Carnival Activity Idea - Potato Sack Races

A large grassy field is needed for this activity!

School-aged Kids are old enough to participate!

POTATO SACK RACES - SETUP & DIRECTIONS

A short Carnival Savers video/gif shows children doing Potato Sack Racing. 

Supplies for Potato Sack Races:

4 (or more) Large Burlap Sacks
Cones or Pennant Banner Flags for setting up the racing area
Booth Sign & Ticket Box
Carnival Prizes - optional, but a winner's prize is fun - (See Ideas Below!)

Activity Setup:

The most important part of this activity is finding the right area to set up this booth. We recommend setting it up on a large grassy area away from concrete, curbs, and even poles.

Kids seem to put their "all" into these races, so in their excitement to win, we saw lots of falls. The grass is the best place to have your races!

In addition, you need plenty of space between your racers - so the imaginary lines should be about 4 - 5 feet across so racers do not run into each other.

You will need a "Starting Line" and a Plastic Cone for each racer, which is about 25 feet (or so), for the "Turn Around" part of the race.

How to Run this Booth:

Kids are given a large sack and placed at a starting line.

You may want to let kids go about 1/3 of the way first down the lanes just to get the hang of it.

Each racer is told to jump down the "grass track" and around their Plastic Cone and then turn around and come back to the starting line, which will be the finish line.

After the practice run, have a volunteer state, "Mark, Set Go!" and the kids take off.

How Players Win a Prize:

Of course, the way to win the game is to cross the finish line first.

This activity is simply fun to do without any prizes, but if you wish, you can give out an inexpensive necklace, piece of candy, or other prize to the winner!

Additional Hints & Tips:

Generally, younger children, such as toddlers, are not coordinated enough to participate in these races.

Tip: If you are running too tight on funds for lots of large inflatable areas, including inflatable jump houses, obstacle courses, and giant slides, you can set up a race area instead of one of the large inflatables!

The burlap sacks may also be used at your school's field day or other school activities for PE, so the investment in the cones and sacks can be used time and again!