DIY Carnival Game Ideas for School, Church, Fundraisers, Home Parties

Check out our list of ideas for carnival games : tips and how-to’s for easy to create games for booths at carnivals and fun fairs:

1. 1. Balloon Pop Prize Board

      Place a variety of different colored balloons pinned onto a big prize board, inside each balloon has been placed a folded slip of paper with a number 1 to 10 written on it. Each player pops a balloon of choice – either by darts or with a pin by hand. The number is read and the player wins that “prize”, depending on the number. Create a prize board that lists each number and it’s corresponding prize to be awarded – – EXAMPLE: 1. Win small stuffed animal. 2. Win carnival tickets (for use at other games or rides, etc.) 3. Win small toy. 4. LOSER. 5. Player must make a fool of himself. 6. Player must forfeit something. 7. Win large stuffed toy. 8. LOSER. 9. Secret jackpot prize to be revealed at carnival end. 10. Three extra game plays. – – – You can make this board have anything you wish as prizes, have fun creating it!

   2. Penny Toss Game

      Set up a table full of jars, small bowls, and large bowls. Players toss pennies from a behind a line to try and land the penny inside a jar or bowl. Award different prizes depending on which container is landed in – smaller prizes for the large, easier to land bowls, bigger and better prizes for landing in small jars or bowls that are difficult (test ahead to see which containers are the hardest!). Of course, a variation of this game is to purchase a variety of inexpensive glasses, bowls, jars, plates, etc. and players are awarded the container or dishware that their penny lands in as the prize.

   3. Duck Pond Ring Toss

      You will need a small, inflatable swimming/wading pool, three large plastic rings, and a bunch of small, plastic ducks. Before the carnival – paint a red dot on the bottom of three of the ducks and a large green star on the bottom of one duck. Fill the pool with water, then place all the ducks to float on the top of the water. Players get three tosses to try and get a ring around one of the floating ducks. A ring around a duck is rewarded with a prize. If the bottom of the duck has a red dot, a larger prize is awarded, and if the duck has the green star – player wins a large, jackpot prize.

   4. Fish for Loot

      Create a fishing pole using a stick, string, and wire to make a hook (heavy, bendable wire) and use a small child’s swimming pool for a fishing pond. Wrap a selection of small prize gifts and tie each with a ribbon (make sure to tie the ribbon into a tight bow that won’t come loose), then place all the gifts into the pool. NO water in the pool, but you could place some small plastic fish into the pool to make it look more like a pond. Children can use the fishing pole to fish for a prize, using the fish hook to hook onto the loop of a ribbon bow and grab the gift which is now theirs to keep! Note: Make sure to test the fishing pole ahead of time to be sure the pole will hook and hold a prize and make sure the prize gifts are lightweight.

   5. “Punch-N-Pull” a Prize

      Cut round holes in a large sturdy poster board – the holes should be big enough for a player’s hand to punch through. Cover the back of each hole with a square of colored tissue paper (different colors for the various holes). Behind each hole on the board, hang a gift bag that contains a small/lightweight prize such as tiny toy, trinket, candy, or joke prize (you can hang the gift bags using brightly colored yarn or string). Prop or hang up the “punch board” you created. Game play: Each player chooses a hole and punches it out with their fist. They then reach into the hole and grab a string to pull up and retrieve a prize to keep. IDEA: Try making the poster board to fit just right into a doorway, taping it up along the sides so that it is sturdy and doesn’t fall when punched.

   6. Homemade Ring-Toss Game Idea (RETRO FUN!)

      Use an upturned chair, the chair legs acting as the stakes/pegs (see illustration below). Throw rings from behind a start line and try to hook the most rings around the chair legs as you can! If you don’t have any rings, you can easily create some by cutting the rings out of heavy cardboard and painting in bright colors (be sure to test your rings to make sure they can be hooked onto the chair legs via throwing).