Turn your backyard into a carnival for your child's next birthday party

Who says carnivals have to be all about expensive tickets and rigged games? Even if the fair isn't coming to town anytime soon, you can turn your backyard into a roaring good time without much trouble. If your little one has a birthday party coming up, enlist the help of fellow parents and put together a rousing backyard carnival.

The key to this party will be coming up with games and activities that are safe and fun for everyone. This can be as simple as filling a jar with chocolate coins and encouraging each guest to estimate how many are in there. The winner gets to take it all home! You can consider something more lavish, like renting a pony for the afternoon, if you'd like to kick things up a notch, though you can probably think of plenty of games to keep the kids occupied.

As far as décor goes, keep things light and festive! Hang round paper lanterns throughout the space. You can place a few battery-operated votive candles on the table so that there's plenty of light when the sun goes down. Make sure to work with bright and happy colors - it's a carnival, after all.

When it's time for everyone to go, make sure they walk out with a personalized goodie bag filled with great stuff. Mini candy dispensers are sure to go over well. Carnivals are a wonderful place to indulge yourself, so go ahead and let the kids have some extra candy! They'll definitely appreciate the gesture.