Not to sound cheap, but if your PTO has a limited budget, you could go the thrift stores and purchase gently used items such as cars, trucks, stuffed animals, dolls, etc. All of the items can be cleaned by volunteers. I know several schools who have done this and it worked out quite well. Good luck.
We were running into the same issue, so decided to turn our carnival idea into more of a festival and offer "activity" stations, where the kids would get an item as the "prize"..eg pumpkin painting and they take the pumpkin, painted and decorated boxes, a "fear factor" tent where the kids are blind folded and dip hands into all sorts of yuck!! We are also going to do small rubber fish in a cute cellohane bag filled with water, just like the old goldfish prize!! Soda toss where the kids toss a ring and if it lands on the soda bottle, they take that home..cake walk, using donated baked goods that the kids take home. Most of these items have been donated or are relatively inexpensive and keeps down cost. We are also going to do Fall Family pics and charge a couple of dollars..again, something to take home.
Hope this helps!!
If you are looking for ideas- I'll throw some out there.
*Give out tickets as they do games & have kids add them up to 1 big prize- a prize table.
*Have the kids wear a index card on a string necklace and have it stamped as they do each game. 10 games done and you redeem your stamped card for a new book from the book table.
Nice of them to complain- are they going to buy the expensive stuff then? The kids don't mind the cheap stuff... especially for a carnival theme. Sorry to be negative, but kids love that stuff!
I need some help coming up with good carnival prizes for our carnival... Our meeting is Tuesday and they are looking for me for ideas..
The teachers say they don't like the cheap toys that you usually give out.. so I'm lost
