How to Plan a School Carnival – Ideas for Games & Booths

Planning a school carnival can be both exciting and overwhelming for PTA/PTO committees and volunteer organizers. The key is to focus on fun, kid-friendly games and booths that will delight students and families alike. Below we’ve gathered some of the best school carnival ideas – from classic game rentals to engaging booths – all available through Perfect Parties USA. These attractions are safe, easy to run, and professionally delivered, set up, and removed by the Perfect Parties USA team, making your carnival planning virtually stress-free. Let’s explore the top game and booth ideas to make your elementary or middle school carnival a hit.

 

Classic Carnival Game Rentals for Kids

The heart and soul of any carnival is the games. Classic carnival games are timeless crowd-pleasers that kids (and adults!) love. Perfect Parties USA offers rental games that capture the carnival spirit without the hassle of DIY setups. Here are some popular carnival game rentals and why they’re perfect for school events:

• Ring Toss: A simple yet addictive favorite at any school carnival. Children try to toss rings to land perfectly around targets (like bottles or pegs) to win prizes. It’s great for improving hand-eye coordination and can be enjoyed by all ages. The game is easy to set up with a sturdy rental booth, and you can adjust the throwing distance or target size to make it fun and fair for younger kids or more challenging for older ones. 
• Bean Bag Toss (Cornhole): This classic toss game requires precision and accuracy. Kids throw bean bags at a target (such as boards with holes or carnival-themed targets) aiming to score points by getting the bags through the holes. It’s a safe, non-threatening game (the “bean bags” are soft), making it ideal for all ages. You can play individually or in teams, fostering friendly competition and strategic thinking. Plus, the difficulty is easy to scale – simply have older students stand farther back.
• Balloon Darts: Let the kids show off their aim with this traditional carnival challenge. Balloons are inflated and mounted on a large board, and players get a few darts to try and pop them. Don’t worry about safety – Perfect Parties USA can provide blunt-tipped or magnetic darts and even a game attendant to supervise for extra safety .Popping balloons is pure thrill for kids; this classic game “tests accuracy” and gives an “adrenaline rush” as kids burst balloons to win prizes. The bright balloons and popping sound always draw a crowd! (Tip: You can even assign different prize values to different colored balloons to ramp up the excitement.)
  
• High Striker (Strength Tester): Nothing says carnival like the iconic High Striker – the game where you swing a mallet to ring a bell at the top. Perfect Parties USA offers a kid-friendly High Striker that lets students test their strength in a safe way. The equipment is adjustable for different ages and strength levels, meaning it can be a “real challenge for men, women, and kids alike”. Participants love stepping up and giving the mallet a big swing – and the crowd cheers when the bell *DING!*s. This game is not only fun but also boosts school spirit, especially if you let teachers or the principal try their hand at it! With a sturdy design and proper setup, the High Striker is safe for school use (the base is secure and the mallets are manageable for kids). It’s always a crowd-pleaser that draws attention from across the carnival.
  
• Dunk Tank: If you want to guarantee laughter and big crowds, consider a dunk tank rental. Students will line up for the chance to dunk a favorite teacher or the school principal into a tank of water! Perfect Parties USA’s dunk tank has a “sturdy, safe design with a comfortable, see-through seat and a large, easy-to-hit target”, ensuring everyone gets a fair shot at dunking their target. For school events, this game is surprisingly safe and very well supervised. Players throw soft balls at the target; when it’s hit, the seat drops and splash! – into the water goes the (willing) volunteer. It’s all in good fun and perfect for a warm-weather carnival. A dunk tank is fantastic for building school spirit – kids absolutely love seeing faculty members get wet for a good cause. And don’t worry, Perfect Parties USA handles the delivery, setup, and removal of the tank (you’ll just need to provide the water and a change of clothes for your brave dunkee!). 

Each of these games is kid-friendly, easy to play, and safe for school events. They’ve stood the test of time as carnival classics. One great benefit of renting these games from Perfect Parties USA is that they come with authentic carnival booths and accessories, so your school carnival will look just like a real fair midway. All the equipment is high-quality and kept clean and in good condition – no flimsy DIY setups here. In fact, these classic games are “easy to do no matter the age of the child”, with difficulty that can be adjusted for little ones or older kids.  By choosing a range of games, you’ll ensure there’s something engaging for every grade level at your carnival.

Fun Booths and Attractions to Boost School Spirit

In addition to the game booths, consider adding a few specialty booths or attractions that enhance the carnival atmosphere and encourage even more participation. Here are some popular booth ideas – all available through Perfect Parties USA – that can take your school carnival to the next level:

• Prize Redemption Booth: Rather than handing out trinkets at each game, you can set up a central prize redemption booth. This works great if you’re using a ticket system – kids earn prize tickets or tokens by playing games and then bring them to the prize booth to exchange for goodies. A prize booth keeps the excitement going as students get to choose their rewards, and it helps you manage prizes efficiently. In fact, “prize redemption booths are a popular option for school carnivals and community fairs” and can be scaled to your event size. Perfect Parties USA can provide carnival tents or counters for a professional-looking prize station. Stock it with school spirit items, small toys, stickers, or candy. The promise of prizes will keep kids engaged and eager to try every game! 
• Photo Booth: A photo booth is a fantastic way to create lasting memories and boost school spirit. Kids love getting their picture taken, and parents love the chance to capture the whole family in one shot. With a rental photo booth from Perfect Parties USA, you can have fun props, costumes, or a themed backdrop (even a green screen for custom backgrounds). Families and friends can pile into the booth for silly pictures. It’s not just fun during the carnival – the photo prints become souvenirs to take home. Photo booths are completely safe and suitable for all ages, and they tend to attract everyone from kindergartners to teachers. Consider making it a school-spirit theme by including props like mascot signs or wearing school colors. The booth will be delivered and set up by the rental team, and an attendant can assist with printing and scrapbooking if needed. It’s an easy win for engagement and something students will talk about long after the carnival. 
• Interactive Inflatable Games: To add a big “wow” factor to your carnival, include an interactive inflatable attraction. Inflatables come in many forms – bounce houses, obstacle courses, giant slides, inflatable sports games, and more. These are huge hits for school events because they provide high-energy fun. For example, a bounce house or inflatable obstacle course lets kids literally jump into the action. Many PTAs find that bounce houses “pay for themselves by bringing the crowds” – they draw lots of attendees and keep kids entertained. Perfect Parties USA offers commercial-grade inflatables that are cleaned, sanitized, and inspected for safety, so you can be confident you’re getting a good quality unit. They also provide staff or attendants to ensure ample supervision for safety. Some exciting inflatable ideas for carnivals include: an inflatable sports challenge (like an inflatable basketball hoop shootout or soccer goal kick), a giant slide (kids love racing down slides), or an inflatable carnival game (like an axe-throw inflatable with foam axes or an inflatable tic-tac-toe toss). These attractions get kids moving and laughing, and even the older students will be tempted to join in. Just be sure to allocate enough space and power (which Perfect Parties can help coordinate). Watching a crowd of kids bounce and play together will definitely boost the joyous atmosphere of your event! 
• School Spirit Dunking Booth or Pie Toss: We already mentioned the dunk tank earlier, but it’s worth noting here as a spirit-boosting “booth” as well. Involving faculty in the fun – whether by dunk tank or a pie-in-the-face booth – always amps up excitement. Students love any chance to (gently) “prank” their teachers. If a dunk tank isn’t feasible, Perfect Parties USA can help set up a pie toss booth where kids get to throw a whipped-cream pie at an (apron-wearing) teacher. These kinds of activities create laughter and memorable moments that bring the school community closer. Just like the games, these booths are run by professionals and come with all the equipment you need (tossing pies, tarps, cleaning supplies, etc.), so the mess stays controlled and the fun stays front and center. 

By mixing game booths with these extra attractions, you’ll create a well-rounded carnival experience. Families can move from playing games to taking photos, from bouncing in an inflatable to picking out prizes – there’s always something to do. These additions keep everyone engaged, give kids a chance to catch their breath between games, and appeal to a wider audience (for instance, some grandparents might not toss a bean bag, but they’ll happily snap a photo at the photo booth). And since all these booths are rentals, you don’t have to build or buy anything – it’s all turnkey.

Stress-Free Carnival Planning with Professional Rentals

One of the biggest advantages of working with a company like Perfect Parties USA is that it makes your job as an organizer so much easier. All the games and booths mentioned are available as rentals, meaning they come with everything needed for operation and a professional team to handle the heavy lifting. Perfect Parties USA will deliver the equipment to your school, set it up on-site (from anchoring inflatables to assembling booths), and take it all down when the event is over. This full service approach saves you and your volunteers a ton of time and effort – no need to build homemade games or scramble for supplies. As the Perfect Parties USA team likes to say: “High quality equipment, years of event experience, and uniformed staff” ensure that your event runs smoothly from start to finish.

Safety and reliability are top priorities. All rentals are regularly maintained and cleaned, so you’ll get clean, safe, and sturdy games that can handle excited kids. For example, inflatable units are sanitized before use and come with safety stakes and blower equipment as needed. You can even request trained attendants for certain booths (like the balloon darts or inflatable attractions) to supervise play if you’re short on volunteers – giving you peace of mind that every station is well-managed. And don’t forget the convenience of delivery and pickup: when the carnival is done, Perfect Parties USA’s crew will pack everything up, leaving you with nothing to do but celebrate a successful event.

Finally, renting carnival games and booths means your school carnival will have a truly authentic feel. The bright, colorful booths, the professional-grade games, and the excitement they generate will make your fundraiser or community event stand out. Parents will appreciate the quality, and kids will be talking about their favorite games for weeks. By focusing on rental games (and skipping DIY or homemade versions), you’re also prioritizing safety – you know the dunk tank won’t leak, the high striker won’t tip over, and the bounce house will be securely installed. It’s all taken care of for you.

Final Thoughts

With these school carnival ideas for games and booths, you’ll be well on your way to planning an unforgettable event. Mix and match classic games like ring toss, bean bag toss, balloon darts, and duck pond with special attractions like a photo booth or inflatable obstacle course to create a carnival that appeals to everyone. The kids will be smiling, the parents will be snapping photos, and the PTA will be thrilled with the turnout (and the fundraising!). Best of all, by using Perfect Parties USA for your game and booth rentals, you can relax and enjoy the day along with your attendees, knowing that setup, safety, and takedown are handled by professionals.

So step right up and start planning your school’s carnival extravaganza! With the right mix of games and booths, your carnival will not only raise funds for a great cause but also build school spirit and community. It’s time to create some joyful memories – let the carnival fun begin!