Easy, Successful, and Unique School Carnival Booths

Planning a school carnival booth that kids actually get excited about takes a little creativity, but it doesn't have to be complicated. Here are five tried and tested ideas that have worked year after year, including our all-time favorite school carnival activity.

Say Cheese to Silly Photos

Wigs, scarves, funky glasses, hats, funny noses, mustaches, the crazier the better. Kids love dressing up and taking a picture of themselves. This takes the "selfie" to a whole new level. A digital camera and printer on hand work great, but most kids already have a phone or gadget ready to freeze the moment of goofiness forever!

Sand Art Always a Favorite:

I’ve been helping with our school carnival activity for the past 10 years. Sand Art is always a must! Preschoolers up to high-schoolers love making a colorful memento in a bottle. We usually print a little sticker that has the school name and the year. My kids have one from every year’s carnival.

This year our theme was “Luau”, so we made seashell and dolphin sand art in a bottle. Put 8 colors of bright colored sand in tubs and watch the kids go crazy. Sand Art is usually the carnival booth I have to pull my kids away from. Ring tosses, balloon dart throwing, etc. is fun, but Sand Art gives them something to take home and keep forever. Save your money on all of the cheap china trinkets and let them make a colorful Sand Art Craft!

great school carnival booth idea

Get The Kids Moving:

Every kid loves an obstacle course. Use a timer and see who can get through the course the fastest. You could have a leader board throughout the carnival and see who the ultimate “Ninja Warrior” is of the school. PE teachers usually will get involved with this carnival booth. Tires, cones, hula hoops, etc. can make a simple and fun course. Kids can run, jump, hula, crawl, and wiggle their way to the finish line. Have a double or triple course where 3 children can go at a time. Who will take home the prize for being the fastest?

Better than a Dunk Tank:

Dunk tanks are a bunch of fun and kids love them, but it is so hard to hit the target. We have stopped renting the dunk tank and we use wet soggy sponges, water guns, and water balloons as our new methods for getting teachers soaked with water. No more paying a high rental fee and chasing balls. The kids of our school love getting their favorite teachers WET, WET, WET!

Dance Party:

Shake what your mama gave you! Compile a playlist of the popular dance songs, and throw in some oldie but goodies. Kids can be shy at first, but recruit some outgoing children to get the party started. Parents, students, teachers, and even the principal has been spotted getting groovy to the beat. (Some all time favorites: Chicken Dance, Hokey Pokey, The Twist, Cupid Shuffle, Macarena)

Whether you're planning one booth or the whole carnival, contact us, and we'll help you find the right sand art setup for your event. Check out our school carnival specials and get everything you need in one order with FREE shipping always.