Mardi Gras is a winter holiday also known as Carnival. It’s a weeks-long fun, chaotic celebration culminating in Fat Tuesday (which is “Mardi Gras” in French), the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the religious season of Lent. Many communities organize parades and festivals, and people dress in costumes and eat large meals.
Although this holiday is usually synonymous with drinking, it’s also fun for children. Here are eight recipes, crafts and activities to get kids, parents, nannies and babysitters in the Mardi Gras mood.
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Start the Day With a Beignet
One of the tastiest treats of Mardi Gras is the warm puffy beignet, dusted with powdered sugar. The beignet captures everything your kids love about pancakes, but with an undeniably French twist. Traditionally, beignets get their doughy inside and crispy exterior from a dip in the deep fryer, but this yummy recipe from Eat, Live, Run is a much healthier baked option. Plus, kids will love helping with the easy mixing and rolling.You can also check out this beignet recipe from Cafe Du Monde, the iconic New Orleans coffee shop famous for the sugary treats.
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Make a DIY Mask
Everyone loves to play dress up, especially if you get to make your own costume. Enjoy the Mardi Gras masquerade tradition by donning masks that you and the kids made yourselves. You can find sample masks online, including ones made from clear plastic, duct tape, paper plates or handprints. The more feathers and glitter, the better! -
Bake a King Cake
This large, braided pastry is often covered with sugar in the Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold. You and the kids can make fancy ones with yeast or simpler ones with premade biscuit dough. And in some recipes, a small plastic baby is baked into the cake and the person who gets that slice with the baby gets special privileges for the day. -
Practice Your French
Kids will get a kick out of trying to pronounce French words. If you’re unfamiliar with the French pronunciation, don’t worry, that’s part of the fun! Here are some Mardi Gras-related words to get you started:- la reine = queen
- le roi = king
- un defile = parade
- un collier = necklace
- le violet = purple (justice)
- l’or = gold (power)
- le vert = green (faith)
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Whip up Some Jambalaya
A delicious blend of rice, veggies and protein, jambalaya has made a name for itself in traditional Louisiana cuisine. This easy versatile recipe can be adapted to fit any taste — or picky eater. Feel free to sub out the chicken for sausage or seafood, both of which are very popular down South. - Form a Krewe
Krewes are an important part of Mardi Gras — they’re the groups that get together to organize the parades. Some of the most famous ones include the Krewe of Rex, Krewe of Endymion and Krewe of Orpheus. Create your own krewe, complete with a name, and then design and make a mini float out of a shoebox. -
Make Custom Mardi Gras Necklaces
Those plastic bead necklaces that are so common during Mardi Gras could definitely use an upgrade. Help you kids create custom necklaces to wear during the celebration. Just grab different types of beads and string them together on fishing line from your local craft store. Get colorful and creative! This is an inexpensive craft that will keep kids busy for hours. -
Recycle Beads Into a Wreath
When the holiday is over, what do you do with all of those leftover beads? Instead of throwing them away or tossing them in a drawer to be forgotten, create this beautiful festive wreath to show your spirit!
