Forget the creepy goblins and scary black cats, this Halloween let the kids have a fabBOOlous time at this rainbow hued Halloween carnival!
This lively looking carnival proves that color and spooky can be done together to create lots of SPOOKtacular fun!
If you're looking for a great alternative to traditional trick-or-treating this Halloween, why not set up a festive carnival right in your own backyard? This party theme is perfect for schools, churches and October birthdays too!
Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday to celebrate and over the years we've hosted everything from a spooky Dead and Breakfast Dinner Party to a kid-friendly Colorful Halloween Monster Mash. It's been a long year with lots of ups and downs, so I knew I wanted to create a Halloween party that sparked joy and lots of laughter rather than screams and scares.
I can't think of a better way to create joy than with rainbows, so I decided to combine rainbows, ghosts, and carnival games to create the perfect Halloween carnival.
I built carnival tents out of PVC pipe and Black & White Striped Plastic Tablecloths. This was a fun and an inexpensive way to add a big wow factor to the party. The booths served as a backdrop for our carnival games and prize displays.
I gathered some small tables to put in each section of the tent and then placed tabletop games like the Carnival Disk Drop Game and the Halloween Prize Wheel on each table. The kids thought it was lots of fun to pick a booth to visit and try to win prizes, just like they would at a real carnival.
Next, I created a focal point that could serve as a backdrop and a photo booth. I covered a large board with the Spider Web Plastic Tablecloth then created a rainbow balloon garland. I also added a Ghost Shaped Mylar Balloon into the mix for a Halloween vibe.
This backdrop served as the perfect spot for guests to strike a pose and take pictures. Use an Instax camera to take pictures and give your guests their photos so they can keep them and remember all the fun they had.
I kept the food simple and served all our favorite carnival treats from hot dogs to popcorn. I created a rainbow-themed table for the kids to sit at to enjoy their snacks.
I covered the table with a Spider Web Plastic Tablecloth and then added rainbow-colored pumpkins for the centerpiece. I layered Black Square Paper Plates with color coordinating round dessert plates and organized them in a rainbow pattern. On top of each place setting I added color coordinated Lil' Pumpkin Cups that I spray painted to match each rainbow color.
Little Mini Boo Canvas Drawstring Bags were also placed at each place setting and held tickets for each of the guests to redeem. I just love how this kids' table turned out!
Speaking of carnival games, we made sure to feature a lot of games to keep everyone busy during our carnival. Some of the crowd favorites were the Jack-O'-Lantern Potato Sack races and the Halloween Skee Ball game.
Other activities included Goofy Ghouls Toss, where the kids had to knock down the ghouls. To create this game I used the Carnival Bean Bag Toss that I'd already spray painted so it would fit with our theme. I printed out a few ghosts and added them to each of the panels as well.
Incorporate other Halloween-themed games like Mummy Bowling by wrapping Bowling Pins in White Paper Streamers or make a Poke-a-Pumpkin Game (this would also be super cute in the shape of a ghost)!
This not-so-spooky Halloween party is such a fun and interactive way to make Halloween extra special this year. From activities to prizes and candy there's plenty here to put a small on your little goblins' and ghouls' faces!
