Carnival Masks for Kids: Printable Masks to Colour, Safe Making Tips and Easy Carnival Ideas for Ages 3–7

A paper mask is the quickest costume there is. Colour it in, tie on some elastic, and a three-year-old becomes a lion, a cat or a little owl in the time it takes to put the kettle on. Carnival masks for kids are also one of the few crafts that children make and then actually use – they wear them, roar in them and refuse to take them off at dinner. Here is how to make printable masks safely, what to pair them with, and how to turn a carnival day at nursery or a Pancake Day afternoon at home into something to remember.

Printable carnival masks for kids: what's in My Carnival Book

My Carnival Book is a 24-page printable PDF for children aged 3–7. It has 8 masks to colour and cut out – a cat, a fox, an owl, a lion, a butterfly, a bunny, a bear and a Venetian mask with feathers – and one blank mask outline to design yourself. Each mask is printed at real wearable size: about 15 cm wide, with eye holes about 5–6 cm apart and two small punch-hole circles at the sides. Between the masks there are 11 colouring pages with captions in big hollow letters, a balloon counting game and a maze where the clown is looking for the big tent. The book comes in six editions – English, Deutsch, Français, Italiano, Español and Polski – and the English edition has both A4 and US Letter files. Want to try it first? Download the free sample: 6 pages with the cat mask, two colouring pages and the counting game.

How to make the masks safely

1. Print on thicker paper if you can. Ordinary printer paper works, but thin card (160–200 g/m²) gives a mask that survives a whole party.
2. Let the child colour first. Crayons and felt-tip pens give strong, bright colours that look great from a distance. Glitter and stickers can come later.
3. An adult does the cutting. Cutting around the ears and whiskers is fiddly, and the eye holes need a sharp point – that part is always for a grown-up.
4. Punch the two small holes marked at the sides and tie on a piece of soft elastic. Try it on and adjust the length so it sits comfortably.
5. Never use string around the neck. Soft elastic round the back of the head is all you need.

Costume and mask ideas

• Animal from head to toe: a cat mask with a black jumper and a drawn-on tail, a lion mask with a yellow T-shirt and a woolly mane, a bear mask with brown pyjamas.
• Owl or butterfly: pair the mask with a cardigan worn as wings or a bright scarf tied around the shoulders.
• A masquerade for the bigger ones: the Venetian mask with feathers looks grand in gold and purple. The blank mask page works as a masquerade mask template – children draw their own pattern, a superhero or an animal nobody has ever seen.
• Same mask, different colours: a blue fox or a rainbow bunny is completely allowed.

A carnival day at nursery or school

For teachers, masks are an easy way to give every child a costume, whatever they bring from home. Print one mask per child the week before, let the group colour them, and cut them out in the staff room. On the day: a mask parade around the room, an animal guessing game (“Who is behind the owl mask?”), and a quiet table with the colouring pages for those who need a break from the noise. The counting page has five rows of balloons – 4, 2, 5, 3 and 6 – and fits nicely into a maths corner. Teachers may print the book for their own class or group.

A simple carnival afternoon at home

• Make the masks: each child chooses one, colours it, and an adult cuts it out.
• Parade: music on, masks on, a march through every room in the house.
• Treats: on Shrove Tuesday – 9 February 2027 – pancakes are the obvious choice, and the book has a carnival treats page with doughnuts and pancakes to colour while they cook.
• Calm down: the maze and a colouring page, such as the juggling clown or the astronaut, before bed.

Carnival colouring pages by age

• Ages 3–4: big, simple shapes – the cat and bunny masks, the little dinosaur, the princess. Colouring inside the lines is not the point; holding the crayon is.
• Ages 5–6: the carnival parade with its dragon float, balloons and flowers, the brave knight, the party page with a jester hat and streamers. Count the balloons and write the number.
• Ages 6–7: colour the hollow letters in the captions with stripes or dots, read them aloud, and design a mask of their own from scratch.

See My Carnival Book – 24 pages

What you need

A printer, A4 or US Letter paper or thin card, crayons or coloured pencils, scissors for the grown-up, a hole punch and soft elastic (not included – any haberdashery elastic will do). Not sure yet? Start with the free 6-page sample and its cat mask. Looking for more carnival pictures to colour? See our Mardi Gras colouring pages for kids.

Have a happy, noisy carnival – and keep a spare piece of elastic in your pocket!

Illustrations created with AI assistance and reviewed by hand. The files are for your own family, or for your own class or group if you are a teacher.