Materials
Poster board
Pencil
Scissors
Paper plates or store-bought masks, optional
Ribbon or elastic
Hole punch
Green, gold, and purple paint
Paintbrushes
Glitter, feathers, sequins, and ribbon
Glue
Green, gold, and purple crepe paper
Old costumes
Wrapped candies
Instructions
What to do
1. Ahead of time, draw a simple mask shape on poster board and cut one out for each child. As an
alternative, use paper plates or store-bought white masks.
2. Have the children paint their mask in the colors of Mardi Gras. When they are dry, invite the children
to decorate them with sequins, feathers, glitter, and ribbons, lending your assistance when
it is needed.
3. Punch holes in the sides of mask and attach elastic or ribbon to fit child's head.
4. During February, preferably coinciding with Mardi Gras, have the children decorate the classroom
in green, gold, and purple streamers.
5. Invite the children's families to come for a Mardi Gras celebration. Encourage the children to
wear an old Halloween costume or colorful clothing.
6. Play music and have the children parade in their costumes and masks, tossing wrapped candies
to the parade spectators.
More to do
Circle time: Explain the meaning of Mardi Gras and invite the children's questions about the holiday.
Outdoors: Bring the parade outside and invite the families to bring wagons, tricycles, and bicycles.
Decorate the vehicles with crepe paper in the colors of Mardi Gras.
Snack: Serve grape juice with green and yellow gelatin dessert in keeping with the holiday's colors.
