Thank you all so much for the input. After our meeting we decided to go with a redemption booth. Good point about the 15 min decision though! We also thought instead of having a cake walk doing a book walk. Any one tried this? We just really want our kids to have a blast!
Jewelz
We just had our carnival and did both prizes at each game and a "prizes for sale" table. The prizes at the games were very small (bead necklases from Oriental Trading, pencils, erasers) but at the "sale" tables the prizes were larger (stuffed animals, hats, masks). Each game cost a .25 ticket, but the prizes on the tables were 4-8 tickets. Both worked out well and the ladies at the sale tables also gave out plastic bags to carry the prizes in.
We also had a 2 liter soda ring-toss game and cake walk, so those had food prizes that needed to be carried around all night or taken out to the vehicle.
It will be my first event next month, at our <350 student school, with <$500 budget and after much reading, researching and comments on these boards, we will be using a redemption booth. The best argument for the booth in my mind is that, when you give out a trinket at a game, the child gets a trinket and moves on. They have no incentive to continually play the same game to get the same cheap toy. Whereas if they have to "save up" to get a bit better cheap trinket, then you have the potential to have them return over and over. Is it more work, sure. Am I stressed at the prospect of the entire event? You betcha!
I think it can go either way, and in the end, it's the same cheap trinkets, so it's about what you're most comfortable in dealing with.
Here is the brutal honest truth on how our carnival works. We get a realtor to donate bags with their name on it, and each kid gets a bag when they buy tickets. Each carnival game has a cheap worthless trinket for a consolation prize if they lose, and a bigger cheap trinket if they win. We do have a pop bottle ring toss where they can win a liter of pop, and a poster toss where they can win a poster, and an Adopt a Pet booth where they can win donated "gently used" stuffed animals, other than that they end up with a bag of worthless cheap trinkets. The kid brings the bag home, might dump it out and play with a couple of them for a day or two, then they forget about it and the bag gets tossed. The cheap worthless trinkets served the purpose, and the kids just remember the fun they had at the carnival.
I agree that giving out tickets and having a redemption booth is a good idea, but give a kid 20 tickets and 3 choices and you got at least a 15 minute decision. Most kids are content with their bag of worthless trinkets and would rather go home than wait in a line. Besides, all they are doing is getting one big worthless trinket instead of a bunch of little worthless trinkets.
I understand the "goodie bag" bag concept for every kid, but I think most kids would rather get a worthless trinket at each game. And when we give out a consolation prize every kid is getting something.
The only times we have had tears because of prizes is one year a kid did the cake walk for at least 20 times and never won. There was much discussion later whether they should have called his number just to let him win. But then again the parent was right there and should have pulled the kid away and explained that a cake walk isn't fair.
My opinion is for the first time you should have small prizes for each game. I think it will make your first time easier
I would do a prize at each booth. then you don't have to wait in long lines to get your prizes at the end. if you are on a limited budget, ask for donations. Ask your Gift Wrap rep for a box of carnival prizes and trinkets.... I got a huge box. ask your vendors for pencils with their logo or names on them. ask local subway shops for gift certificates to give out. ask McDonalds for coupons for ice cream etc...
you can always do non "gift" prizes like: first in line for recess, principal for the day, reading time, etc...
