There are a number of ways kids can celebrate Mardi Gras.
Mardi Gras is New Orleans' biggest annual celebration, a world-renowned series of parties, parades and festivities. Although Mardi Gras is typically viewed as an adult celebration, there are numerous family-friendly Mardi Gras activities children can enjoy, whether they happen to be in New Orleans or not.
Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras celebrations culminate on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, which is the seventh Wednesday before Easter. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a Catholic fasting season that lasts 40 days until the days leading up until Easter. Translated from French, Mardi Gras literally means "Fat Tuesday," and is celebrated in various places throughout the world. In North America, the most renowned Mardi Gras events take place in New Orleans. In certain parts of the city, particularly, Bourbon Street, celebrations can be quite raucous and inappropriate for children. There are, however, many other Mardi Gras parades and festivities that families with children can enjoy.
The Rex Parade
Mardi Gras season in New Orleans begin about two weeks prior to Fat Tuesday, with a different parade taking place almost every night. The grandest spectacle is the spectacular Rex Parade that closes Mardi Gras on Fat Tuesday. The best place for children to view the parade is along the wide expanse of St. Charles Street in the city's Garden District, as the press of people is not as intense as more confined areas on the parade route. Provide a bag of beads and Mardi Gras trinkets for the children to throw at the floats, and they will likely catch those being thrown by revelers taking part in the parade.
Costumes
Children need not be in New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras. One way for children to participate in celebrations, whether they're in the Big Easy or not, is to put together their own colorful Mardi Gras costume. Find some old discarded clothes, the more colorful and outrageous the better; if there is nothing handy that fits the bill, a local thrift store can be a good source of interesting clothing. Items such as feather boas and brightly colored scarves work well. Encourage children to mix and match items to create a wild party costume. If possible, try to find items featuring the three Mardi Gras colors -- green, purple and gold.
Crafts
There are a wide array of Mardi Gras-themed crafts that children will enjoy. Among these are making a construction paper Mardi Gras crown, with glued-on sequins and glitter to add extra sparkle. Another idea is a homemade Mardi Gras mask, also made with construction paper. Simply cut out the desired shape, add eye holes and decorate with paint, sequins, glitter and even colorful feathers from a craft shop. When complete, glue or tape the mask to a stick (such as a plastic straw or leftover chopstick from a takeout Chinese meal) for an authentic-looking Mardi Gras mask.
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