Carnival Madness!: Make Your Own Carnival at Home

All you need to host your own carnival is your backyard (or local park), tickets and a few prizes from the dollar store. A barbecue, homemade carnival treats and ice cream round out the fun.

Gone Fishin'

Make a fishing rod by attaching a long piece of string to a stick. Tie a magnet to the end of the line. Glue large paper clips to some lightweight plastic aquatic animals. Mark each animal with a permanent marker - a green dot means a prize, a red dot means try again. Now, fill a kiddy-pool and float the animals in the water. One ticket gives players 30 seconds to try to catch a fish and win a prize.

Bean Bag Chuck

Paint a clown face onto a large cardboard box. Cut out a hole in the mouth. Place the box on the ground or a table. Mark a throw line about 5 metres from the clown. For one ticket, players get three bean bags to chuck into the clown's mouth. Getting in two out of three wins a prize.

Hole in One

Grab an old putter, a few golf balls and a plastic cup and make a putting green. For one ticket, players have three chances to put a golf ball into an overturned cup. Do it in just one stroke to win a prize.

Round and Round

Make a giant spinning wheel out of poster board. Divide the board into segments labeling a couple of segments "winner" and the remaining segments "try again". Make a cardboard spinner and attach it to the centre of the wheel using a brass paper fastener.  For each ticket, children get one spin to try to win a prize.

Marble Toss

For this game, you need 3 different prizes, ranked small, medium and large. Mark the bottom of 12 paper or plastic cups as follows: three cups should have an S (for small prize), two an M (medium), one an L (large). The remaining cups should have the words "sorry". Next, arrange the cups on a low table. Mark a throw line. For one ticket, children get three marbles, which they try to toss into a cup. Whatever cup their marble lands in denotes whether or not they win a prize, and the type of prize they win.

By Rochelle Strauss