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Mardi Gras Activities for Kids

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 Here are some fun Mardi Gras activities for kids. Incorporate one or two of these kid-friendly ideas in your party plans.a young girl in a Mardi Gras mask

Mardi Gras or Carnival as it is sometimes called is a very popular time of year in New Orleans. The name itself is French for “Fat Tuesday”. Some Christians call this day Shrove Tuesday which comes from the word shrive which means to absolve. It is also called “Pancake Tuesday” as it has traditionally been a day to use up flour and sugar and other foods you will give up during Lent which begins the day after Mardi Gras on Ash Wednesday.

When is Mardi Gras?

Mardi Gras is held on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. This year it will be celebrated on February 21st. While Marid Gras technically refers to the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, Mardi Gras season lasts between the Epiphany on January 6th and Fat Tuesday. In Brazil and some other countries, the time between Epiphany and Mardi Gras is called Carnival season.

This carnival is an incredible celebration that is meant to lead up to the Resurrection as a Catholic tradition. Although many of the modern activities surrounding Mardi Gras are not kid-appropriate, there are plenty of family-friendly activities for kids to keep them involved and learning about this great tradition. Below are some ideas to involve your kids in Mardi Gras.

Mardi Gras Activities for Kids

Below are some ideas to involve your kids in Mardi Gras.

Make a Mardi Gras tree

Making a Mardis Gras tree is extremely fun and it can tie in all kinds of cool things about the tradition. You can literally decorate an existing tree or you can create your own “paper” tree. Decorate the tree with the colors of Mardi Gras – these are purple, green, and gold. Use beads, ornaments, and lights to make your Mardi Gras tree stand out.

Related Learning Opportunity –  Why are the colors of Mardis Gras Purple, Green, and Gold?

crescent roll king cake recipe

Cook a “creole” dish together

Louisiana and Mardi Gras are both known for their yummy cuisine and cooking is a wonderful way to celebrate the tradition. From yummy chicken gumbo to this easy Mardi Gras King Cake, having some taste bud fun is always a good choice for kids and adults alike. Here are more Mardi Gras recipes.

Throw your own parade

Parades are a huge part of Mardi Gras and kids really get into that idea. Why not let them make up their own parade to celebrate Mardi Gras? Let them decorate their Big Wheels, Bikes, and Wagons to simulate floats and then make banners for a neighborhood parade.

Related Learning Opportunity – Where was the first U.S. Mardis Gras held?

Make homemade masks

The elaborate and exciting masks that you see during the Mardi Gras celebration are not just for adults! Kids can join in and make a great Mardi Gras mask for themselves. All you need is some construction paper, crayons, magic markers, and a few cool mask templates to get the creative juices flowing.

Craft some colorful beads

These days, making a colorful necklace with beads is rather easy. If you go to any large box retailer, you can find the kits that offer up beads, string, and all the things you need to make Mardi Gras beads. Sitting and crafting your beads is a ton of fun and it is something you can do together.

Mardi Gras fluffy slime recipe

Make Mardi Gras Slime

Slime is popular with kids, so why not incorporate this Homemade Mardi Gras Slime into your party? Either let the kids make it or make it ahead of time and have it available for them to play with during the celebration.

These are only a handful of great Mardi Gras ideas for your kids. There are countless others out there. What ideas and activities do you and your kids enjoy on Mardi Gras?

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Based in Greensboro, Rodney Southern has been writing and editing sports and nature articles for going on 10 years. His articles have appeared in “Nicean” magazine, “The Sporting News” website, and countless other online venues. Southern was the 2008 Ultimate Call for Content National Award Winner.

About Alea Milham

Alea Milham is the owner of Premeditated Leftovers and the author of Prep-Ahead Meals from Scatch. She shares her tips for saving money and time while reducing waste in her home. Her favorite hobby, gardening, is a frugal source of organic produce for her recipes. She believes it is possible to live fully and eat well while spending less.

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Welcome. I'm Alea!

On Premeditated Leftovers I share simple recipes made with whole foods, practical shopping tips, time saving techniques, and meal planning strategies. I also share tips for minimizing food waste, so more of the food that is purchased ends up on the table.

While volunteering as a budget counselor, I realized that food is the element of most people’s budgets where they have the greatest control. I set out to develop low-cost recipes from scratch to prove it’s possible to create delicious meals on a limited budget. Eating well while spending less is about more than just creating recipes using inexpensive ingredients; it’s about creatively combining ingredients so you don’t feel deprived and are inspired to stick to your budget.