I
love the circus and I love carnivals. They are fun places where magic comes
alive for children. The food is easy and fun and the games are simple and
engaging. So when it came time to plan
my little guy’s second birthday party I decided to go with a circus – carnival
theme.
I
did not go overboard for this themed party; at least I don’t think that I went
overboard. I made my own games for the kids to play and tried to keep things
inexpensive, simple, and fun for everyone. I up-cycled when possible and used
materials sparingly.
Two
carnival themed games that I found super easy to make were the Ring Toss Game
and the Tin Can Toss Game. These essentially came about via my recycling bin
and a pregnancy craving… old fashioned root beer is so yummy.
What you need:
1
six pack of bottled beverages {I went with root beer because I was craving root
beer floats and liked the dark bottle look}
Wrapping
paper {I went with a red and white striped paper -which I found at Party City}
Tape
Scissors
3
hard bracelets
How to Make It:
Drink
all of the root beer and clean out the bottles {I soaked mine in soapy water
and rinsed them to get rid of the soda remnents – if you are planning on
playing these outdoors you do NOT want bees and bugs swarming around!}
Take
the cardboard container that the soda came in and cut off the handle and then
wrap it in the wrapping paper {make sure that you leave the slots for the soda
bottles open – you will be putting these back in.}.
Place
the clean bottles back in the cardboard carrier.
Use
hard bracelets {bangles} as your rings and start tossing!
My
party was a small family gathering with only a handful of children. If you are
doing this on a bigger scale I would do several 6 packs of soda to have a
bigger scale to work with. The bigger kids liked this game, as it required more
skills. It was super quick and simple to put together and the root beer floats
I got to eat for this little project were delicious. A total win-win situation.
What you need:
6
Empty Tin Cans
Glue
{I used a quick dry glue}
Tape
Scrapbook
Paper
Scissors
3
Softballs
How to Make It:
Take
the empty cans {think canned goods like green beans, diced tomatoes, corn…} and
clean them thoroughly removing all original labeling. Take care not to cut
yourself on the cans - as they can have sharp edges where they were opened with
a can opener.
Once
dry, lay the can flat on a piece of scrapbook paper to measure how big a piece
of paper you will need to cover the can.
Cut
the scrapbook paper.
Apply
tape to one side of the scrapbook paper and adhere it to the tin can {I found
this to be an easy way to get started so that the paper did not slip and end up
crooked}.
Apply
glue to the paper and wrap it around the tin can {I did this instead of taping
so that the paper would adhere to the tin can without falling off when in use}.
Once
the paper has been glued on and is dry these cans can be stacked to form a
triangle {3 on bottom, two on top of the bottom row, and one on top of the
center row to create the top of the triangle}.
Set
up the tin cans, hand the kids the softballs, and watch them try to knock them
down!
The
little ones LOVED the tin can game. It was by far their favorite outdoor
activity of the day. Something about being destructive and knocking stuff down
gets kids really excited. These were two really easy games to make, the kids
loved playing them, and they did not break the bank.
We
also had a bean bag toss {cornhole - depending on where you live} available for
the adults and older children, face painting, and a tent and tunnel balloon
room available for the kids {those pictures will have to wait for the circus
party post coming soon}.
As
summer approaches I like the idea of making more outdoor games for my family to
enjoy. Have you ever made your own outdoor games and if so what did you make?
