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EngineeringMathArt

Cardboard Carnival

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Grades K-245-60 minSource: Creative Dad Company

Kids invent and build their own carnival games, then test whether they're actually fun and fair. It's a joyful engineering project that ends with a real backyard carnival day.

Choose your version

Every level teaches the same core idea — pick the one that fits your time, budget, and energy today.

Prep: 11 minActivity: 35 min1 session~$1/groupOne table or a small area of floor spaceBeginner-friendly

Setup

Gather cardboard, paper cups, rings or balls and clear a small work surface. Read the Cardboard Carnival mission aloud, then place the supplies where children can choose and compare them safely.

Activity

  1. Predict what would make a carnival game fun to play but still fair to win.
  2. Build a carnival game, like a ring toss or ball drop, from cardboard and cups.
  3. Test the game with a few players and discover it's too easy or too hard, then adjust the distance or target size.
  4. Run the full carnival and keep a scoreboard of everyone's results.

Done when: Children complete the core mission and the full carnival and keep a scoreboard of everyone's results.

Materials

Cardboard boxes, ping pong balls or bean bags, tape, markers, paper cups

Shown for the Quick Start version — switch tabs above to see what changes.

Disclosure: Materials links below go to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, Creative Dad Company earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Steps

  1. Predict what would make a carnival game fun to play but still fair to win.
  2. Build a carnival game, like a ring toss or ball drop, from cardboard and cups.
  3. Test the game with a few players and discover it's too easy or too hard, then adjust the distance or target size.
  4. Run the full carnival and keep a scoreboard of everyone's results.

Standards it satisfies

  • NGSS · K-2-ETS1-2

    Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.