Carnival Games

MoochNNoodles

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Whats your favorite carnival style game? Or backyard game?

Normally on Halloween our church rents a popcorn machine and a bunch of bouncy houses and an inflatable obstacle course. This year we can’t; so DH and I are trying to come up with a fun evening at home.

We have a fire pit to light to do hotdogs, smores/marshmallows and hopefully popcorn. We have a small Cornhole set. I’m going to get glowsticks. And candy.;)

I think RingToss would be fun. And the game where you knock over stacked cans or bottles.

Any other ideas?
 

Jem

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You could do a version of a fish cup toss. Put a bunch of cups 3/4 filled with water, and instead of a fish put a small prize in the bottom, like quarters or whatever. Use ping pong balls to toss in the cups.

I always enjoyed the balloon pop wall, where you throw little darts to pop the balloon and whatever image is behind the balloon popped corresponds to a certain prize.

Bobbing for apples!

Plinko

A good old fashioned scavenger hunt is always fun. Either give each person a list of things to find with a time limit, or you start with a clue that leads them to another clue, and so on, until they reach the end...with a prize of course!

If you have a sand box, you could bury little treasures in it and give a time limit for each person (blindfolded) to find it.
Or if you don't have a sand box, you could make a version of this with a big pile of raked leaves!

One idea I saw a while ago, was to hang a big spiderweb...I'm sure you could make one by tying up yarn, and you try to throw little plastic bugs thru the web into buckets on the other side.

Something else, is to get a large tote storage bin. Anchor a few shot glasses to the bottom of the bin (random places), then the bin gets filled with water. What you do is drop pennies into the bin trying to get your penny in one of the shot glasses.

I'll come back if I think of more...
 

Jem

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One more.
Take a large sturdy cardboard box, remove the flaps on one end, and cut slots, of different sizes on the edge of one side. Turn it upside down and you now have a mini golf type game. The different sizes of holes corresponds with the "size" of prize for getting a ball in.
 

debbila

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My favorite amusement park game was Fascination. I played it at Gwynn Oak amusement park where my mom worked in the summer and we kids went and stayed all day riding the rides and playing the games.

My favorite outdoor game is lawn darts. I don't think they sell the original ones anymore with the metal tips that stick in the ground when you throw them.
 
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Mia6

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A good old fashioned scavenger hunt is always fun. Either give each person a list of things to find with a time limit, or you start with a clue that leads them to another clue, and so on, until they reach the end...with a prize of course!
I love those!!!
 
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MoochNNoodles

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Those are all great ideas!! Thank you! :clap:

I think I might have balloons to do a dart game if I can come up with darts. I think they'd love tossing ping pong balls. I might even be able to get those for free.

I just looked up lawn darts. I see ones with a weighted end now. That does look fun still though!

We do have a tent. Or I bet we could use an old sheet for something like one too. I'll have to keep thinking. And check the sandbox. That would be fun for them too!
 

Jem

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If you can't find darts, you could tape push pins/thumb tacks to the end of a pencil or something like that. Or if using tape (by wrapping it around) is not possible due to the type of push pin, you put the pin, thru a piece of duct tape or fabric and affix the tape/fabric to some sort of stick/pencil.
Because they won't be as heavy when throwing, you will want to make sure that you blow the balloons really well so that the rubber is tight and well stretched...they'll pop easier with less force.
 
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MoochNNoodles

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Hmm... I think that would work. I bet I can fit some small candies in balloons too. Like Tootsie Rolls.

When I was a teenager the church did a penny carnival for the kids of the church instead of a community wide event with the bouncy houses like they do now. The kids would be given a bag and we'd give them a few pieces of candy for the games they played. It was indoors and most games involved rolling or tossing something. The rest I don't remember. It was always wild and loud. But so fun. :lol2:
 
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