If you think back to when you were a kid at the fair or circus, there was always a carnival game you just HAD to play! Going to the fair or circus was always such a fun time where you could relax, have fun and eat as much cotton candy as you could (maybe). We want to help you re-create the magical and happy time you felt while you were at the fair or circus! Follow along with this article for awesome decoration, food and game ideas!
Invitations
Give admission tickets to all your closest friends so they can join you for a day of fun!
Admit One Ticket Invitation
Materials
- White Card Stock
- Ticket Template
- Silver Acrylic Paint
- Clear Packing Tape
- Scissors
- Paint Brush
Directions
- Print the ticket template out on your white card stock
- Cut out the ticket
- Mix together 2 parts paint and 1 part dish soap
- Cover the middle square with the packing tape
- Cover the tape with a thin coat of paint mixture and let dry
- Add another layer of the paint mixture and once that layer dries, you’re all set!
Decorations
You can’t have a Circus without decorating first! Check out the cute decorations we’ve come up with
Circus Tent Streamers
Materials
- White Crepe Paper
- Red Crepe Paper
- Scissors
- Strong Tape
Directions
- Find a corner of a room that is empty
- Pick where you want the tent to start (about 2-3 feet from the wall)
- Measure the length that your streamers need to be based off the length between the center where you start the streamer and the edge of the wall. Then measure how far it is from the top of the ceiling to the ground
- Now cut your streamers the length that you’ve measured in the previous step
- Tape the streamers from the middle of the ceiling to the edge where the ceiling and wall meet
- Make sure you alternate between red and white
- Continue to do this until you get a circus tent look that you’re happy with!
Popcorn Balloons
Materials
- Yellow Balloons
- Helium
- 12 Balloon Weights
- Red and White Ribbon
- Scissors
Directions
- Blow up about 12 yellow balloons with helium
- Cut 12 ribbons about 4 ft. (6 white, 6 red)
- Tie all the balloons to all 12 ribbons (Make sure you have a way to secure them temporarily!)
- One by one, tie the bottom of the ribbon to the balloon weight
- Now that all the balloons are secured by the weights, you’re going to set them up in a square like the image below
Tableware
Surprise your audience with an awesome table setup by adding a few things listed below
Silverware Ticket Napkin Wraps
Materials
- White Plastic Silverware
- Paper Napkins (Red, Green, Blue, Yellow)
- White Ribbon
- Admission Tickets
- Hole Punch
Directions
- Cut ribbon into 6 in. pieces
- Hole punch the admission tickets near the top of either end
- String ribbon through the hole in the ticket and set aside
- Place your silver on the square napkin so it is touching to top corner (make sure you don’t stack the silverware)
- Fold the bottom corner of the napkin over the silverware. The bottom corner will meet the top corner
- Taking the left corner of the napkin, fold it over to the other side but not touching the other corner
- Now, take the right corner and fold it over to the left
- Take the excess napkin on the left and wrap it around the back of the silverware
- Take the ribbon around the back and tie a bow in the front (make sure the ticket is showing)
Carousel Centerpiece
Materials
- Card Stock
- Paper Plates
- Paper Straws
- Animal Cutouts
- Toothpick
- Scissors
- Hot Glue
- Colored Pencils or Crayons
- White Paint
Directions
- Trace a 6 in radius circle on your card stock and cut it out
- Cut a slit to the middle of your circle
- Form a cone with the circle and place tape on the inside seam to make sure the shape stays. You can also use hot glue
- Paint stripes on your roof like a circus tent and let dry
- Glue the seven paper straws in place on the plate with hot glue (one in the center and six on the outside)
- Put hot glue on top of all seven straws and quickly put the roof on
- Cut your skewer about 1-2 in. and cut a flag shape and wrap it around the top of the skewer and glue
- Print out your animals on white card stock
- Let your kids color the animals however they’d like and cut them out (you’ll need to print out two pages for the 6th animal)
- Place a small amount of hot glue and place it onto the back of the animals and secure them to the paper straws
- Now you can add any little treats to the bottom plate
Food
It will be like a vanishing act when you see how fast your guests snag up all the yummy food at the party!
Corn Dog Mini Muffins
Materials
- Hot Dogs (chopped)
- 1 c. cornmeal
- 1 c. flour
- 1/2 c. butter (melted)
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 c. Buttermilk
- 1/2 c. Sugar
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F. Spray pan with cooking spray
- In a bowl mix together your flour, cornmeal, baking soda, salt
- In a different bowl, add eggs and sugar and mix until light and fluffy
- Add butter and buttermilk together and mix well until combined
- Pour your wet ingredients into the dry mix and mix until smooth
- Add your chopped up hot dogs and fold them in
- Pour about 1 tbsp. of dough into muffin pan
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until no longer doughy
Snow Cone Cupcakes
Materials
- White Cupcake Liners
- Cupcake Mix (you can use your favorite flavor)
- White Frosting
- Food Coloring (red, blue)
- Sprinkles (red, purple, blue)
Directions
- Line a pan with white cupcake liners
- Make your cupcakes according to the directions on the box
- While the cupcakes are cooking, prepare your frosting.
- Separate your frosting into 3 bowls. Add red food coloring to one, blue to the second, and for the third you will mix red and blue to create a purple color
- Once your cupcakes have cooled, it’s time to start frosting
- Pipe a purple strip down the middle of the cupcake and sprinkle with your purple sprinkles
- Now, add the red and blue frosting to the sides of the cupcake and sprinkle with there designated colors
- You’re ready to serve you’re delicious and adorable snow cone cupcakes!
Circus Snack Box
Materials
- Large Bowl
- Circus Peanuts
- Kettle Corn
- M&M’s
- Frosted Animal Crackers
- Mini Pretzel Rods or Pretzel Twists
- Popcorn Boxes
Directions
- In a large bowl combine your circus peanuts, kettle corn, M&M’s, Frosted Animal Crackers, Pretzels.
- Now all you have to do is separate your combination into your popcorn boxes and you’ve got yourself a mixture of awesome snacks!
Games/Activities
You need to keep your guests entertained just like performers do at a circus. Try out some these game and activities we’ve come up with!
Ducks In A Pond
Materials
- Rubber Duckies
- Large Plastic Tub
- Sharpie
- Prizes
Directions
- Filled the large tub with water (almost to the top)
- With a Sharpie, add circles to about half the duckies and place in the tub
- Once the kids are ready to play the game, they’ll get two chances to get a prize
- If they choose a duck with a circle on the bottom they get to choose a prize!
Pop-A-Balloon
Materials
- Large Foam Board
- 35, Multicolored Balloons
- Tape
- Ruler
- X-acto Knife
- Pencil
- Dart
Directions
- Use a pencil and ruler to measure 7 holes across the foam board that are even and 5 holes down the board
- Wherever you created a mark, cut a small square with the X-acto knife
- Blow up your balloons about half way and tie it securely
- Pull the tied balloon tails through the squares in the foam board and tape them to the back
- Now that it’s time to play the game, give each kid a few tries to pop the balloons
- You can make up your own rules (ex. 1 popped balloon = bracelet, 3 popped balloons = gift bag)
Kissing Booth (Not what you think!)
Materials
- Large Jar
- Hershey Kisses
- Pen
- Sheet of Paper
- Markers
Directions
- Set up a little “booth” or station wherever your guests will be entering the party
- On a piece of paper, write out, “Kissing Booth. How Many Kisses Are There?
- On a separate sheet write down all the guests names
- When the guests arrive have them guess how many kisses are in the jar and write it down next to their name
- At the end of the party, announce who guessed the closest and give them a special prize!
Party Favors
Don’t let the fun stop once the party is over! Send your guests with some fun party favors that will make them remember what a great time they had.
- Wild Animals Jigsaw Puzzle
- Wild Animal Finger Puppets
- Wild Animals Folding Fans
- Wild Animals Mask
- Wild Animals Tattoos
Candy Jars with Animals
Materials
- Small Jars with screw tops
- Plastic Circus Animals
- White Spray Paint
- Hot Glue
- Any Type Of Candy
Directions
- Remove lids from the jars and separate all pieces
- Place lid and animals on a safe surface (we recommend outside)
- Spray paint the animals and lid and let dry
- Once everything is dry, place glue on the bottom of the animals and place it on top of the lid and let dry
- Fill jars with your favorite candy or something you think the guests would like
- Screw the lids tightly back onto the jar and they’re set!
Cotton Candy Lollipops
Materials
- Cotton Candy
- Sucker Sticks
- Plastic Wrap
- Ribbon
Directions
- Gently pull a small amount of cotton candy
- Place the cotton candy on the sucker stick and shape them however you like
- Immediately place the plastic wrap over the sucker and secure tightly with the ribbon
Let Discount Party Supplies Be Your Party Provider!
Head over to DiscountPartySupplies.com for more awesome ideas and inspiration for your next party
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