Transform your afterschool program into a fun-filled carnival for Lights On

For sheer variety of activities, there’s nothing like a carnival to showcase all the ways your program supports kids and families in your community. Attendees of your celebration have numerous opportunities to explore everything on offer through booths or stations with different games, STEM demonstrations, nutritious snacks, and day-in-the-life activities.

Get some inspiration from last year’s events:

• Alaska: The Anchorage Park and Recreation Department hosted a cobweb carnival andopen house. The open house consisted of free classes and programs for the day, a pottery giveaway, and entertainment and activities for adults and kids. The carnival included activities such as web making with marshmallows and toothpicks, balancing spiders on webs, and other Halloween-themed activities and crafts. The event also featured performances from a Bluegrass group and a multicultural Polynesian dance group.
   
• Arkansas: The Brandon House Culture and Performing Arts Center in Little Rock marked Lights On Afterschool with a carnival. Students, their families, and members of the community were invited to participate in fun games and activities like bowling, ring toss, sack races, a skeleton scavenger hunt, spoon relay race, and more. Partners including AR Kids Read, Big Brothers Big Sisters, CALS, and the Pulaski County 4-H Center were invited.
   
• Georgia: Robins Air Force Base hosted a Lights On Afterschool carnival, featuring stations with activities representing the five core areas of the program - health and wellness, fitness and recreation, community and leadership, arts, and education. There were a variety of activities, including bounce houses, balloon pop, ping pong tosses, cake walks, 4-H science kits, Zumba classes taught by base facility instructors, and much more.

To see how other programs have celebrated with a carnival or festival in years past, visit the searchable events database!

We’re just five weeks away from Lights On Afterschool – halfway there! This week, call to confirm any VIP guests to make sure they're still able to attend your event. Arrange transportation and other logistics for dignitaries and guest speakers, if necessary.

Register your program by October 12 to make sure your 10 free posters arrive in time for your celebration. Once you sign up, we’ll be in your inbox each week with top planning tips to help you make the most of the time between now and Lights On Afterschool Day.