Inside: 20 easy carnival games for kids — perfect for school carnivals, class parties, and backyard events. Each game includes what you need, how to play, and the best age group.
Planning a school carnival or backyard bash? You need a lineup of games that are fun, simple to run, and won’t require an engineering degree — or a giant budget. Whether you’re filling a gym or setting up a few booths in the garden, these carnival game ideas are easy to set up, kid-approved, and perfect for keeping the fun going all day long.
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Each game below includes what you’ll need, how to play, and which ages it works best for — so you can mix, match, and plan your game row without the stress.
A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Start
How many games do you need? For a school carnival, aim for one game booth per 50–80 attendees. A dozen games is plenty for most events — you don’t need all 20.
What about prizes? Keep it simple. Small toys, stickers, candy, and pencils work for most age groups and won’t blow your budget. Check out our full list of school carnival prize ideas for inspiration.
How do you staff a booth? Most games only need one volunteer per booth. Give them a simple instruction card so they can answer questions without hunting anyone down. Older students (Year 5 and up) can run many of these themselves.
Running it as a fundraiser? See our school carnival fundraising guide for ticket pricing, layout tips, and how to maximise your profit.
Classic Booth Games
These are the ones kids expect to see at a carnival — and they never get old.
Duck Pond
A classic for a reason. Kids love fishing for ducks to see what prize they get.
What You Need:
- A small plastic kiddie pool
- Rubber ducks (write numbers on the bottom)
- A prize table with items corresponding to the numbers
How to Play: Each child picks a duck from the pond and turns it over to reveal a number. The number matches a prize level — 1 = small prize, 2 = medium prize, etc.
Best For: Ages 2–7. Perfect for toddlers and early elementary — especially when the ducks are floating in real water!
Ring Toss
Simple setup, satisfying wins.
What You Need:
- Plastic or rope rings
- Bottles, cones, or upright pegs to toss onto
- Tape to mark a throw line
How to Play: Each player gets 3–5 rings to toss. They win a prize if they land one or more rings over the targets. Adjust the distance for different age groups or prize tiers.
Best For: Ages 4–12. Younger kids can stand closer; older kids enjoy the challenge. Great for mixed-age events.
Bean Bag Toss
A guaranteed crowd-pleaser and very easy to set up.
What You Need:
- Bean bags
- A large board with cut-out holes, baskets, or buckets
- Point values or prize tiers
How to Play: Kids take turns tossing bean bags into the targets. Points determine the prize level, or give a small prize for every bag that lands.
Best For: Ages 3–10. Adjust the hole size and distance for different age groups.
Ping Pong Ball Toss
All about aim — kids toss ping pong balls into cups or jars to win prizes.
What You Need:
- Ping pong balls
- Plastic cups, glass jars, or small bowls
- Prizes or a colour-coded point system
How to Play: Line up rows of cups or jars and assign point values or prize tiers to each row. Kids get 3 balls to toss — where they land determines their prize.
Best For: Ages 5–12. Easy to scale up or down based on prize budget.
Lollipop Pull
A game and a treat all in one.
What You Need:
- A foam board or box
- Lollipops
- A marker to colour the tips of a few sticks (to indicate “prize” pops)
How to Play: Stick all the lollipops into the board. Kids choose one and pull it out. If the end of the stick is marked, they win an extra prize. If not — they still get a lollipop.
Best For: Ages 2–10. Budget-friendly, non-competitive, and always popular.
Fish Bowl Game
Toss balls into bowls — and maybe win a (candy) goldfish.
What You Need:
- Small plastic bowls or cups arranged on a table
- Ping pong balls
- Prize options (plastic fish toys or gummy fish — please skip the live fish, it’s not kind to them!)
How to Play: Players toss ping pong balls one at a time, trying to land them in the bowls. Colour-code the bowls for different prize levels if you like.
Best For: Ages 6–12. A classic carnival favourite.
Can Knockdown
Stack, aim, and knock them down.
What You Need:
- Empty cans (decorate them for extra flair)
- Bean bags or soft balls
- A flat surface for stacking
How to Play: Stack the cans into a pyramid. Kids get 2–3 tries to knock down as many as they can. Give a bonus prize for clearing the whole stack.
Best For: Ages 4–10. Fast to reset, satisfying to play.
Coin Toss
Toss coins and try to land them on a target. Simple and free to set up.
What You Need:
- Pennies or plastic play coins
- Plates, jars, or marked circles on the table
- Optional: prize tiers based on landing zones
How to Play: Kids toss coins from a set distance, aiming to land them on a plate or into a jar. Smaller target = bigger prize.
Best For: Ages 5–12. Quick turns, easy to reset, good for fine motor skills.
Games of Chance
No skill required — just luck and excitement.
Balloon Pop
Pop a balloon, win a prize.
What You Need:
- Balloons
- Push pins or safe poppers (for older kids)
- A large board to attach balloons to
- Prize slips inside some balloons (optional)
How to Play: Kids take turns popping a balloon. If theirs has a prize slip inside, they win. Award participation prizes for everyone if you like.
Best For: Ages 6–12. Use supervised play only with pins or darts.
Plinko Board
A game of chance that’s as fun to watch as it is to play.
What You Need:
- A DIY or bought Plinko board
- Small discs or flat tokens
- Prize labels at the bottom slots
How to Play: Players drop a disc from the top and watch it bounce down to a prize slot.
Best For: Ages 5–12. The anticipation is half the fun.
Wheel of Prizes
Spin the wheel and let fate decide.
What You Need:
- A prize wheel (store-bought or DIY cardboard)
- Prize categories written on each segment
- A prize table to match the sections
How to Play: Each child spins the wheel and wins whatever it lands on. Include a “bonus” space for a bigger prize to keep the excitement high.
Best For: Ages 3–12. Works for all ages with minimal setup.
Dice Roll for a Prize
Let the dice decide your fate.
What You Need:
- Jumbo foam dice
- A prize chart based on roll results
- A prize bin
How to Play: Each player rolls the dice and wins a prize based on the number. Use two dice and add the numbers together for more variety.
Best For: Ages 3–10. No skill needed — just excitement.
Guess How Many
The ultimate game of observation and estimation.
What You Need:
- A clear jar filled with candy, marbles, or small toys
- Entry slips and a submission box
- A sign to display the jar
How to Play: Kids write down their guess for how many items are in the jar. The closest guess wins the whole jar or a special prize — announced at the end of the event.
Best For: Ages 5–12. Adds a great “big reveal” moment to the day.
Active and Outdoor Games
These get kids moving — great for outdoor events or gym spaces.
Toilet Paper Toss
Silly? Yes. Hilarious? Absolutely.
What You Need:
- Lightweight toilet paper rolls or small white bean bags
- A toilet seat (clean!) mounted on a stand
- Tape or cones to mark the throw line
How to Play: Players toss their TP rolls through the toilet seat ring. Prize for every roll that makes it through.
Best For: Ages 4–10. Gets giggles every single time.
Cup Stack Knockdown
Stack some cups. Knock them down. Instant satisfaction.
What You Need:
- Plastic cups
- Bean bags or soft balls
- A table for stacking
How to Play: Kids throw bean bags to knock down a pyramid of cups. Prize tiers based on how many fall — bonus for clearing the whole stack.
Best For: Ages 3–10. Easy to reset and safe for little arms.
Bubble Pop
Fast-paced, giggly, and zero setup stress.
What You Need:
- A bubble machine (or lots of volunteers with bubble wands)
- Plastic fly swatters (optional)
- A clear open space
How to Play: Let the bubbles fly and let kids chase them! Time each player for 30 seconds and give a prize for the most popped — or just let younger kids run free.
Best For: Ages 2–6. Perfect for the tiniest carnival-goers.
Rubber Duck Race
Ready, set, squirt!
What You Need:
- Two plastic rain gutters or water-filled troughs
- Rubber ducks
- Squirt guns or spray bottles
How to Play: Kids race their ducks by squirting water behind them. First to the end wins. Run it tournament style for bigger groups.
Best For: Ages 4–10. Splashy, interactive, and always draws a crowd.
Mini Golf Putt Challenge
A hole-in-one never gets old.
What You Need:
- A putting mat or DIY green
- Kid-sized golf clubs and balls
- A small target cup
How to Play: Each player gets 1–3 chances to putt the ball into the hole. Award prizes for successful shots or use different distances for prize tiers.
Best For: Ages 5–12. Great for kids who enjoy a bit of a challenge.
No-Equipment Games
Easy on prep, easy on budget.
Sucker Tree
Colourful, sweet, and takes about five minutes to set up.
What You Need:
- A foam board or floral foam block
- Lollipops
- A few with coloured tips to signal a prize
How to Play: Kids pick a lollipop — if the stick is marked, they get an extra prize. Same idea as the Lollipop Pull, shaped like a tree.
Best For: Ages 2–8. A visual favourite for younger kids.
Tattoo Station
Fast, fun, and always a hit — no cleanup needed.
What You Need:
- Temporary tattoos or stamp sets
- Small bowls of water and sponges
- A table and chairs
How to Play: Kids choose their favourite design and volunteers help apply it. Limit to one per child or charge extra tickets for more.
Best For: Ages 3–10. One of the easiest booths to run — great for volunteers who want a calm station.
And there you have it — 20 easy carnival games that are simple to set up, cheap to run, and guaranteed to keep kids smiling all day. Pick your favourites, mix in a few classics, and you’ll have a game lineup that’s a total winner.
Don’t forget the prize table — and if you’re running this as a fundraiser, our school carnival guide covers everything from ticket pricing to volunteer management.
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