Use beach balls as inspiration to create carnival games.
Whether hosting a school fundraising event or a community carnival, a beach theme is a creative option. Incorporate marine life into the games of chance and consider offering prizes that represent the beach such as inexpensive sunglasses, visors or fish stuffed animals. When constructing the games, keep in mind the age of the participants and allow for each to be successful when playing.
Feed the Sharks
Draw the head-on images of five open-mouthed sharks in the ocean on a piece of plywood and cut out each shark's mouth with a jigsaw. Sand and paint the board in various colors representing an ocean scene and attach 2 to 3-foot wooden posts to the underside of the board to keep it off the ground and from bowing in the center. Participants use bean bags in the shape of fish to "feed the sharks."
Sea Animal Ring Toss
On four 3-by-3-foot squares of scrap wood, drill a hole and insert a wooden dowel into the center. Attach a stuff marine-life animal such as a large fish, shark, octopus and a whale to each dowel using craft wire and twisting it to secure. Participants play the game by throwing child-sized hula hoops with the goal of ringing the stuffed animals. Vary the throwing distance from the animals for different aged players.
Beach Balls
Blow up beach balls that are approximately 16 to 20-inches wide. Stage laundry baskets that allow one of the beach balls to fit comfortably inside. Decorate each laundry basket with a grass skirt and Hawaiian flower garlands. Each player gently tosses the beach ball with the attempt of getting it and keeping it in the basket. Beach balls may tend to bounce out so strategy lies in the gentle toss.
Fishing for Prizes
In a plastic infant swimming pool, place small homemade fabric fish pillows with a magnet glued to each fish's nose. Attach a string to a wooden dowel with another magnet at the bottom end of the string. Players go "fishing" in the "pond" with the goal of catching either a special colored fish or one that has a specific number on the reverse side, coinciding with specific prize options. The game is appropriate for children 5 years and under (or while players are blindfolded).
Tags: beach balls, stuffed animals, with goal, wooden dowel