Carnival party

Tips and ideas for a great carnival party

Give your carnival party a motto and the costumes are guaranteed to be fun. "At the zoo", "distant planets", "adventure land" or "fairies and dwarves" are just a few ideas. Guests enjoy guessing and admiring each other's outfits.

Once the motto is found, a matching invitation is needed – made specially for the guests and the party. The host's imagination is the only limit: colourful, carnival-style, perhaps with a funny motif that fits the theme, a snappy line and the place and time, and the guests are in the mood long before the party.

The decoration

Decoration is part of the preparations: streamers, balloons, confetti, garlands and colourful napkins, plus practical paper tablecloths and banners with cheerful slogans. The better the decoration fits, the sooner the guests feel truly carnivalesque.

The costumes

The finishing touch is the costume, and the choice is enormous: Little Red Riding Hood, knight, nurse, explorer, frog, cowboy or cowgirl, clown, police officer or sailor are only a small sample. Matching make-up, wigs and accessories complete the look.

Party games

With costumes and decoration in place, the games for adults remain to be chosen – maybe "the Gordian knot", "spin the plate" or "the gargling concert". Don't push adults to play constantly, though; most prefer to dance, chat and sit together, and a good host reads the mood of the guests.

A carnival party for children

For the little ones think of special drinks such as children's sparkling wine or kids' cola, and of treats and small snacks. Games that also work at birthday parties – musical chairs, sack race, freeze dance, pin the tail – are a guarantee for success, and with funny, lively music in the background nothing stands in the way of a great party.

A carnival party for adults

For adults a few special features are always a good idea: a funny sketch or a comic speech in the local carnival tradition can be the centrepiece, and a friend can surely be persuaded to take on that part. Typical carnival songs provide the soundtrack. Some guests will enjoy a drink or two, but a private party should stay a pleasant evening for everyone. In that spirit – let the carnival begin!

Printable invitations

Ready-made invitation templates with many motifs – just add your text and print. more