So Many Things You Can Do With Your Carnival Prizes - See Below!
Updated Feb, 5th, 2025
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Whew! You had a great event, and now you are catching your breath. After the hurried post-event clean-up, you have a box of assorted prizes left over and wonder what to do with them!
Follow the three easy steps below, and you will be on your way to saving money for next year's big event.
One of our suggestions involves an "Almost Free" carnival booth for next year, so keep reading!
Think Twice Before Returning Your Leftovers
Why? We will share several reasons why you may want to hang on to those prizes, and we will share some hints and tips for what to do with them if you don't want to store them in a box for next year's big carnival.
Reason #1 - With Inflation - Next Year They May Cost More
With inflation running rampant, why return toys that will be kept for next year and potentially pay more next year?
So next year, when you need to order carnival prizes - you already have a head start (at today's prices)!
Reason #2 - Most Toy Prizes Can Be Easily Stored
Second, if you are having a carnival next year, we have found that most leftovers are stored in a few boxes and can be used at next year's event!
And, if you don't have anywhere to store those items, read below because we share some super fun ideas for better ways to use those extra prizes!
Reason #3 - There are 5 Fun Ways to Use Them Now!
Finally, we have a few ways these toys can be put to better use immediately!
Here are some suggestions:
- Teacher's prize or treasure boxes
- Prizes for PTA or PTO Bingo Games
- Prizes for other school events - field day or science fair
- Perfect for the Shark Bank Carnival Booth - Almost FREE Booth Idea
- Wonderful for the "school store" is typically run by PTO's or PTA's
Unopened bags of toys can easily be saved for next year's carnival or as teacher prizes, as mentioned above. If storage is limited, many schools give prizes to teachers to replenish award treasure boxes with an assortment of small toys. This is a win/win for both the teachers and the kiddos.
In addition, some PTAs or PTOs donate leftover items like pencils, pens, erasers, and other stationary-type items to the "school store" so the parent-teacher organization can still make a profit at the end of the day.
The Few Carnival Prizes that Cannot Be Saved
Most carnival prizes save wonderfully for next year, but there are a few items that do not save well - and should be used in 6 months or sooner.
- Candy - in particular, chocolate candy has a fairly short best-used-by date - so keep that in mind and don't store that for next year's carnival.
- Slime - Kids love slime, putty, and goo! These tend to dry out if stored for an entire year. So consider using those sooner!
- Disappearing Ink - Wow - we are surprised you have any of this leftover - this is such a hit with kids! But, if you do, this novelty prize is super fun and may last for a year, but to be on the safe side, consider finding another use for it as when it is exposed to air, it loses its color, and all the fun is gone!
How to Organize Your Unused Toys
Quick and easy - sort open bags and boxes of toys into small, medium, and top prizes.
Once you have completed this, box up the small, medium & large toys separately.
Many schools and churches have multiple events throughout the year, so by keeping these prizes, you have a head start on your next big event!
For example, if your school does a Spaghetti Dinner & Bingo Night, the larger toys can be used as prizes for the bingo game.
Consider having a Grab Bag Carnival Booth next year for the smaller and medium toys. This booth sounds boring, given it's just selecting leftover prizes.
HOWEVER, if you follow our BIG TIP, kids will be ecstatic to stand in line for a chance to win!
We just heard from one of our customers who set up our Shark Bank Booth Idea, and she said the kids went wild over it, and she was ordering more supplies for this summer!
Make a Quick Inventory List of the Toys for Next Year!
For the toys not being used this year, make a list and put a copy in the carnival file and a copy on the front of the box or boxes. This way, you know what items you already have, so you can choose different toys for the kids when ordering next year to keep your carnival prizes new!
Thanks for reading! Be sure to check out the rest of our carnival blog for those super helpful hints and tips.
