: do everything the wrong way around for once: turn the plate over and put the bread on the underside.
Food and drinks at a carnival party
First of all, food and drinks come first—there should be no hungry children. But what is best to serve? Traditionally, doughnuts (also called Berliners) are a good choice. You can buy them in stores or at the bakery, or make them yourself if you like. To make the little cakes look especially pretty, you can sprinkle them with extra icing and colorful decorations or create fun designs with food coloring. Chocolate-covered marshmallow treats, gummy bears, and colorful children's punch also go down particularly well and are gratefully accepted. Anyone who wants to offer healthy alternatives can make a beautiful fruit rainbow prepare. For the savory option, finger food, which the children can nibble on during breaks between games, is recommended: whether meatballs, chicken nuggets, fruit and vegetable skewers, a vegetable owl or small sandwiches—playing makes you hungry, after all.
Costumes and dress-up outfits for carnival
Dressing up is very important for children—and they usually have clear ideas about it. So give your child a clear say in the masquerade. Whether princess, police officer, robber, witch, fairy, or pirate, costumes can be purchased inexpensively in stores.
Games at a carnival party
Which brings us to the topic of games: many party games, such as “musical chairs” or “blind man's buff,” are gladly played again every year. But variety is important, too. So “musical chairs” can also be adapted for a change. Especially if, like us, you cannot simply fold up your large dining table.
The Clown Noses game
The game “Clown Noses” works in a similar way: place several red clown noses on a table, but one fewer than the number of children present. Then play music, the children walk in a circle around a table, and when the music stops, each child quickly takes a clown nose and has to put it on. Anyone who does not get a nose is unfortunately out.
Guessing games
Or how about this game? Fill different glasses with M&M´s, Smarties, candies, or Jelly Belly´s. If you do not want to use anything sweet, you can also use dried beans, grains of rice, etc. Count them beforehand and then let the children guess. Guessing games are always especially popular, particularly when a child has won. The child who comes closest to the number of items in the glass wins the glass and its contents.
Music & dance games
Children love to dance and sing. So play nice children's songs during the party as well. After all these years, “Maya the Bee,” “Carnival Is Here,” “On the Wall, on the Lookout,” and “The Funny Syllable Nonsense” are still popular and well known. Modern children's hits are also very popular and are now available in large numbers on CD or with video on DVD.
Let the children put on makeup themselves
Children also enjoy slipping into a fantasy world through face paint. At fairs and funfair festivities, many children—boys as well as girls—are happy to take part in these activities. This is certainly also a highlight at a carnival party. However, do not use your own makeup utensils for this, nor an old eyeliner pencil, lipsticks, or blush, but use special carnival face paint, which is available at low cost in drugstores. Encouraging result: in 2005, Stiftung Warentest tested carnival makeup and declared all products harmless. When using grease pencils and theater makeup, you should apply cream to the children's skin beforehand so that the paint can be washed off easily afterward. Around the eyes, you should use makeup and glitter rather sparingly, as children's skin is very thin and sensitive there.
Game: The Wrong Way Around
I got this idea from our kindergarten teacher: do lots of things the wrong way around for once. Play a board game UNDER the table. Our children were thrilled!
Small farewell gifts
At the end of a carnival party, you can give the children small toys or treats tied in napkins to take home, so they will remember the successful celebration for a long time.
Extra tip: In between, when the children are absorbed in games, clear away the worst of the mess now and then; that way you will not have complete chaos to deal with at the end of the party.
Read also:Â Ideas and Recipes for a Buffet for a Carnival Party
Photo by Sabine, meinhaushalt.at
