Mardi Gras is full of color, music, movement, costumes, and community — which makes it a wonderful opportunity to explore culture with young children through stories and play.
But Mardi Gras doesn't need to become a large, complicated event.
Instead of focusing on dates, facts, or creating an elaborate celebration, we can slow down and notice what makes this tradition special: the colors, the sounds, the costumes, the parades, the food, the creativity, and most importantly, the sense of community.
A few carefully chosen books, some open-ended materials, music, and plenty of opportunities to talk and imagine can be enough.
Start With a Story
For young children, a read-aloud is often the most natural way into a cultural experience.
Picture books allow children to encounter Mardi Gras through characters, illustrations, sounds, and everyday experiences rather than through a list of facts.
Some wonderful books to explore include:
Mimi's First Mardi Gras by Anne Couvillon and Elizabeth Moore — a gentle introduction to Mardi Gras through Mimi's experience with her family, costumes, and the parade.
Dinosaur Mardi Gras by Dianne De Las Casas — a playful choice for exploring music, movement, and the excitement of Carnival.
The King Cake Baby by Keila Dawson — a fun story that can lead naturally into conversations about king cake and the traditions surrounding it.
Delphine Denise and the Mardi Gras Prize by Brittany Mazique — a story about friendship, community, and the excitement of participating in a Mardi Gras parade.
Mardi Gras in New Orleans by Madison Webb — a colorful introduction to the sights, sounds, and community spirit of the celebration.
Everyone Loves a Parade! by Andrea Denish — a broader parade book that can help children notice similarities and differences between celebrations.
You don't need to read all of them.
Choose one book as your anchor and allow the children's questions and interests to guide what happens next.
Before the Read-Aloud: Look Before You Read
Don't rush straight into the story.
Spend a few minutes simply looking at the cover.
Ask:
What do you notice?
What colors do you see?
What do you think is happening?
Where do you think these people are going?
What might you hear at this celebration?
What might you see in a parade?
You can also create a simple picture walk, looking through the illustrations before reading the words.
This gives children a chance to make predictions, notice details, and build vocabulary naturally.
Words Worth Exploring
Mardi Gras provides beautiful opportunities for vocabulary development without turning the experience into a vocabulary lesson.
Depending on the book you choose, children might encounter words such as:
parade · float · mask · costume · beads · music · drum · dance · celebration · purple · green · gold · crown · king · queen · party
You can introduce a few words through photographs, illustrations, gestures, and real objects.
For example:
“Show me a mask.”
“Can you march like you're in a parade?”
“Which color do you notice?”
“What is the float carrying?”
Movement makes the words memorable.
Create Your Own Mini Parade
A parade doesn't require a classroom full of decorations.
Invite children to create a simple parade using whatever is already available.
They might:
make a paper crown
decorate a paper mask
create a small flag
make a pretend parade float from a box
decorate a paper plate
carry ribbons while marching
make simple instruments
create signs for their imaginary parade
Then put on some music and let the parade begin.
Children can practice language while they move:
“I'm marching.”
“I'm waving.”
“My float is purple.”
“Look at my crown!”
“Let's go!”
The activity becomes language-rich without feeling like a lesson.
Make a Mardi Gras Color Invitation
The traditional Mardi Gras palette — purple, green, and gold — makes a beautiful invitation to explore color.
Instead of giving children a model to copy, offer materials in those colors:
playdough
buttons
pom-poms
ribbons
paper scraps
paint
beads
natural materials
crayons or markers
Invite children to sort, arrange, mix, build, or create.
You might ask:
“Can you make a pattern?”
“Which colors are you choosing?”
“What happens when you put these colors together?”
“Can you make something for the parade?”
This simple invitation can support color recognition, patterning, fine motor development, creativity, and descriptive language.
Design a Mardi Gras Mask
Masks are one of the most inviting visual elements of Mardi Gras.
Rather than giving every child an identical craft template, offer a simple mask shape along with open-ended materials.
Think:
paper + paint + collage materials + ribbons + stars + shapes
Children can decide what their mask will look like.
This is a wonderful opportunity to talk about:
colors
shapes
patterns
textures
symmetry
choices
And, of course, imagination.
“Who are you pretending to be?”
“What colors did you choose?”
“Is your mask bright or dark?”
Move Like a Parade
Music can transform the experience.
Play a short piece of New Orleans-inspired music and invite children to listen before moving.
Ask:
Is the music fast or slow?
What instruments can you hear?
Does the music make you want to march, sway, clap, or dance?
Then experiment with different movements.
March.
Stop.
Clap.
Turn.
Wave.
Freeze.
This becomes a playful way to explore rhythm, listening, following directions, action words, and self-expression.
Make Your Own Parade Music
You don't need real instruments.
Children can make their own:
shakers from recycled containers
drums from boxes
rhythm sticks
paper plate tambourines
simple ribbon wands
Then create a little parade band.
One group can march.
Another can play.
Another can wave ribbons.
Then switch roles.
This creates opportunities for cooperation, turn-taking, listening, and social language.
Explore Patterns With Beads and Buttons
Mardi Gras colors are perfect for early patterning.
Offer purple, green, and gold buttons, pom-poms, beads, or paper shapes.
Start with simple patterns:
purple – green – purple – green
Then let children create their own.
Older children might invent more complex patterns:
purple – gold – green – purple – gold – green
You can ask:
“What comes next?”
“How did you make your pattern?”
“Can you make a pattern for the parade?”
A simple invitation can become a rich mathematical and language experience.
Create a Pretend King Cake
Food is an important part of many celebrations, and Mardi Gras gives children an opportunity to explore food traditions through pretend play.
You could create a pretend king cake using:
playdough
cardboard
felt
paper
loose parts
Children can decorate their pretend cake with purple, green, and gold.
You might introduce the idea that king cake is traditionally associated with Mardi Gras and talk about the small baby figurine sometimes associated with the cake.
For safety, if food is actually being served, follow appropriate age and choking-safety guidance.
Tell the Story Without the Book
After reading the story several times, put the book away.
Can children retell it using:
puppets
small figures
picture cards
homemade props
loose parts
drawings
You can provide a few simple story prompts:
First...
Then...
Next...
Finally...
Story retelling is a beautiful way to connect oral language, comprehension, sequencing, memory, and imaginative play.
Make a Parade Invitation for Storytelling
Place a few simple objects in a basket:
a crown, a ribbon, a paper mask, a drum, a small box, colorful fabric, and a few paper shapes.
Invite children to use the materials to create their own parade story.
You might begin:
“One morning, the parade was about to begin…”
And then let the children decide what happens next.
There doesn't have to be a correct story.
The goal is to give children space to imagine, negotiate, describe, and tell.
Look Closely at the Illustrations
Mardi Gras books are particularly rich in visual details.
Instead of reading every page quickly, pause.
Look.
Notice.
Wonder.
Ask:
What do you see in the background?
Who is wearing a costume?
What colors appear again and again?
What do you think this character is feeling?
What might happen next?
What sounds do you imagine here?
This kind of visual literacy is valuable long before children can independently read the words.
A Simple Mardi Gras Sensory Invitation
For a quieter activity, create a small sensory tray using Mardi Gras colors.
You might include:
colored rice
purple, green, and gold pom-poms
wooden shapes
ribbons
scoops
small containers
stars
Children can scoop, pour, sort, count, hide, find, and create.
Add vocabulary cards or simply talk alongside the play.
“You found a gold star.”
“Can you find something green?”
“How many purple pom-poms are in your bowl?”
Again, the learning is embedded in the play.
Talk About Celebration and Community
Mardi Gras can also open the door to meaningful conversations about community.
Rather than trying to explain every historical detail to young children, begin with simple questions:
Why do people celebrate together?
What makes a celebration feel special?
Who helps make a parade happen?
What do people do together?
How can we make someone feel welcome?
This shifts the focus from simply what Mardi Gras looks like to thinking about the people and relationships behind a celebration.
Notice That Celebrations Can Be Different
This is also an opportunity to gently broaden children's understanding of celebrations.
You might look at photographs or books showing different kinds of parades and celebrations.
Notice:
music
clothing
food
decorations
dancing
colors
community gatherings
Ask:
“What is similar?”
“What is different?”
“What would you like to learn more about?”
The goal isn't to create a list of cultural comparisons.
It is simply to help children understand that people around the world celebrate in many different ways.
A Simple Mardi Gras Week
If you want to extend the experience over several days, you could keep the rhythm very simple:
Day 1 — Read & Notice
Read a Mardi Gras picture book and explore the illustrations.
Day 2 — Color & Create
Explore purple, green, and gold through open-ended art.
Day 3 — Music & Movement
Listen, march, dance, clap, and make simple instruments.
Day 4 — Pretend & Play
Create a parade, a float, masks, or a pretend king cake.
Day 5 — Retell & Reflect
Retell the story, revisit photographs, and talk about what children noticed and enjoyed.
There is no need to fill every moment.
One good story can inspire an entire week of meaningful play.
Keep It Simple
Mardi Gras doesn't need to take over your plans.
Sometimes the most meaningful experience is simply:
a picture book + a song + a few beautiful materials + time to play.
Children can notice colors.
They can listen to music.
They can move their bodies.
They can make something.
They can tell stories.
They can ask questions.
And they can begin to understand that celebrations are not only about what we see — they are also about people, traditions, creativity, and belonging.
When we approach cultural celebrations slowly and intentionally, we give children something more valuable than a themed activity.
We give them an invitation to notice, wonder, connect, and celebrate through stories.
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