Mardi Gras Theme Party

If you want to throw a fun and festive party at home for your kids, Mardi Gras is the perfect excuse! The date of Mardi Gras changes each year, but it is usually celebrated in late January or February, leading up to the beginning of Lent.

Mardi Gras is a colorful festival traditionally celebrated in Louisiana to mark the season before Lent fasting begins. While the famous parades and street celebrations aren’t always kid-friendly, it’s easy to bring the spirit of Mardi Gras into your own home. Kids can wear fancy bead necklaces, create masks, march in a homemade parade, and enjoy special foods inspired by Louisiana traditions.

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Mardi Gras Theme Party Activities

• Make your own Mardi Gras masks using cardstock, feathers, sequins, and glue.
• Have a bead toss game using plastic necklaces and laundry baskets.
• Host a mini parade around the house or yard with music and homemade instruments.
• Play traditional New Orleans jazz or kid-friendly party music.
• Set up a craft table to color Mardi Gras coloring pages in purple, green, and gold.

Mardi Gras Theme Party Food

Kid-Friendly Mardi Gras Food Ideas

• Mardi Gras popcorn mix with purple, green, and gold candies
• Mini King Cake cupcakes
• Beignet-style donut holes dusted with powdered sugar
• Fruit kabobs using grapes, pineapple, and purple berries
• Colored lemonade or punch in Mardi Gras colors

What is King Cake?

King Cake is traditionally served on Mardi Gras in Louisiana. It looks like a giant cinnamon roll or sweet bread shaped into a ring and decorated with purple, green, and gold icing or sugar. These Mardi Gras colors represent:

• Purple – Justice
• Green – Faith
• Gold – Power

Traditionally, a small trinket such as a plastic baby (representing the baby Jesus) is hidden inside the cake. The person who finds it is crowned King or Queen of the day. Note: If serving to kids, this can be a choking hazard. If you choose to include it, insert the baby into the bottom of the cake after baking and clearly warn guests.

Making it is quite easy:

1. Mix 1/3 cup of sugar, 16 ounces of sour cream, ¼ cup of butter, and a pinch of salt in a saucepan until the butter melts.
2. Mix ½ ounce of dry yeast with half a cup of warm water and a tablespoon of sugar, and let it sit for 5 minutes to activate the yeast. 
3. Add both the sour cream and yeast mixtures to a bowl with 6 ½ cups of flour and 2 eggs, and beat well. 
4. Knead the dough for 10 minutes, let it rise for an hour, and roll it out into a large oval ring.
5. Bake the dough for about 15 minutes at 375 F.
   
6. If adding the trinket or baby, turn the cake upside down and press into cake. Turn right side up again and place on serving plate.
   
7. Drizzle icing over it once it's cool. Shake purple, green and yellow colored sugar over the top of the frosting. Or as an alternative use purple, green and yellow frosting.
   

Making Dirty Rice

Dirty rice is a traditional Cajun dish often served during Mardi Gras celebrations. It gets its name from the darker color created by seasonings and chicken livers.

1. Cook 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice, replacing 1/3 of the water with chicken broth.
2. Drizzle olive oil over the cooked rice.
3. Puree 1/2 cup chicken livers in a blender.
4. In a large pot, cook 1/2 pound ground pork, 3 slices bacon, 1/2 onion, 2 celery stalks, 2 green onions, 1/2 red bell pepper, 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning, and the pureed chicken livers.
5. Add rice and 1/2 cup chicken broth, stir well, and serve warm.

Making Shrimp Po Boys

Shrimp Po’ Boys are a classic New Orleans sandwich and a great main dish for a Mardi Gras theme party.

• Mix 1 egg with 1 cup milk.
• Clean and devein 1 1/2 pounds shrimp and soak in the milk mixture.
• Combine 1/2 cup flour, 1 cup breadcrumbs, and seafood seasoning.
• Bread the shrimp and fry in about 1 inch of hot oil until golden.
• Serve on rolls with lettuce, tomato, pickles, mustard, hot sauce, and lemon juice.

See more Cajun and Southern USA cooking recipes here.
As well as this Gumbo Seafood Stew Recipe

A Mardi Gras party at home is a fun way for kids to learn about traditions, enjoy new foods, and celebrate with color, music, and creativity- all without leaving the house.

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