Carnival is coming!  

The most cheerful and colourful celebration in the world – where kids transform into their favourite characters for a fulfilled day – is about to start! Even though you’ll probably celebrate with your family at home this year, there’s no reason to not do everything possible to give your children an unforgettable party! 

If you’ve thought about organising your own Mardi Gras party then you’re in the right place, as here are our tips for hosting the best Carnival party around! 

Rule of thumb: share every moment of the party with your children and preparing early in the morning! 

1. Choose a theme and get Crafting !

The advantage of celebrating Carnival with your family at home is that you can choose the theme you prefer, and once you’ve made your decision, the family fun can begin! Musketeers and pirates are always in vogue, so why not form your own dastardly crew or dashing band of brothers? 

And, if a single theme doesn’t please all the family, everyone can choose their own, personal them selected from their favourite or from their favourite movie.  

Themes aside, the real fun begins when you start crafting and designing your costumes. So grab your fabrics, needles, scissors, glue and get creating because a family art attack is about to begin! For the youngest ones, crepe paper and duct tape work well too. Let your children’s imaginations flow, and help them cut, craft and create! 

Next: are you ready for make-up session?  

Sit together in front of the mirror and let your children do your make-up. It’s such a fun and colourful moment as you let yourself become their personal canvas. 

Moreover, your Carnival party can be a great opportunity for role play. You can be whatever you want – a doctor or a world-famous chef – so play the role with gusto! 

2. Carnival home decor

Decorations bring joy and take everyone go back to their childhoods for a moment, and once the party theme is selected, you and your family can begin decorating your home!

You can decorate the house or specific rooms according to your choses theme or themes. If you’re the patient of the best surgeon of the world, for instance, cover a table and the other furniture with white paper and use cottonwool as bandages, scattering some doctor’s tools here and there. And don’t forget to add lots of colour to your home to get in the carnival spirit, using confetti and streamers to set the scene.

Also, have lots of Carnival gadgets like whistles, kazoos, balloons and masks on hand to keep the party going. You can even hid things around the house to add even more fun and mystery to the big day!

3. Play Time

Once everything is ready it’s time to play, and any self-respecting party ought to include a game or two.

Organise a Gadget Hunt, for example, by hiding gadgets around the house and inviting children to find them. You can add to the fun by drawing a map that will help them search for the ‘treasure’.

Another easy game to play is a Streamers Contest.

Put a box in the centre of the room and stand back. Each player is assigned a different colour streamer and  you have to blow the streamers into the box. When the song is over, count the same-coloured streamers to decided which player wins!

And, don’t forget the Pinata, a sweet game that has always fascinated children and adults alike! Make a pinata and fill it with candies and chocolate. Hang it where it’s easy for kids to hit it with a broom stick and, when the pinata breaks, enjoy the shower of sweets and confetti that rains down on everyone!

Of course Role-Playing Games never fail in terms of fun, and children love to act out their chosen roles with their siblings or parents. If you are the guitar player of the family band, for example, you can accompany your child’s blues harmonica solo and put on a home concert for your guests!

4. Time to make sweets

As we always stress, children love to spend time in the kitchen preparing recipes with their parents. A typical Mardi Gras menu is usually full of cakes and sandwiches, but what better occasion than a Carnival party at home for baking some traditional Carnival sweets?

Why not prepare a traditional King Cake covered with icing and coloured sugar?

Prepare all ingredients and let your children mix them together, using their hands to kneed the dough. While the dough rises, have fun with them by preparing the coloured sugar, dividing it into separate bowls, one bowl for each colour. Add a few drops of dye in the bowl and start mixing.

Sharing such cooking moments with your children is very important because while they learn cooking, they acquire independence and confidence.

Now it’s snack time, so get together and enjoy the taste of freshly baked baked sweets!

5. Play time again.

There’s lots of opportunities to play during Carnival, so make sure you play along with your children and make some cherished memories that your children will never forget!

Carnival at home with the family can be the best Carnival ever. So, happy Mardi Gras!