In order to set up the game, you’ll need a bunch of small rubber ducks, permanent markers in various colors, a plastic swimming pool, and water. Fill a small plastic swimming pool with water. Mark the underside of each rubber duck with a colored dot and wait for the marker to dry. Once the ducks are dry, add them to the water. The different colors represent the type of prize the participant will win. For example, a red dot could mean candy, while a blue dot might represent a small toy. If you have one large prize to give away, mark one of the ducks with a green dot. To play, participants place the coin in the water and let it go. If the coin lands inside the glass, they win. Have enough coins on hand to last you throughout the event. Provide the same type of coin to make it fair to everyone who plays. Don’t arrange them yet, though—you need to get their prize cards attached first.Once you know how many balloons you will use, write out your prizes on index cards, using one card per prize. Pin each index card to the wall with the prize facing the wall so no one can see it. Place a balloon over each index card, pinning the base to the index card, so you don’t pop the balloon. To play, participants will throw the darts at the balloons and attempt to pop one. If they pop a balloon, the index card will be revealed. Remove it from the wall, turn it over, and show the winner what they won. The object of the game is very simple and guarantees a prize, which makes it an instant hit with younger children. The player will cast a line over a wall where an adult is hiding on the other side. Watch your head! Clip a piece of candy or a small toy to the clip and give the fishing line a pull as if the kids have caught a fish. The player pulls out the line and takes their prize. Put stickers and other small prizes inside the plastic eggs. If you have larger prizes, write the name of the prize on a slip of paper and put it inside an egg. Place all of the eggs in the small container. Fill the container with sand, making sure all of the eggs are completely covered. Hand out plastic shovels and let participants start digging. To minimize the chaos, only let one or two people dig at a time. The game is over when they find an egg and receive their prizes. Another hygienic option is to catch apples with small nets. Use the bucket of water and stick the apples in for bobbing. Instead of kids using their mouths to get the apples out, they’ll have to use a small net instead. This is perfect for smaller children who are working on their coordination skills. For older children, make it more challenging by blindfolding them. if you’re using candy as the prize, put numbers on the wheel and have participants guess which number the wheel will land on next. If it’s not the number the player has called, that number of candy pieces goes into a pot. The next player then calls a number. Repeat until the wheel finally lands on a player’s number and they win the candy loot. Another option is to use a piece of cardboard to hide all of the cups from your player. Place the ball under any cup and then remove the cardboard. Instead of moving the cups around, the player will guess which cup is hiding the ball. This version is easier for smaller children, especially if you increase their odds of winning by hiding an extra ball under more than one of the cups. Make the game hard by only coloring a few lollipop sticks and leaving the rest white. Only players who pull a lollipop with a colored stick will win. For an easier game, color the bottom of every lollipop stick, using different colors to indicate separate prize tiers.
