Food & Entertaining

Circus Theme Birthday Party

Choosing a theme for your child’s next birthday party can make planning a lot easier. Plus, a theme lets you incorporate your child’s favorite things into the celebration. Does your child enjoy the circus? If so, then why not try a circus theme? This party theme has it all – great food, fun games and colorful decorations.

Invitations

There are lots of clown theme invitations on the market that you can use. Simply head to your local party supply shop or go online to find lots of different choices. Or, you could make your own invitations. This is an activity that your child will love helping with! One idea is to create miniature clown masks from multicolored construction paper and art supplies like markers, glitter, glue and paint. You could glue a red felt ball to serve as the nose. Then, simply write the invitation information on the back. Instead of clowns, you could use elephant shaped invitations and go all out on adorning the elephant’s saddle blankets. If you can trace or draw one elephant to use as a template for the rest, you can make these cute invitations!

Some details to include on the invitations include who the party’s for, the date, time, location, and contact information. Always ask for RSVPs – knowing how many children are coming is essential to proper planning of food and games.

Decorations

Try hanging crepe streamers from the ceiling to form a tented shape. Hang some wall art that relates to the circus. Use hula hoops to serve as three rings. Lots of colorful balloons are always a good idea as well. However, the best decorations for a circus theme party are the human kind! Ask your guests to dress up like clowns or circus animals. Having guests come in costume adds to the circus ambience and can lead to fun games and activities like costume contests.

Food

Circus food, of course! Try hot dogs, hamburgers, nachos, cotton candy, caramel apples, and popcorn. Serve bottled water and caffeine free soda. Your local bakery can easily create a circus theme cake that features your child’s favorite things about the circus.

Games and Activities

Try a costume contest for the guests who dressed up. Carnival games like Ring Toss are always good for a circus theme party. Try setting up empty plastic bottles and holding a shooting contest with water guns. Face painting is also a popular activity with kids of all ages.

Helpful Hints

Start planning early and get invitations in the mail a month before party time so guests have plenty of time to RSVP. A good length for a child’s party is about two to three hours. Have your child sit down with you the day after the party and send thank-you cards for all their great gifts. With a little preparation, planning and creativity, you can throw your child an amazing circus theme birthday party!