Creative Dad CompanyCreative Dad Company
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.

Cardboard Carnival activity page

Budget levels

Materials list coming soon to members

Materials links go to Amazon. Prices are estimates and may change. As an Amazon Associate, Creative Dad Company earns from qualifying purchases.

Quick Start

Digital downloads only. $0 to buy. Printing is noted separately.

Materials list coming soon.

Student time: one class period, one day.

Teacher prep / build-ahead: separate from student time.

Scale it

The default plan is one class period on a single day.

Scale back: Fit it into a shorter period, use fewer effects, or run a demo instead of a build.

Scale up: Add one extra effect, or spread the share-out across another day.

Ambiance video

Ambiance video coming soon from Creative Dad Studio

Full Experience

Up to $25 per class (class of about 30, 6 groups).

Materials list coming soon.

Student time: one day.

Teacher prep / build-ahead: separate from student time.

Scale it

The default plan is one school day.

Scale back: Fit the build into one period with fewer effects.

Scale up: Spread the work across days, or add more effects.

Total Transformation

The bigger kit, priced per class (class of about 30, 6 groups).

Materials list coming soon.

Student time: one day (one session, one-day event).

Teacher prep / build-ahead: separate from student time.

Scale it

The default plan is one session, a one-day event.

Scale back: Shorten the event, or run a demo for a smaller audience.

Scale up: Spread the build and the event across days, or invite a bigger audience.

Choose your version

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

Student time: 35 min, one class periodTeacher prep / build-ahead: 11 min$0 to buy. Printing noted separately.One 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.

Ambiance video

Ambiance video coming soon from Creative Dad Studio

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.

Materials links go to Amazon. Prices are estimates and may change.

As an Amazon Associate, Creative Dad Company earns from qualifying purchases.

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 mapped

  • 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.