Bring the big top to your backyard for a carnival circus birthday party.
Step right up, and throw your child a birthday party with a carnival circus theme. Turn your home or backyard into a three-ring circus complete with classic carnival games and personalized decorations that feature the birthday boy or girl. Offer tasty carnival treats, and let guests move from booth to booth to compete for prizes. Even if you can't offer real animals like the circus, you can add circus animals to your decoration for an extra touch.
Setup and Decorations
Throw your carnival circus party "under the big top"---in your own backyard. Rent a canopy, preferably with red and white stripes, to create the structure for your carnival party. Set up tables underneath the canopy. These tables will serve as "booths," where guests can play games and grab some food. Drape the tables in brightly colored tablecloths---red, yellow and blue are classic carnival colors. Attach balloons to the tables for a festive pop of color. Top the tables with stuffed animals that you would see at the circus, like elephants. Design circus posters reminiscent of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey posters of the past. Include a picture of the guest of honor and text that says "Welcome to My Carnival Circus Birthday." Hang these posters throughout your backyard.
Activities
Many carnival games are easy for you to replicate at home. Create a bean-bag toss using plastic bowls and bean bags; challenge guests to toss the bean bags into the bowls. Set up plastic soda bottles, and give guests a tennis ball to see how many they can knock over. Fill a kids' pool with water, and float rubber ducks in it. Let guests pick a duck, and if they choose one with a star written on the bottom of it, they win a small prize. If your family pet has a few tricks, then it can serve as the main event. Let your pup show off his tricks, even if it's nothing more than rolling over or playing dead. Circuses offer animal acts, so get your animals involved in the birthday celebrations.
Menu
Your guests will be too busy moving from game to game to sit down and enjoy a full meal, so create a menu full of classic carnival food that is easy to eat. You can set up a hot dog station, where guests can grab a dog and add their favorite toppings, like ketchup, mustard or relish. Rent a cotton candy machine, and offer guests this classic carnival treat for dessert. Give out small boxes of freshly popped popcorn as a snack---you can even rent a popcorn machine, which will add an authentic touch to your carnival circus birthday party. Every birthday party calls for a cake, so provide a circus-themed cake complete with buttercream or fondant circus animals on it.
