Outdoor kids’ carnival with cardboard boxes

You don’t have to wait for the carnival to come to town to have some carnival-themed fun! Check out these DIY ideas to build a carnival in your own backyard!

What you’ll need:

• large piece of cardboard
• small piece of cardboard
• colored poster board
• white poster board
• scissors
• Exacto knife
• glue
• tape
• construction paper
• markers
• bean bags

What you’ll do:

1. Cut the cardboard so that it is the same size as the piece of colored poster board. Glue the colored poster board to the cardboard.
2. Cut out three circles from the white poster board. Glue them to the blue poster board to make the clown’s heads.
3. Cut out three triangles from the construction paper. Glue the triangles to the top of the clown’s heads. Use markers to decorate the hats.
4. Draw the shape of a mouth on each clown’s face. Use the Exacto knife to cut the opening through the poster board and the cardboard backing. Only parents should handle the Exacto knife.
5. Use markers to draw eyes and a nose on each of the clowns.
6. Cut the small piece of cardboard in half diagonally to form two triangles. Tape the triangles to the back of the large piece of cardboard to make “legs” to help it stand up.

What you’ll need:

• large cardboard box
• flat piece of cardboard
• wrapping paper tube
• solid color gift wrap
• crepe paper
• construction paper
• string
• scissors
• tape
• glue

What you’ll do:

1. Wrap the large cardboard box with the solid color gift wrap.
2. Make the sign by cutting the flat piece of cardboard to the same width as the box, and about one foot tall.
3. Cut several sheets of yellow and white construction paper in half lengthwise. Round the corners on one end of each strip. Glue the strips to the cardboard to create the sign for the ticket booth.
4. Draw the letters for the word “tickets” on black construction paper. Cut out the letters and glue them to the sign.
5. Cut the wrapping paper tube in half and glue both halves to the back of the sign to support it.
6. Use tape to secure the bottom of the wrapping paper tubes to the top of the large cardboard box.
7. Wrap the wrapping paper tube with crepe paper and use tape to keep it in place.
8. Create a bunting by cutting triangles out of colored construction paper. Tape the triangles to a piece of string, then swag the bunting across the ticket booth.

What you’ll need:

• large piece of cardboard
• solid color gift wrap
• 20 to 25 balloons
• tape

What you’ll do:

1. Wrap the large piece of cardboard with the gift wrap.
2. Inflate 20 to 25 balloons (no helium required) and tape them to the board.
3. Throw darts at the balloons to pop them.

What you’ll need:

• large piece of cardboard
• plain wrapping paper
• plastic table cloth
• assorted construction paper
• string
• scissors
• tape

What you’ll do:

1. Cover the large piece of cardboard with the plain wrapping paper.
2. Unfold a large plastic table cloth and cut it in half. Tape a short end of each piece to the top of the cardboard to make curtains.
3. Cut a narrow strip off of the bottom of each piece of tablecloth. Use the narrow strip of tablecloth to tie back the curtains. Tape the ties to the back of the cardboard.
4. Cut triangles out of construction paper. Tape the triangles to a piece of string to make a bunting, and tape the bunting across the top of the backdrop.
5. Have kids pose for pictures in front of the backdrop.

source: sheknows