There is nothing more fun than a good old-fashioned carnival!

One of our goals at Balloon ‘n Novelty is to be your local source for everything you will need to have a successful and fun event. From concession and game rentals to prizes and accessories, we are here to help! Planning a carnival does not have to be an overwhelming task. With proper planning and organization, your party is sure to be a big hit!

Listed below are some of our "tried and true" tips and advice that cover both large school type carnivals to small backyard carnivals. Have a question? Just give us a call...or fill out our contact form! Can’t you just smell the popcorn and cotton candy now? C’mon..let’s get started!

	Try to have a game/activity for every 6-8 children invited. Nobody likes to stand around too long. Games need to run smoothly and efficiently.
	Start with the basics...get organized! Get a notebook, paper and dividers with pockets for contracts, etc. Create the sections you will need: Guests/RSVPS, Volunteers/Chairs, Food, Vendors, Games, Prizes, Entertainment, Publicity, Budget/Sponsorships and more!
	Set your date and make your timeline of events. Take weather into consideration and have a back-up rain plan.
	Take the ages of the attendees into consideration. Make sure you have age appropriate games and activities.

TOP PICKS FOR OLDER KIDS: tattoo station, hair painting station, “messy zone” disappearing ink, water balloons, silly string), game rentals, karaoke stage (inflatable microphones for prizes), fortune telling booth, pie eating contest, hula hoop contest, air guitar contest (inflatable guitars for prizes), cake walk etc..Game rentals such as football toss, baseball toss, basketball throw, bottle pick up, krazy kan, potty toss, dart throw, milk bottle game, horse shoe game, frisbee throw and spin to win game to name a few!

TOP PICKS FOR YOUNGER KIDS: face painting, duck pond, potato sack races, dress-up corner (hats, feather boas, sunglasses) water balloon toss, egg and spoon game, temporary hair braids, lollipop tree, sand art and game rentals such as clown bean bag game, cat in the hat game, fish bowl, spin to win game, ring toss, stop and throw bean bag game and much more!
Click here for a full list of Do-It-Yourself Games and activities.

 

	Prizes! Balloon ‘n Novelty stocks a large variety of all types of prizes starting at $0.02 a piece! You will need to decide if each station will have a prize or if winners will win tickets and then go to a “redemption area”. You will also need to decide if the player gets a consolation prize such as a tattoo. It is a good idea that the player gets SOMETHING win or lose. Keep in mind, the idea is to keep it fun! We have tattoos, balls, bracelets, poppers, finger traps, compasses, candy, mini skate boards, notepads, pencils, erasers, key chains, spinning tops, rings, insects, stuffed animals, inflatables and much more!
	Concession Rentals! This will be one on the biggest hits of the event and helps to make any carnival complete! Balloon ‘n Novelty rents only the highest quality equipment on the market. You can be sure that your rentals are in great working condition and can handle large volumes of product. Choose from popcorn, snow cone, cotton candy and frozen slushie machines. Enjoy ‘one-stop-shopping’ as Balloon ‘n Novelty stocks all the supplies needed for these concession rentals. Click here for a full list of rentals and supplies.
	Create an “Entrance” or ticket station/registration area. Decide if you are going to sell tickets to play the games (for fundraising purposes) or if it’s a “backyard” carnival. Perhaps guests are given a certain amount of tickets as they come in? Balloon ‘n Novelty has a large variety of tickets and colors to choose from. Blank, Star, Double rolls and pre- printed $0.25, $0.50 and $1.00 tickets.
	Wristbands! Wristbands are used to indicate that a guest has indeed been invited to the event and has paid their entrance fee if applicable. There are two styles of wristbands (snap on and paper adhesive) and several colors to choose from. Wristbands are also a great way to also differentiate groups. For example, say you are having a backyard swimming pool carnival and some guests can’t swim. They would get a different color wristband. Wristbands can also be used to separate age groups.
	Decorate! At Balloon ‘n Novelty, we have carnival bunting, pennant and fringe banners, carnival signs, large table rolls, helium balloons, streamers and much more that will put the finishing festive touches on your special event!