Kids Birthday Carnival

Birthday Treat

Drinks

Serve With:

Set the Scene

• Play carnival music to set the mood.  Remember the sounds of the carnival merry-go-round?  Check your local library for tapes to borrow.  Or play lively music from kids’ tapes or children’s radio station.
• Purchase small (about 5-inch tall) paper bags, or cut a few inches off the tops of paper lunch bags.  As party guests arrive, have them decorate a bag as they wish, using stickers, crayons or markers.  Then fill each bag with about 1/2 cup of popcorn to enjoy while playing the games (if you give them too much, they won’t be hungry for the delicious food to come).

“Carni” Fun

• Enlarge pictures of clowns or cartoon characters to make as large as a child’s head; glue enlargements onto tagboard (available at discount or craft stores).  Cut the face out of the enlargements, then hang the enlargements from a doorway (at approximate kid height) with string.  During the party, take instant photos of kids putting their faces through the face openings.  Kids can take the photos home.
• Arrange different sizes and shapes of plastic glasses and bowls on the floor.  Have the kids try to throw small foam balls (available at discount or sporting goods stores) into the containers from a designated distance.  Award small prizes for “baskets” made; you can have bigger prizes for more difficult targets if you wish.
• Arrange ten empty 1-quart milk cartons or 20-ounce plastic soda pop bottles on the ground in a V shape like bowling pins.  Have kids knock the cartons down with a beanbag or foam ball from a designated distance.  Award prizes for those knocked down.
• As the birthday recipient opens presents, make a silly hat for him or her to wear by taping the ribbons and bows that come with the presents to a baseball-style hat.

The Day Before

• Make Ice-Cream Cone Cakes.
• Make Pineapple Dip for Fruit Kabobs with Pineapple Dip; wash fresh fruit and store in refrigerator.

About 1 Hour Before Serving

• Make Fruit Kabobs.

As Guests Decorate Paper Bags

• Microwave popcorn.

About 20 Minutes Before Serving

• Make Corn Dogs.

Just Before Serving

• Make Malt Smoothies.