CLOWNING AROUND AT THE CIRCUS PARTY

Here's some fabulous ideas for a circus party...
(don't forget links to things you'll need are at the bottom of the page)

CHECK OUT THE CLOWN RACE BELOW!!!

INVITATIONS

from identifont

send out a red nose to each child with their invite...

UK - CLOWN NOSES
US - CLOWN NOSES

Roll up, Roll up!
 the circus is coming to town,

To celebrate ........'s 5th birthday

but it's short a few clowns
So put on your bright shinny red nose
we'll have some cake and a little fun maybe,
who knows!

COSTUMES

girl clown costume

photo source

PARTY MUSIC PLAY LIST

UK click here to download your circus party ipod play list
US click here to download your circus party ipod play list

SETTING THE SCENE

Have a ticket booth at the entrance and hand out tickets to each child.

you can print your own here from Gingham Cherry

Or you can buy a roll from:
UK - ROLL OF TICKETS
US - ROLL OF TICKETS




Remember brighter is better...

for easy set up hang bright tablecloths / sheets from a clothes line

photo source

set up the side stall table in front of each

and use a different coloured table cloth on the table

print a sign for each booth

a children's play parachute is the right colours to use.

I just love this DIY hall of mirrors...

from living on the crafty side

UK to buy flexible mirror
US - to buy flexible mirror
I would attach the to tilting pine mirrors rather than making frames though...

click on links below to source clown heads for the above
UK - POLYSTYRENE HEADS
US - POLYSTYRENE HEADS

DECORATIONS

I love these DIY light up circus letters / sign

modern kiddo

go to ruffled blog for tutorial on how to make your own like these above.

upturned tin buckets

BUNTING

TABLE SCAPE

FOOD

hot dogs / corn dogs

candy floss / cotton candy

toffee apples

popcorn

snocones

CUPCAKES

strongman / dumb bell cake pops
just two black cake pops on each end of a stick

clown cupcakes from Cookie' Gourmet cakes
(clown cupcake picks)

balloon cupcakes

COOKIES

elephant cookies


seal cookies

BIRTHDAY CAKE

photo source

GAMES & ACTIVITIES

clown face painting booth

and extra noses for clowns who forget their noses...

photo source


I just love this fortune " cookie " teller booth idea...

it's a goldfish bowl on a dog bowl, such a cute idea.

photo source

bottle ring toss

jldesigns

Two Shades Of Pink

jam jar ping pong (or fish bowls)

photo source

hook a duck

clown bean bag toss

by Under The table Dreaming

made from an MDF board

tin can alley

ec photography pdx

wrap empty tin cans in bright paper

DIY coconut shy

photo source

white drain pipe and red duct tape,

glue a medium sized funnel to the top and stand in a bucket of sand!

dart a balloon / playing card

Duck shooting gallery

DIY juggling balls

make your own from balloons and rice

***photo***


have items below at hand to keep everyone busy...

 scarves / spinning plates / batons / rings / diablo's

peddle go / unicycle / stilts

UK - CIRCUS TOYS




If your children are older they will love this tightrope idea...

UK to buy a slackline
US to buy a slack line

tattoo palour / circus freak - tattood lady

My favourite idea for a Circus Clown is the pie in the face race (oh I am so bad!)

have two teams of children with two dads on chairs at the opposite end
(do I really have to say anymore?)

have each child put on:

multi coloured wig
big trousers and braces (braces means the don't have to button up)
red nose
bow tie
big shoes

photo from the fickle pickle who had a fantastic circus party.

and then give them a cream pie ( shaving foam on a paper /foil plate)

they race to one of the dads push the cream pie in their face
run back take off the costume for the next child to put on and push a cream pie in dads face
(PS make sure you have the camera ready, it's a hoot!)

FAVORS / GOODY BAGS

fish in bag soap

Martha Stewart

go to Little Birdie Secrets to make your own, it's easy.

foam circus peanuts

strongman chocolate lollipops

I adore these circus big top boxes

from Fancy Flours

large sunglass'

kazoo's

whoopee cushions

real goldfish

water squirting flowers/cameras

make some large bow ties

like these from oriental trading company

sew together two large rectangles (with a layer of stiffener between them) of bright fabric
sew a small loop of ribbon around the centre to gather
and slid a thin elastic through the loop also


PHOTO BOOTH

hang a large piece of spotty / circus stripe paper
and leave the items below nearby
and just let them strike a pose...

clown photo booth

large clown shoes and large glass' and bow tie

strongman photo booth

moustache and foam dumb bells

ringmaster photo booth

top hat moustache and whip

trapeze artist photo booth

tutu and umbrella

and lay rope on the floor to walk across

THANK YOUS

***photo***

CIRCUS / CLOWN PRINTABLES

to follow

CLIP ART

to follow

SHOPPING LIST

to follow