Here are some fun Mardi Gras activities for kids. Incorporate one or two of these kid-friendly ideas in your party plans.
Mardi Gras is a very popular time of year in New Orleans. The name itself is French for “Fat Tuesday” and it is held on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. This carnival is an incredible celebration that is meant to lead up to the Resurrection as a Catholic tradition. Although many of the activities surrounding Mardi Gras are not kid-appropriate, there are plenty of 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
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?
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 and so on 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.
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 premake it 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. He now spends his life chasing his two twin daughters and loving his incredible wife while chasing the book in his head. You can read his humorous posts on family life and parenting at RodneySouthern.com.
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