Paper tray of fries with one dipped in redYellow, red, white. A red-striped tray on the cheek, yellow sticks fanning out of it, a red tip on one.
Roller coaster train at the top of the first hillBlue, red, yellow. A track that climbs to a peak at the cheekbone and drops away, a three-car train right at the top.
Ball roll lane with three scoring ringsTan, red, white. A slanted lane up the cheek, three rings one above another marked 10, 20 and 50, a ball rolling up.
Churro with ridges and sugar specksTan, brown, white. One long stick slanting across the cheek, brown ridge lines along it, white specks.
Cinnamon roll with an icing drizzleTan, brown, white. One fat coil on the cheek, a brown line following the coil inward, a white icing zigzag over it.
Corn dog on a stick with a mustard zigzagGolden brown, yellow, tan. A long rounded shape up the cheek, a tan stick below it, one yellow zigzag along it.
Frozen banana dipped in chocolate and sprinklesYellow, brown, mixed colors. A banana on a stick up the cheek, its top half brown, short sprinkle dashes on the brown.
Funnel cake squiggle under powdered sugarTan, brown, white. A round tangle of looping lines on the cheek, darker at the edges, white dots dusted across it.
Hot dog in a bun with ketchup and relishTan, red-brown, red, green. A bun along the cheekbone, the sausage showing at both ends, a red wavy line, green dots.
Ice cream float with foam over the rimBrown, cream, red. A handled mug on the cheek filled brown, cream foam piled above the rim, a red straw.
Lemonade cup with a striped straw and a lemon wheelYellow, white, red. A tall cup on the cheek, a lemon wheel on its rim, a red and white straw leaning to the temple.
Paper tray of fries with one dipped in redYellow, red, white. A red-striped tray on the cheek, yellow sticks fanning out of it, a red tip on one.
Pickle on a stickGreen, dark green, tan. One fat green pickle upright on the cheek, darker bump dots, a tan stick below.
Pink cotton candy puff on a paper conePink, white. One pink sponge puff on the cheek, a white paper cone under it pointing toward the jaw.
Slush cup with a dome lid and a two-color swirlRed, blue, white. A cup on the cheek, red and blue twisting together inside it, a white dome line and a straw on top.
Snow cone with three stripes of syrupRed, blue, yellow, white. A white paper cone on the cheek, a round dome of ice above it striped in three colors.
Soft pretzel with white salt dotsBrown, white. A pretzel on the cheek drawn as one looping line, three holes showing, white dots along the top.
Rides 12
Bumper car with a pole and a sparkRed, black, yellow, gray. A rounded car on the cheek with a black bumper ring, a pole rising from its back, a spark.
Carousel roof with a scalloped edgeRed, white, gold. A striped cone roof on the cheek, a scalloped rim under it, two gold poles, a gold ball on the peak.
Climbing wall with colored holdsGray, mixed colors. A tall gray panel on the cheek dotted with small colored holds, a rope line up the middle.
Drop tower with a ring of seats halfway upGray, red, yellow. A thin tower up the cheek toward the temple, a red ring of seats halfway, a yellow light on top.
Ferris wheel with a different color on every carBlack, mixed colors. A wheel on the cheek with eight spokes, a colored dot car at each spoke end, an A-frame stand.
Fun house with a crooked doorPurple, yellow, orange. A leaning house on the cheek, a crooked yellow door, one round window, a wavy roof line.
Giant slide with three humpsYellow, blue, red. A wavy yellow lane from the temple toward the jaw with three humps, blue rails, one red rider dot.
Little train with a smoke puff along the cheekboneRed, blue, yellow, white. An engine and two cars along the cheekbone toward the ear, yellow wheels, one white puff.
Roller coaster train at the top of the first hillBlue, red, yellow. A track that climbs to a peak at the cheekbone and drops away, a three-car train right at the top.
Spinning teacup with two motion curlsPink, white, blue. One wide cup with a handle on the cheek, a white band around it, a blue curl on each side.
Swing ride with four chairs flying outYellow, red, blue. A striped top on the cheekbone, four chains slanting outward below it, a small seat on each.
Swinging ship at the top of its arcBrown, red, gray. A boat hull tilted on the cheek, hung from a gray A-frame, a red flag at the bow, two swing lines.
Games and prizes 13
Ball roll lane with three scoring ringsTan, red, white. A slanted lane up the cheek, three rings one above another marked 10, 20 and 50, a ball rolling up.
Bean bag toss board with one bag in the airBlue, red, white. A slanted board on the cheek with three round holes, a red bag in the air, another on the board.
Cake walk with numbered squares around a cakePink, white, mixed colors. A small frosted cake on the cheek, a ring of six colored squares around it, a number in each.
Dunk tank target with a ball about to hitRed, white, blue. A red and white target disc on the cheek, a ball just short of it, three blue splash drops below.
Goldfish in a knotted prize bagOrange, pale blue, white. A clear bag on the cheek drawn in pale blue, knotted at the top, one orange fish inside.
High striker with the puck at the bellRed, white, gold, brown. A tall striped tower up the cheek, a gold bell at its top, a mallet resting at the base.
Hook-a-duck with the hook through the loopYellow, orange, brown. A yellow duck on the cheek with a loop on its head, a brown hooked pole reaching from the temple.
Hoop shot with the ball halfway through the netOrange, red, white. A red hoop and a white net on the cheekbone, an orange ball halfway through.
Magnet fishing rod over three paper fishBrown, red, mixed colors. A rod from the temple, a string and a red magnet, three flat fish in different colors below.
Milk bottle pyramid and a ballWhite, red, blue. Six white bottles stacked three, two, one on the cheek, a red ball flying toward them.
Prize wheel with eight colored wedgesMixed colors, black. A wheel on the cheek cut into eight wedges, each a different color, a black pointer at the top.
Ring toss with a ring landing on a bottleGreen, red, white. Three bottle necks side by side on the cheek, a red ring over one, a second ring in the air.
Spin art with color flung from a center dotAny three colors. One dot on the cheek, short strokes flicked outward all around it, a new color every few strokes.
Tents, tickets and balloons 12
Balloon flower with five loop petalsPink, green, white. Five pink loops around a twist on the cheek, a green balloon stem toward the jaw, a shine on each.
Brush and three paint potsBrown, red, yellow, blue. A brush lying across the cheek, three small round pots under it, one color in each.
Entrance arch with a row of bulb dotsBlue, yellow, red. An arch over the apple of the cheek on two blue posts, yellow dots along it, a red star on top.
Funhouse mirror smiley stretched tallYellow, black. A tall narrow oval on the cheek, two stretched eyes, a wavy smile, a wavy frame line on each side.
Gate stamp of a star inside a circleAny one color. A circle on the cheek with a five-point star inside, the edge left a little patchy like an ink stamp.
Marquee arrow with bulb dotsRed, yellow. A thick red arrow along the cheekbone pointing to the ear, yellow dots evenly spaced around its edge.
Popped balloon with a limp stringRed, yellow, black. A jagged yellow burst on the cheek, four red scraps flying, a black string falling to the jaw.
Small striped tent with a flag on its peakRed, white, blue. A tent on the cheek from one wide triangle, three red stripes, an open door flap, a blue flag.
Spotlight beams crossing over a tent topYellow, white, red. Two pale beams crossing above a small red tent top on the cheek, a white dot where they meet.
Ticket booth with a pointed roofRed, white, yellow. A narrow booth on the cheek, a pointed striped roof, one window, a yellow sign board above it.
Ticket roll unwinding from the templeYellow, red. A coiled roll at the temple, a strip of four joined tickets running down the cheek, dot lines between.
Twisted balloon sword with a loop hiltAny one color, white. A long balloon blade slanting up the cheek, a loop hilt at the jaw end, a white shine line.
How it works
These carnival face paint ideas are 51 fairground designs for a booth at a school carnival or a fair: 14 of fair food, 12 rides, 13 games and prizes, and 12 of tents, tickets and balloons.
Read the full guide
Carnival face painting ideas for booths
A booth goes faster with a short menu: choose a few designs and paint each one on a card for children to point at. Small striped tent with a flag on its peak, Marquee arrow with bulb dots and Pickle on a stick each need only two or three colors.
Carnival themed face painting ideas, stall by stall
Funnel cake squiggle under powdered sugar is deep-fried batter, a carnival food in North America. High striker with the puck at the bell is the strength tester: a mallet sends a puck up a tower to ring a bell. Cake walk with numbered squares around a cake is the raffle walked to music.
Questions and answers
What are easy face painting ideas for carnivals?
Pickle on a stick is one green shape and a stick, Gate stamp of a star inside a circle is one color, and Churro with ridges and sugar specks is one slanted line. All three are filed under Quick, for a long line.
What are good face painting ideas for school carnival day?
Designs a child can name from across the playground: Goldfish in a knotted prize bag, Pink cotton candy puff on a paper cone and Ferris wheel with a different color on every car. All three sit on one cheek.
What colors do carnival themed face paint ideas need?
Red, white, yellow and blue are the four colors this list names most. Add brown for the pretzel, the churro and the corn dog, and pink for cotton candy.
What paint does a carnival face painting booth use?
Face paint sold for use on skin, never craft paint or markers. The US FDA says to follow all directions carefully and to believe a label that says a product is not for use near the eyes.