Classroom Carnival: Hosting a classroom carnival theme day is an exciting way to engage kindergarteners in fun-filled activities while working on valuable life skills. In this guide, we’ll explore how to create a memorable classroom carnival experience that teaches young learners about earning and spending money. We set up this fun learning experience last May towards the end of the school year and it was a great way to teach real-world skills, minus the dunk tank, of course. Get ready to grab some carnival game ideas.
Setting Up Your Classroom Carnival
Transform your classroom into a carnival atmosphere by setting up various classic carnival game stations such as mini-golf, bowling, ring toss, and more. Assign simple roles to students, like game attendants or snack vendors, to enhance their involvement and sense of responsibility. Let’s not forget the learning fun and to help challenge students.
Keep in mind that transformation days don’t have to be over themed nor does the entire classroom have to be decorated. I did not post a single decoration for this theme and no one cared at all.
Engaging Activities for Elementary Schools
To begin, we had to collect the games. This is the hardest part, but you can also reuse them year after year. We were given gift cards to purchase some fun Melissa and Doug Fun at the Fair games. I got them for 40% off at Target but you can look for your steal. We loved these because they are the perfect size for a DIY school carnival in your classroom. We also liked they are easy games to play for primary students and younger kids.
Here is the list of items and fun activities we got for our classroom:
Fun at the Fair! Mini Golf Play Set
Fun at the Fair! Armadillo Roll & Bowl
Fun at the Fair! Hook a Duck
Fun at the Fair! Stunt Cars
Fun at the Fair! Treasure Mountain Ring the Bell
Fun at the Fair! Roulette & Plinko
We got some extra games from Amazon:
Skee-Ball
Duck Pond
Ring Toss
Remember, you can start simple and build up games that you can use year after year. Our goal was to have one working carnival game at each table that students could play for a small fee. But it has to be an easy game students can play and possibly win with little to no help.
Preparing to Play Classroom Carnival
Next, we also collected small prizes to give away at each station. We asked parents to help donate themes as well. I also encourage you to check out any materials you can use from your school carnival event if they host them. I love to collect clearance items after Valentine’s Day and Easter to serve as prizes.
We also need to have a few carnival foods. I made some popcorn and cotton candy ahead of time and prepped them in small bags. Students were limited to buying one each.
To continue, we prepped money bags for all the students with the coin value and their names. This was their money to play games and to collect prizes. If they were the worker ( more on that below) they could collect their money from their game in their bag.
Let’s talk about the workers. We used sentence strips with red construction paper to be the headbands of the workers. Each student got a shift to work the games and play the games. We let the students work the games to earn money to play. Of course, we had to give the first round of carnival attendees a little advance to encourage them to participate in games and purchase snacks using their earnings. This hands-on approach teaches basic economic concepts like budgeting and decision-making in a fun, interactive way.
Empowering Student Workers:
Make the experience even more immersive by having students wear worker hats and run the carnival games. This not only fosters teamwork but also reinforces essential skills like communication and cooperation. Students all had the same time frame to work the stations. We also let them switch jobs based on their interest levels and sometimes money levels. They got to put the money they earned inside their baggie so they could use that same money to play their carnival favorites.
Learning Through Play:
As students engage in the cheap carnival game of their choosing, they’ll naturally learn about earning, spending, and saving money. Encourage discussions about their choices and experiences, promoting reflection and critical thinking. This goes beyond the standard social studies activities and brings it to life with learning fun.
On Monday, we had 8 carnival workers take their hats and pick their stations. Their money bags did not contain any coins because they did not earn any yet. Next, the rest of the class got their money bags with a small advance in them. Most of the students like to place their small prizes into their money bags as well. They got to choose their classic carnival games, pay to play, and try to earn a prize. Due to time constraints, we usually play this during our skill-building time and for only 30 minutes a day.
The next day, 8 different students became the classroom carnival workers. They generally give me back the money advance they got the day before. And now they work their game to earn their own money. This continues each day until everyone has a chance to work and play. Sometimes, students like to have a second or third turn to work at their favorite classic carnival game. I was very shocked with how many of my students love to work the game.
Classroom Carnival in Action
Hosting a classroom carnival is a fantastic way to combine fun and education for kindergarteners. By creating an immersive experience that teaches valuable life skills, educators can empower young learners to make informed decisions and develop essential financial literacy from an early age.
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