Games and activities
Here are classic ways to clown around:
Resources:
- Set up various activity stations. Start with a ticket booth. Provide "Admit One"
tickets to party-goers for face painting, bean-bag toss, and other games and
activities. It adds an element of authenticity to your event. Each roll has 1500
tickets, and while you could divide by the number of prizes you have available
this really becomes a complicated process for the hostess. If you choose this
method, have some reserves to make everyone a winner or you will have some
sad little clowns.
- Set up a prize booth table. Circus pops are an easy treat. Kids can select their size.
Another fun idea is group candies by color and display them in empty jam jars
topped with a gingham cloth and rubber band or just some raffia and a prize
tag. A prize can be a jar of yellow lemon drops, orange gum drop wedges, or red
licorice. Other colorful ideas: a jar of bubble gum balls, spice drops, jelly beans,
or old-fashioned, swirled stick candy.
Here are classic ways to clown around:
- Bag the idea: Bean bags are easy to make, but why bother when they're just
$1.29 each available online with other goodies you'll need. Make your own bean
bag toss with paint and a cardboard box.
- Pound the nail game: With adult supervision, set up a pound the nail game with a
2 x 4, a hammer and some nails. Set a timer and see how many nails kids can
drive into the wood in the allotted time
- Rubber ducky carnival game: Place rubber ducks in a kiddie pool at least three
more than the kids in the game. Mark each with a number. Set aside a
corresponding prize. Allow kids to scoop ducks with a net. Make every child a
winner. Use the remaining prizes for other games.
- Shoot the cans. Allow kids to test their skills with a squirt gun to knock over tin
cans.
- Toss around the idea of a ring toss game: Buy a ring toss game online, or use a
Hula Hoop to toss over a large stuffed animal.
Resources:
- See a Big Top Circus Party in action at Kara's Blog Spot.
- See a first birthday circus party from Whimsy & Wise.
Cakes and cookies and circus foods for the big ring!
Circus Party favors and prizes
Kids have come to expect a favor bag or treat even if you've awarded a generous
selection of carnival trinkets as prizes, so reserve at least one nice item to thank party
goers for attending. Here are some ideas:
- Tame the beasts with cake. Your little lion tamers will love the circus lion cake,
above left, by Wilton. It's sure to get a roar of applause. Another fun option is
what Wilton describes as a "perky pachyderm," left. The sweet elephant cake is
made from a stand up bear pan, which you can also use later for a teddy bear
tea party.
- Shower them in confetti sprinkles. A crowd pleaser for any carnival theme party is
the use of nonpareils, colorful baking confetti, and rainbow jimmies (try Mr.
Sprinkles). Dip pretzels in a candy coating, then roll them in these colorful
tidbits. Bake sugar cookies, then load up with icing and sprinkle them with
these rainbow treats. Bake a confetti cake surprise! Just make a regular box
white cake or use your favorite angle food cake recipe, and add a quarter cup of
sprinkles. Here's the family fun recipe. Or have an ice cream social instead of
cake. Make home-made ice-cream cookies and roll the edges with sprinkles.
Whipped cream, Mr. Sprinkles, and a cherry on top does the trick for a banana
split. Bake a few cupcakes for those expecting tradition and douse them with
sprinkles, too.
- Go for the big ring. Set the scene at the table with edible placecards. This idea,
from Wilton, right, is candy: Big Top Candy Place Cards.
- Mix it up. Classic clown cupcake picks aren't just for cupcakes, use them to
skewer up other appetizers.
- Snow cones are easier than you think to make at home for a small party.
Practice makes the perfect concoction at home with a blender and Hawaiian
shave ice syrups. For a larger party, consider buying (not renting) as you'll have
this fun party maker to enjoy all summer long.
- Give some zing to popcorn. Make a mix of sweet and savory treats. Try Popparazi
Gourmet Popcorn, which has a rainbow mix of flavors that includes Cherry,
Orange, Vanilla, Blueberry, Lemon, Strawberry, Banana, and Watermelon. Set
aside another bowl of cheddar cheese popcorn or make a party mix.
- Corn dog it. Consider corn dogs as a special treat, instead of hot dogs. They
come in party sizes and are easy to reheat in the oven. Placed side by side with
hot dogs, they will be the first to go.
Circus Party favors and prizes
Kids have come to expect a favor bag or treat even if you've awarded a generous
selection of carnival trinkets as prizes, so reserve at least one nice item to thank party
goers for attending. Here are some ideas:
- Get down with the clown: Give the classic Bozo the Clown Rocket. A mini Bozo
bop bag will be a fun reminder of the day's activities.
- Stuff them with Fluff. Buy cotton candy in bags instead of renting a cotton candy
maker. Fluffy stuff is just $9.60 for a package of 12 and a lot less messy and it
makes an easy party favor.
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Setting the scene
Your little class clown wants a party, and you can give him the best little party under
the big top. Stick with a party of mostly red, yellow and blue and juggle with these fun
carnival party ideas:
Your little class clown wants a party, and you can give him the best little party under
the big top. Stick with a party of mostly red, yellow and blue and juggle with these fun
carnival party ideas:
- Hang sheets to the wind: Take a clothes line and section off party games by
hanging colorful bedsheets you find in a thrift shop in red, blue and yellow. See
the look in parents magazine.
- Clown around: Gather up some carnival party favorites, like a clown nose,
online. You can dress the part and have fun making kids smile. Give the kids
each a clown nose in a fun way. Before the main event fill a bucket with confetti
and clown noses, and place it strategically so that it's visible, but high enough
so the kids can't see the contents. Gather the kids for the show to get them
excited and tell them that they are a red hot audience and that you need to
cool them down for the show. Pretend that you've misplaced the bucket of
water. Then grab it suddenly and douse the audience with the confetti and
clown noses. Kids will scramble and giggle. Now the show is ready to begin!
- Have a main attraction: Host the party at a gymnastics facility, have a puppet
show, rent a bounce house, hire a magician, a juggler, or a clown with face
painting and balloon making. Pony rides are another fun addition. See also our
carousel horse party ideas. Visit your local high school drama department to
solicit inexpensive talent.
- Cage your favorite plush toys: Create a train of boxes into a circus wagon parade
of your favorite stuffed animals. Cut windows into boxes and affix circles to the
bottoms to resemble wheels, then paint in colors to match your theme and
allow to dry. You might find six boxes and spell C-I-R-C-U-S with one letter per
car. Your child may also add a few circus stickers to complete the look. This
decoration will serve as a toy long after the party is over and is a fun way to
involve your child.
- Put your other animals in the circus too! Put out the circus toys you may already
have. Suspend a tiger plush with fishing line from a hula hoop with flames you
make from construction paper. Put a bear, lion or elephant on an upturned
bowl. Place an inflatable ball on a seal's nose.
- Have a cake walk: Ask family for help baking a few small cakes and packages of
cookies or supplement from the bakery. Or fill carnival prizes into boxes that
look like a cake. See left.
- Advertise for Ringling Bros. And Barnum & Bailey Circus! The classic ad art poster
prints are around three dollars on Amazon:
Carnival party
How to have a carnival or circus theme birthday party for kids
Admit one: you'd love to bring back yesteryear with an old time circus party. You can
go for the classics with bunting, pennant banners, circus peanuts, colorful canopies,
and swirly carnival pops. Your little lion tamer will love a classic carnival you pull
together by juggling these ideas:
How to have a carnival or circus theme birthday party for kids
Admit one: you'd love to bring back yesteryear with an old time circus party. You can
go for the classics with bunting, pennant banners, circus peanuts, colorful canopies,
and swirly carnival pops. Your little lion tamer will love a classic carnival you pull
together by juggling these ideas:
- Invite some fun with these carnival party invitation and wording ideas:
- You're Invited to The greatest Birthday Show on Earth!
- Step on up to wish Madelyn a Happy Birthday on Saturday, August 22, at
noon - Join us Under the Big Top at: 123 main street
- RSVP: Ring Master Mary or Strong Man Larry at 867-5309
- (Stuff an "Admit One" ticket for each invitee at the address.)
- Make them work for peanuts. Spangler's offers a classic circus marshmallow
peanut that's a must for your party. They are orange in color, peanut in shape,
and banana in flavor. Sather's circus peanuts come in a bag two for a dollar
that you can use for invitations. It takes only a computer, some staples and a
bit of ingenuity to cover the label and hand deliver some amazingly clever
invitations.
- More ideas for a vintage carnival theme party: carousel horse!
Have comments on a carnival / circus party? Have a new party idea?
Share your pictures, ideas, or feedback by sending us an e-mail.
Share your pictures, ideas, or feedback by sending us an e-mail.
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