1.27.13 Lava Lamp Safety?

Well, another carnival day  has come and gone.  I decorated the classroom, and Dan and I also ended up taking down the streamers and balloons. This year we were signed up for decorating, cleanup, and a 2 hour shift in the dice rolling game.  (Other years have included bingo card work for Dan, and kitchen work for me.)

You can see the streamers overhead.  Joe is holding the giant, stryrofoam, felt covered die.  Kids are able to roll twice.  If their total score is 3-5, prize is tootsie roll.  If they roll greater than 5, they get tickets for the larger roll amount.  Doubles are awarded exact number of points on the die, times 2! The fun thing about this game, is that even toddlers and preschoolers can play this game and do well. Sometimes teens roll 3-5, receiving a tootsie roll!  Older carnival goers are street smart, and Joe falls into this category this year.  They go to the prize room first, see how many tickets they need, and play games until they have enough tickets to buy the prize they want.  

This year, the popular prize was...a lava lamp!

Ours is plugged in now, heating up.  Katie was here doing laundry this afternoon  She reminded me that dad and I would NEVER let the older kids have a lava lamp, because we claimed it was a fire hazard.  We still believe this may be the case!  Does anyone ever remember touching one of these and burning their hand in the 70"s?  They were wicked hot! There is practically a safety booklet inside the box.  It will take 4-6 hours to heat up the wax for perfect blobbing effect. But you aren't supposed to leave it on more than 8 hours.  Don't put it in direct sunlight either.  (Contents can fade.)

Dangerous for pets.  (Could be knocked over!(

Definitely something we don't want in a bedroom.  We're testing it out in the dining room for now.  

Bracelets cost only $5 for people who want to do the cakewalk or play games.  Caleigh and Corbin were both cake walk winners! 

People donate prizes for the prize room, such as gently used books and stuffed animals and happy meal toys, but the school also buys items for the prize room, like the lava lamps. 

Here is Joe, pictured with his total haul...

Hawaiian leis, yoyos, noisemakers, kazoos and whistles, small rubber ducks, small items that you get in the fish pond or duck pull.  Three pretty nice stuffed animals as well!

Lunch is very reasonably priced, and always tasty.  My favorite item, the pork producers' smoked, shaved pork loin sandwiches for $2.50.   Also popular, pizza, pretzels and nachos with cheese, and walking tacos. People donate bars, brownies, rice krispie treats, and pies for dessert items. 

Another super fun time is BINGO.  Cards are a quarter a card for all games other than blackout.  Winners keep half the pot, with half going to the school.  If there's more than one winner, they have to share the winner's half between them. 

Caleigh won $14.25! And there's her german chocolate cake walk win! 

Corbin was a BIG winner at bingo...$28.00 and free beverage and chips. Not to mention Lava Lamp, (70 tickets) and the cheesecake sampler won in the cake walk. 

Indyra won $9 in bingo, free drink, dessert, and chips.  She also won a talking Puss and Boots stuffed animal, and some other creature.  Corbin and Caleigh  helped her earn enough tickets for a pretty jewelry box. They also found a Care Bears puzzle for Cara. 

Pretty much, carnival day is always fun filled.  It's nice to interact with other families from Joe's school.