I can’t wait to share these fun Mardi Gras activities for preschoolers with you! You can have a lot of fun celebrating and learning with a magical Mardi Gras theme. I’ve got a no-prep printable bundle of fun activities focused on helping your preschool students get the most out of Mardi Gras this February.
Ready to get the scoop on these printable Mardi Gras activities and get some fun hands-on activity ideas with a Mardi Gras theme too? Keep reading to discover literacy activities, math practice, fine motor skills fun, and more awesome activities for Fat Tuesday to do at home with your little learners or in the classroom.
Celebrate in the Classroom with a Mardi Gras Theme
Many families and communities worldwide celebrate Mardi Gras, the French name for Fat Tuesday. It’s celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. It’s a time to enjoy and celebrate before the fasting associated with the Lenten season.
Originally a Catholic holiday, Mardi Gras is now a festive time for many people with many fun traditions and opportunities to celebrate. Preschoolers can have fun learning about Mardi Gras beads, parades, King Cake, Carnival, and the traditional colors: purple, yellow, and green. Purple is for justice, green is for faith, and yellow is for power.
Kids will have fun exploring a Mardi Gras theme in the classroom. Plus, it’s an awesome way to incorporate lots of fun academic skills practice with young children. Check out my fun printable Mardi Gras activities for preschoolers including cookie counting and parade rhymes for your classroom Mardi Gras celebrations below.
Printable Mardi Gras Activities for Preschoolers
Celebrate the Mardi Gras spirit like you’re in New Orleans with printable activities you can add to your February lesson plans. If you’re searching for great ideas to use at home and in the classroom that won’t require lots of prep time or extra resources, I’ve got you covered!
Don’t miss out on a great way to build early literacy and numeracy skills with my Mardi Gras coloring pages and worksheets. Here’s what’s included in this bundle of fun Mardi Gras activities:
Mardi Gras Coloring Pages
If you’re looking for a fantastic way to introduce the little ones to the vibrant colors and traditions of Mardi Gras, we’ve got just the thing – free Mardi Gras coloring pages!
These printable sheets are not only a blast for the kids but also a fantastic learning tool. Your preschoolers will be exploring the magic of Mardi Gras while enhancing their color recognition, alphabet knowledge, and number skills. It’s a win-win!
So, grab those crayons, print out our color by code pages, and let the Mardi Gras celebrations begin in your preschool or kindergarten class.
Parade of Rhymes
Enjoy all the magic of a Mardi Gras parade with this engaging literacy printable for kids. Your preschoolers will have a good time on Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras) as they match the rhyming words on this printable.
Rhyming is an important skill for preschoolers to master as they develop phonemic awareness, and learn to recognize and manipulate the sounds in words. Mastering rhyming with this fun Mardi Gras activity is a great way to lay a foundation for successful reading and communication skills with your preschool students.
Mardi Gras Syllable Fun
Have some Mardi Gras fun and master syllables together with my printable worksheet. Kids will have fun coloring in the correct number of gold coins for each image on these Mardi Gras worksheets. Plus, it’s a fun way to develop hand-eye coordination and build early literacy skills.
Then, extend the lesson by picking out the syllables in the Mardi Gras words in these fun books for Mardi Gras Day: 12 Days of Mardi Gras by Melissa Thibault or To Carnival! by Baptiste Paul.
CVC Crowns
Younger children can work in small groups to explore Mardi Gras traditions with the themed CVC words in this Mardi Gras printable. Practicing these three-letter words is an important step in developing phonemic awareness for preschoolers. It helps them develop the skills they’ll need to blend sounds and decode words as they begin to read independently.
Beginning Sound Beads
Mardi Gras beads are colorful and exciting for preschoolers! There are so many fun ways to incorporate them into learning activities in your classroom this February. This printable Mardi Gras beginning sound activity asks preschool students to write the beginning sounds for each picture inside the beads on the page.
Preschoolers will love coloring these festive images and decorating their Mardi Gras beads with purple, green, and yellow as they explore Carnival celebrations and Mardi Gras parades all over the world!
Tasty Ten Frames
When you think of Mardi Gras, you probably think of New Orleans, and when you think of New Orleans, you probably think of beignets! Beignets are a delicious local treat made from sugary fried dough.
In this printable Mardi Gras activity for preschool students, your kids can explore ten frames as they count tasty beignets. Finish up the activity with a festive beignet snack or Mardi Gras cupcakes for an added treat.
Jester Hat Tally Worksheet
Jester hats are an important part of Mardi Gras celebrations around the world because they remind us of medieval jesters, who entertained royalty and commoners alike. The whimsical hats symbolize the festive and lighthearted spirit of Mardi Gras, adding a playful touch to the holiday. This February, you can use my Jester Hat Tally Worksheet to practice counting with tally marks in a way that’s fun and whimsical for your students.
Introducing preschool students to tally marks is an essential early math skill. Tally marks promote counting and representation of quantities in a visually accessible way for lots of students, making it easy to understand more complex numerical concepts.
Missing Number Masquerade
Colorful Mardi Gras masks are a big part of the celebration in many parts of the world. As you learn about all the cool masks worn during the holiday, use masks to practice counting with your preschoolers too. Check out my printable Missing Number Masquerade activity to practice counting skills, sequencing, and writing numbers too.
Counting Cookies
This printable Counting Cookies activity for Carnival asks children to count the Mardi Gras cookies on each plate pictured and color the correct number from the choices given. It’s an excellent way for preschoolers to practice counting, one-to-one correspondence, and number identification skills. Plus, they’ll get lots of fun fine motor skills practice as they color in every answer on the page.
Fun Mardi Gras Activities for Hands-On Learning
Engaging preschoolers in hands-on Mardi Gras activities will spark creativity and make it more fun to explore different cultures together. These fun Mardi Gras activities not only captivate their imaginations but also provide valuable sensory experiences and fine motor skill-building opportunities. From easy Mardi Gras craft ideas to creating rhythmic sounds with Mardi Gras music, hands-on experiences immerse kids in the spirit of the festival while fostering a love for learning through play and exploration.
Make Your Own Masks for Mardi Gras
Young children and older kids will love making Mardi Gras masks. This is a fun craft you can get the entire family in on! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Paper plates
- Tempera paint, markers, or crayons
- Construction paper
- Paintbrushes
- Craft sticks
- Scissors
- Pencils
- Tape
First, cut the paper plate in half. Then, draw or trace two eye shapes and cut holes for the eyes. Finally, kids can decorate their masks with paint, markers, and crayons!
Tape feathers, sequins, and other fun items to your Mardi Gras masks. Whatever you do, get creative and have fun!
Host a Mardi Gras Parade or Carnival Parade
You can transform your classroom into a lively Mardi Gras parade with a little creativity and lots of hands-on fun for everyone! After your preschoolers have created cool masks, make a shoebox float with each child. Encourage them to get creative and use items they find around the room.
Finally, get in costume! Costumes are a big part of Carnival (Mardi Gras) celebrations. They allow participants to express their creativity, embody characters they admire, and embrace the tradition of the masquerade. Costumes are playful, a big part of community celebration, and part of the colorful spectacle of the holiday.
Cue up lively jazz music or Cajun music, let the children march around, and throw plastic beads or ribbons. This interactive experience celebrates the joy of Mardi Gras by promoting teamwork and imaginative play.
I hope you’ve discovered lots of fun ways to celebrate the magic of Mardi Gras with your preschoolers in the classroom and at home this February. I can’t wait to read about all your fun lesson plans and Carnival celebration ideas in the comments!
