How to Plan a Perfect Carnival Theme Party: Decor, Games, Invitations, Food, and Favors

Planning a carnival theme party? Check out our detailed blog for all the tips you need! From decor ideas and food options to invitation cards, games, and party favors, we’ve got everything covered to make your event unforgettable.

Nowadays, a normal party is as bland as white bread. Hence, people have started following themes to celebrate their parties. Well, if you are interested in planning a party that is as crazy as it can be then you must choose a carnival theme party. It is vivid, colorful, bright, playful, and lively. Now, don’t go crazy surfing on the internet and jumping from website to website for “How to plan a carnival party” because this blog consists of everything you need to know. You need a guide? Here it is. You need some decoration ideas? Here it is. You need some game ideas? We have those too! Read the full blog below; you have all the necessary knowledge.

Check out these ideas on how to throw a carnival themed party.

1. Invitation Card for Carnival Style Party

Surprise and wow your guests with a carnival-inspired invitation card. Whether it is a birthday party or just a fun carnival-themed corporate party, your guests must get the essence of the party with the invitation itself. The invite can have a circus tent as the background, the red and white stripes, the balloons, the banners, etc. will make it a truly carnival-themed invitation card. You know what? You can also give them invitations in the shape of carnival tickets! 

2. Decoration Ideas for Carnival Theme

The next big step to make your carnival party a success is to plan a perfect decor. Make sure that you choose bright colors for the decorations. Colors like red, blue, yellow, etc. complement each other very well for a carnival theme. Here are a few carnival-themed decor ideas for you.

a) Consistent Red and White Stripes

No carnival decoration is complete without these red and white stripes of drapes. They are the backbone of the decoration. Make a tent-like structure with these stripes and place them consistently to make the decor watch-worthy.

b) Popcorn Props for a Golden Touch

The next thing to make your decoration bright and cheerful is to add popcorn buckets filled with bright yellow popcorn balls/balloons. Place them just beside the tent structures and watch your guests drool before entering the tents. For such unique centerpieces, check out this blog.

c) Direction Signs for the Carnival Party

For your carnival-themed party, you can make some directional signs that purely resemble the theme. These signboards can have yellow and white strips for the background or a red solid color background bordered with yellow dots as lights. Choose a font that matches the theme and feel of a carnival party. You can have such unique signboards at your wedding, too. Check out this blog to find such cool ideas.

d) Tablescape Decoration

Let’s come to the element that is supposed to be decorated carefully to give the feel but not suffocate them- the tablescapes. For the tables, a white and baby blue-colored cloth would be the best. Colorful balloons tied to the table are a must. On the plates, place the meals packed in carnival-themed packages. The chairs can have a baby blue color to complement the table. 

3. Game Ideas for Carnival Parties

Make your carnival party more fun and lively by adding some games. Whether it is an indoor party or an outdoor one, some of these games can be played at both types of parties. Let us look at some games. You don’t know how much fun it is at a Hawaiian theme party! Plan one and witness it yourself.

a) Toss The Ring

A carnival party is not a carnival party if this game is not there. This ‘toss the ring’ game is easy and fun to play. Set up a stall decorated with red and white strips of drapes, and set up a crate or a box filled with glass bottles. (Psst, paint the bottles pastel blue so that it matches the theme.) Select some bottles and paint them with a different color. Tell the participants to toss the ring and if a participant tosses a ring upon the differently colored bottle, they win something. Keep soft toys or candies as gifts. Make your party more fun with these cup games.

b) Knock The Cans

Here is another carnival game that you might have come across at a fun fair. This ‘knock the can’ game is quite easy to set up. You just need a table, 6 cans, and a few balls. Make a pyramid with the cans on the table and ask the participants to knock the cans with the balls. The twist is that they get just 3 chances to knock all the cans. However, to make the game more difficult, you can fill the cans with mud or something to make them heavy. Are you planning a pajama theme party? Check out this blog to get ideas on what you can do at a pajama party.

c) Spin The Wheel

Tell the participants to try their luck at this ‘spin the wheel’ game. Setting this up is not that hard. Just set up a stall that is carnival-themed and then place a wheel with numbers from 1 to 8 in jumbled form. Keep a yellow-colored arrow at the side of it but not attached to it. The participant needs to spin the wheel, the number that is on the arrow when the wheel stops is the respective prize kept for that number.

d) Merry Go Round

This game is just for the outdoor carnival party. We are sure you might have played this game at a fun fair. A merry-go-round is a fun game where there is a rotating disc attached to a pillar. Hanging horses are attached to the disc. The kids sit on the horses and enjoy the ride when the disc rotates.

e) Pop The Balloons

Everyone loves this popular carnival game. This game, ‘Pop the Balloon’ is easy to set up. You just need to set up a stall or a wall with inflated balloons stuck on it. Ask the participants to pop the balloons using a dart. The participant who pops the most number of balloons in 5 attempts wins. Or else, you can keep the prizes according to the ranges: people who pop 5 get a huge prize, people who pop 4 get a comparatively small prize, and so on.

f) Catch A Ball

Another fun game for your carnival party which is easy to set up. This ‘catch a ball’ game just needs a plat wooden plank decorated with a carnival theme, 3 same-sized buckets, and 4 to 5 balls. Stick the three buckets on the plank at equal distances. The participant needs to throw the ball inside the buckets. The person who dunks the most balls in the buckets wins.

g) Rubber Duck Match The Numbers

This is a perfect outdoor party game and is quite easy to set up too. Take a big tub filled with water, pick some plastic plates write a random number behind each plate, stick a rubber duck above the plate, and let the plates float. Note, write a number behind two plates i.e. there should be two plates for every number. Tell the participants to match the numbers. This is a memory game that is fun to play for kids.

4. Food Ideas for Party Theme Carnival

Let’s come to the part that everyone waits for- food. Food makes your carnival party more fun and lively. Here are some food items to keep at the party.

a) Hot Dog Stand

If you want to keep a snack that can be eaten on the go then you must install a hot dog stand at the party. The stand should be carnival-themed with red and white stripes. Keep a cook there to make a serve the hot dogs.

b) Carnival Meal 

You can also give the guests a packed carnival-themed meal that consists of pretzels, corn dogs, fries, roasted corn, etc. Not just that, but make it more relevant to the theme by keeping popcorn, cotton candy, and other snacks.

c) Cupcake Stand

Time to add sweetness to your carnival party with this cupcake stand. This stand is decorated in carnival style with a tent-like structure and red and white strips. The baby blue-colored cupcakes add a pop to the look.

d) Peanuts

Let the kids snackin’ with these vintage-style peanut packets. The kids will love the nostalgic feeling of eating peanuts. 

e) A Donut Stand

Here’s another sweet treasure that you can keep at your carnival party. A ‘donut stand’ is easy to set up. Make a carnival-themed stall and stick some planks where you can keep the donuts. The kids will love these sweet treats at the party.

f) Dumbbell Marshmallows

Time to give the kids the fun they deserve with these flavorful dumbbell marshmallows. This is a unique way to serve the sweet marshmallows. 

5. Carnival Theme Birthday Favors and Return Gifts

We know you have showered infinite love to the guests and the kids at the party but it is very important that you bid them adieu with some favors so that they remember this party forever. Here are some favor ideas for you.

a) Sweet Candies

Express your love and gratitude towards your guests by offering them sweet candies as favors. These tiny and cutesy boxes with a handful of candies can make their day. Not just this, pack them with custom-made carnival-themed paper bags.

b) Tiny Stuffed Animals

Surprise the kids with these cute tiny stuffed animals like teddy bears or rabbits. They will love these adorable animals and remember the party.

c) Temporary Tattoos

Make the kids happy by giving them customized temporary tattoos. These carnival-themed temporary tattoos will not just be loved by kids but by youngsters too. 

d) Bubble Dinosaurs

Here’s another favor that will give the kids the ultimate joy. These bubble dinosaurs have soap liquid with a plastic rod with circles attached to it. This rod when inserted inside the cylindrical bottle filled with soap liquid, the liquid sits on the circles, and when we blow it from one side, the bubbles get generated from the other side.

Here are the unique ways in which you can properly plan and execute a carnival theme party. Make sure to plan all the things like the decor, the food, the favors, etc. according to the theme. 

If you have any questions or suggestions, comment below. Thanks for reading the blog and we hope you liked this ultimate guide on how to plan a carnival theme party.