Help with a Mardi Gras party?!

To the buffet table...decoration idea>> take tall glass vases and fill with colored water (food coloring to tint) to float a tea light in it (place carefully), but you don't want to fill ALL the way up. And before you put the tea light in, wrap a mask (bought or homemade) around the vase, cut a rubberband and hot glue to mask to give it a snug fit around.

Decorate that mask by making a hole in upper left corner (while looking at it) to add curling ribbons trailing down....keep with colors purple, green, gold. Add feather plumes glued behind the mask...embellish with small bells, jewels, sequins, glitter, etc. This way when completed, the candle glow will show through the "eyes" of the mask for a nice effect.

Games: M&M scavenger hunt game where candy colors are worth points and are placed in baggies and hidden: http://www.easy-party-ideas-and-games.co…

Candy bar game where 2 bars are placed in each sack for each kid and roll of dice determines what you should do on each play: http://thetrainerscorner.wordpress.com/2…

Various balloon games for groups: http://wilderdom.com/games/descriptions/…

Hang signs up that say Bourbon Street, French Quarter and 6 others: make your own from cardstock:
http://www.partycheap.com/Mardi_Gras_Str…
Put up pics of Jesters, Venetian masks, Mimes
Have feather boas
Mardi Gras music: http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/musi…

Get festive candy for display....get green, purple, yellow jelly eggs (have them guess how many in a jar to win it).....scatter gold chocolate coin candy around for them to enjoy on the table along with confetti that's metallic.

EDITING: to add: if you have time---challenge the students to create "parade floats" from old shoe boxes to put on display at the party: Best float (and have all students, faculty cast their vote at the party) to win a great prize!!

We would always have a bbq and king cake. lots of chips and diffrent kinds of dip maybe even see if Cafe Du Monde has party trays (if ya'll have one near you). don't hand out "prizes" if your having this party you obviously live in louisisana and they get beads already. However i would reccomend Crowning the King. Having him pick his queen and that ceremony. other then that just play the typical mardi gras music and let the kids be kids.

Down In New Orleans Where The Blues Was Born It Takes A Cool Cat To Blow The Horn. Geez I love that song.

Maybe you could have masks for everyone or have them bring their own or make them? The colors should be bright and fun (purple, yellow, red, green). Beads are a MUST. Obviously they shouldn't do the normal things to get beads, but maybe you could give them out for best costume or mask or something like that. There should be a TON of food since it is fat Tuesday. I imagine gumbo or sea food would be good.

You must make a king cake and hide an baby inside it:

http://www.fabulousfoods.com/index.php?o…

Oriental trading has alot of decor for mardi gras decorations. Focus on purple, yellow/gold and green for colors.

mardi gras for 8th graders? oh boy, i hope you're not in New Orleans or these kids will learn early ;)