County Fair Games for Your Party

And They're Off....

We love going to a fair! And the kids just love the games. The bummer is, Mom and Dad shell out so much money, and the kids barely ever win! Occasionally they get a consolation prize. You know the ones... those cheap stuffed animals that lasts all of a half day before it's newness is gone, and it is discarded in the pile of all other junk toys...

So, instead of shelling out the money at the fair, why not play the games at home! Below I've outlined some great carnival/fair style games that are perfect for a party, or any day!

Aren't They Cuuute??

Ducky Ring Toss

Object of the Game: To have your ring land around a duck in the water.

1. Buy a bunch of rubber duckies. Check out Oriental Trading and search for "toy rubber ducks" to find all sorts of styles. Also purchase an inexpensive ring toss game or two, so you can have some rings to use to throw around the ducks. (The rings can come in handy for other Carnival games as well.)

2. Once the ducks arrive, write on the bottom of them a number from 1-3.

3. Fill up the kiddie pool with lots of water.

4. Put all the ducks in the pool. The more the merrier.

5. Create 3 bins of prizes, labeled 1, 2, and 3. Note: The prizes can be anything you'd like... a toy, a stick of gum, a sticker, a box of raisins... use your imagination!

6. Have kids toss rings around the ducks. When a ring is around the duck, pick up the duck to see the number on the bottom, and let the child select the appropriate prize!

Penny Toss

Object of the Game: To have a penny land on a plate and not fall off.

1. Pull out all your pots and pans and arrange them upside down (bottoms up) together in group on your lawn. Ideally you want your pots and pans to be of different heights.

2. Cover them up with a plain sheet. Smooth the sheet so the surface is even.

3. Place plates (of different sizes) on the bottoms of the pots and pans.

4. Create some type of line where children can stand to throw the pennies.

5. Once a child's penny lands on a plate, give them the penny as a prize!

Knock the Bottles

Object of the Game: To knock down as many bottles as possible on one toss.

1. You have 2 easy choices for setting up this game...

a. buy a prepackaged set up for this game (for instance, Oriental Trading has a Milk Bottle Toss game...)

b. Or make it your self at home...

2. To make it at home Gather up 6-9 plastic soda bottles (look for bottles with very wide caps/mouths, so they can be stacked easily). Clean out, and preferably remove the label, so they are all the same.

3. Find a wiffle ball, bean bag, or some other light ball.

4. Set up the bottles in a pyramid and let the kids at it!

Hopefully some of these games will inspire you to throw your own carnival at home! In future posts, I'll make sure to write up some more!

Good Luck!