Carnival Game Ideas

banana slamma

Toss plastic bananas at a target. You could have a board with holes for the bananas to be tossed through, or bowls or bushel baskets that the bananas can be tossed into.

beach party bingo

You can bring the bingo game to your beach by laying out beach towels for the players to sit on. Get a Frankie and Annette movie to run in the background.

beanbag throw

Make a target out of plywood or foamcore (available at art supply stores) for beanbags. Paint the board with a fun design and cut out holes large enough for the beanbags to go through. Each player gets to throw three beanbags at the target.

dip in the ocean or surf's up! (dunk tank)

Have your dunk tank volunteer dress in a swimsuit with sunglasses and a straw beachcomber hat.

feed the sharks

Paint a board with a picture of a shark. Leave a hole for some plastic fish to be thrown into. Player gets three tries to throw the fish into the hole. To make the game harder, have the player use a slingshot to toss the fish.

golf

Hawaii and great golf courses go together like surf and sand. Someone in your organization may have (or have access to through their company) a mini-golf set up. They are also available for rent from party suppliers (check the Yellow Pages).

hula dancing

Get out your Don Ho CDs and get those hips moving! You may be able to find actual Hula dancers in your community to lead the fun. Check with local dance studios for referrals.

hula (hoop) Toss

Tossing a hula hoop over a target is similar to the classic carnival game of Hoopla. In this game, the object is to toss a hoop over a large target such as a stuffed animal. The hoop mush completely touch the ground to be a winner. The game is made harder by increasing the size of the platform that the prize sits on. You could use a tropical animal like a monkey.

hula hoops (basketball)

Try putting a hula skirt on a basketball hoop to bring the game of basketball into your theme.

hula hoops (ring toss)

Use the Barbie-size Hula girl dolls as targets for ring toss.

limbo

How low can you go? Oriental Trading (see link at bottom of page) has a limbo pole set.

lucky lei

The player chooses a lei that might glow as a "winner" when held next to a black light. The winning leis have been sprayed with an invisible paint that is only visible under black light. The player takes their lei to an area where you have set up a black light to see if it is a winner.

pineapple punch

Toss plastic pineapples at a target. You could do this as a "knockdown" game where you are trying to knock a target off a table, or as a "tossing" game, where you are trying to get the pineapples in a basket.

postcard from paradise (funny photos)

Paint foam core or plywood with funny bodies of body builders and swimmers and cut out holes for faces. Take Polaroid or digital pictures.

sunken treasure (quarter drop)

Set up an aquarium with a small container on the bottom (a little treasure chest would be fun). Fill the aquarium with water and add decorations if desired. The player drops a quarter or other small object (marbles would also work).

tropical fishing

Bring this classic into the tropics. Player extends a small fishing pole over (or through a hole in) a screen. The operator in back of the screen attaches a prize to the line. Fishing poles can easily be made from bamboo sticks or wooden dowels with a clothespin or paper clamp on the end of a string. Paint the screen with lively underwater designs for more fun.

tropical fish toss (goldfish toss)

Set up a row of empty goldfish bowls and let the player try to toss a ping pong ball into a bowl. The prize is a living goldfish (in a plastic bag), available for very little cost from your local pet store. You might try to earn a little extra by selling inexpensive goldfish bowls to the winners.

walk in the Jungle (cake walk)

Do a cake walk with a jungle theme. In this game, you play music (Don Ho again?) while the players walk from square to square. When the music stops, you spin to see which square is the winner. Winners can get cake, pie, cookies, candy, etc. If you could get some pineapples donated by a local grocery store, it would be a fun prize here.