Coming up with a list of fun games for a fundraiser or a carnival might be a tough task. However, there’s one such game that is fun all the way. PartyJoys discusses the Cake Walk game rules for you, which will make your booth a hit at the fundraiser.
Did You Know?
The earliest known mention of the game was in the 1930s when the English poet John Betjeman described St. Giles’ Fair. He said, It is about the biggest fair in England. The whole of St Giles’ … is thick with freak shows, roundabouts, cake-walks, the whip, and the witching waves.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes the term Cake Walk as an easy task or an easy contest to win. Really, the Cake Walk game is easier to set up and play. A cake as a prize is an additional incentive. Therefore, it has become one of the most popular games in carnivals, festivals, and fundraisers. Also, it is enjoyed in picnics and parties with family and friends.
The best part of the game is that everyone can play it. There is no specific skill required. Children as well as older people can take part in the game and enjoy it. A sweet victory in the end surely draws the crowd. Let us see how to play the Cake Walk game.
Objective
Players walk around to music in a circle aiming to halt at the lucky number, which will win them the coveted cake― hence, the name.
You Will Need
► An open space
► Chalk or colorful papers, sketch pens, scissors, and scotch tape
► Music player
► Music CDs
► Volunteers
► Cakes, cakes, and some more cakes!
Setup
► Choose an open-enough space so that all the players can walk around easily.
► Count the numbers of players in a round.
► Draw numbers in a circle on the ground. Write the numbers according to the number of players. There is no need to write the numbers in an order.
► If you do not want to draw on the ground, prepare number cards using colorful papers and sketch pens. Stick those cards in a circle on the ground.
► Prepare slips of paper according to the number written on the ground. Write a number on one slip. Fold those slips and place them in a jar to draw from later.
► You will need to show off the delicious prizes that you are giving away. Set a table with all the cakes for players to see. You can decorate the table as well to make it look more beautiful.
► Place a CD in your music player and keep it ready to be played.
Game Instructions
1. Players will stand on the drawn circle.
2. One of the volunteers will start the music.
3. When the music starts, the players will start walking around the circle.
4. The volunteer has to stop the music without any warning.
5. When the music stops, the players have to stop walking too.
6. Another volunteer will randomly draw a slip from the jar, and call the number out loud.
7. The player who is standing on or near that number wins that round. That player will be presented with a cake as the prize.
8. The game continues till all the cakes get distributed.
Variations and Ideas
► If you are setting up this game for your booth in a carnival or a fundraiser, then you might sell tickets to people to take part in the game. The ticket price can be nominal, but you will be surprised to see many people paying for the tickets to win the cake.
► In some variations, winners are allowed to choose one cake from all the presented ones. However, you can give numbers to the cakes as well, and the winner will have to take the cake with his number. This adds mystery to the game as no one knows which cake they will get.
► The idea is giving away a free cake as a prize. Therefore, you may have to shell money from your pocket to get cakes. Some volunteers bake them at home rather than buying them. On the other hand, some rely on donations from local bakeries and confectioneries.
► It will be a good idea to get the cakes in disposable and lidded cake pans. It will keep them safe when you bring them to your booth. Also, it will be easier for the winners to take them to their homes.
► You can place plaques in front of every cake, listing its ingredients. It will help people with allergies in case they should be avoiding the intake of any ingredient.
► Giving is always a generous act. So, why not extend it a little? Give away candies and sweets to the players who haven’t won a cake.
► Rather than drawing numbers on the ground, you can place chairs in a circle and paste numbered cards on them. Ask the players to move in a circle around the chairs. They will have to sit in those chairs that they are closest to, when the music stops.
► You can make the game more interesting with several themes. For example: Christmas cake Walk game, carnival Cake Walk game, etc. Dress volunteers accordingly and decorate your booth with such decorations. Choose the appropriate music. You can continue the theme for your cakes as well. For example, for a Christmas theme, you can get Christmas-themed cakes.
The game is fun to play, but do not have the same fun origin. The term ‘cake walk’ has been derived from a dance, which developed from prize or plantation walks popular in the time when America was still under the clutches of slavery. Slaves were used to perform intricate and eccentric steps to receive cakes as prizes. However, nowadays, it is looked upon as an interactive and fun activity.
