5 Fun Carnival Games for Families to Get Excited About

A cracking carnival party with family, friends or relatives includes carnival games that will delight young and old. These 5 carnival games for families ensure a hilarious atmosphere and lots of fun, not only for children!

Every year in February comes the time of exuberance and hustle and bustle in Germany. Children in particular are more than enthusiastic about it, which is why the carnival season is the ideal time for parents to have a lot of fun together with their children. And funny carnival games contribute enormously to this!

Besides the big Shrove Monday parades and public celebrations, many people also organise private carnival parties with the whole family, friends and relatives. Included are many imaginative children who enjoy a special programme. A perfect way to have a lot of fun together with the little ones, even as adults, are carnival games.

Carnival games for families are quite similar to other group games for children, except that they still have a special carnival reference, which is also underlined, for example, by the appropriate decoration and disguise as a game element. The following 5 carnival games are ideal for children from 3 – 10 years, but are also fun for older children or adults!

5 Fun Carnival Games for Families

1. Who Sits on the Carnival Throne? – Association Game

• Players: 6 players and up.
• Accessories: 3 chairs, decoration for the throne (balloons, streamers etc.), cardboard crown, prize for the winner or sweets for all.

On one side of the room there are 3 chairs, the middle one is the carnival throne and as such specially decorated, e.g. with garlands and balloons. The first carnival king, who is chosen by lot, sits on this throne. On the other side, the other players stand ready behind a starting line.

The carnival queen starts the game by calling out loud a term from the area of carnival, fasching, fastnacht, e.g. costume, parade, Rosenmontag, mask, confetti, etc.

As soon as the word is announced, everyone else runs and tries to sit down on one of the two chairs next to the carnival throne. The two who have made it must now each say a word that has to do with carnival. The carnival queen then decides which word she likes better and thus determines her successor, who now sits on the throne. All the others go back behind the starting line, the new carnival king repeats his term aloud and the race for the throne starts again. No term may be repeated, new terms must always be found.

You can also have carnival music playing. Whoever is sitting on the throne when the music stops has won the game and gets a crown and a prize.

2. Costume Relay

• Players: From 8 players (2 groups with 4 costume pieces each).
• Accessories: Same number (e.g. 4) of costume pieces for 2 or 3 costumes.

There are several costumes consisting of the same number of dressing-up accessories, e.g. 5. All the players are now divided into groups of 5. In our example, there are 3 groups of 5 players.

Each group lines up one behind the other at a starting line, just like in a relay race. Behind a finish line at the other end of the room is a pile of disguise paraphernalia, in each of which are 5 disguise items belonging to the group’s costume. For example, group A has the task of dressing up as a magician.

The utensils for this are:

1. magic cloak
2. magic hat
3. white beard
4. magic shoe
5. magic wand

Group B may dress up as a pirate. These include:

1. pirate hat
2. eye patch
3. pirate shirt
4. hook hand
5. sabre

Group C may wear the clown costume:

1. Clown wig
2. red nose
3. colorful plaid shirt
4. multicoloured trousers
5. huge red shoes

On your marks…. Ready… go! The first player in each group must now run as fast as possible to the finish line, put on a part of the costume, run back, take it off again and give it to the next runner. The second puts on the part, runs to the finish line, puts on another part of the correct costume, runs back and gives both parts to the third runner and so on. The group whose last player has first returned to the starting line completely costumed is the winner.

If someone accidentally puts on the wrong costume part in the hectic rush, a referee blows the whistle. Of course, the player must take it off again immediately.

3. Air Balloon Dance in 3 Variations

• Players: from 4 players.
• Accessories: balloons, music, twine, 2 similar costumes made of several pieces.

Variation 1: Two players each get a balloon and have to wedge it between them above the floor. As soon as the music starts, they begin to dance, but must not lose the balloon under any circumstances. When the music stops, all couples whose balloon has fallen down or burst, or who have been caught touching the balloon with their hands, are eliminated.

Variation 2: Each player gets an inflated balloon tied to their leg on a string. As soon as music starts playing, everyone has to try to crush the balloons of the others. Whoever has a healthy balloon at the end is the winner.

Variation 3: Here, two players play against each other and the others watch. The same number of costume pieces of the same kind lie in front of each player. These should also be easy to put on, e.g. a wide coat, a hat, gloves, etc..

The two players face each other and are now each given a balloon. When the music starts, they have to keep the balloon in the air all the time while dressing up. When the balloon falls down, they have to take off the last costume item they put on. Whoever is costumed first is the winner, then it’s the next two.

4. Unwrap Chocolate Bar

• Players: 4 players and up.
• Accessories: wrapping paper, ribbon, chocolate bar, hat, scarf, gloves, knife and fork, dice.

In the middle on the table is a small package, a bar of chocolate very often wrapped and wrapped in layers of newspaper or wrapping paper. Also a hat, a scarf, gloves and a knife and fork. The dice are rolled in turn. Whoever rolls a six quickly puts on the hat, scarf and gloves and tries to open the package.

He may continue to work his way up to the chocolate until the next person has rolled a six, then he must stop immediately and pass on his clothes. Always take turns until the chocolate is exposed. The chocolate may only be eaten with a knife and fork! The game is over when the chocolate is eaten.

5. The Journey to Jerusalem – Carnival Variant

• Players: From 5 players.
• Accessories: Large table (preferably round), masks / hats / clown noses or other things to dress up (1 object less than number of players).

The classic game musical chairs can be varied for carnival: instead of seats, the players have to get hold of carnival masks or crazy headgear.

Everyone dances to music around a table on which there are masks with rubber bands, funny hats or clown noses – exactly one less than the number of players. When the music stops, everyone has to quickly grab a mask etc. and put it on. Whoever goes away empty-handed is eliminated. The game continues until one player is left as the winner.

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For inspiration for more carnival games for families, take a look at our overview page for home party ideas. You’ll also find plenty of ideas for activities with friends, partner or family on our website.

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Image source Cover photo: Party – 139 by SupportPDX at CC BY 2.0.

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