Circus and Carnival Theme

Roll up, roll up for the party of the year! A visit to the circus or carnival always includes lots of fun, entertainment, bright colours, food, music and prizes. What better theme for a party! A circus/carnival theme would be best suited to an outdoors venue where your guests are free to try their hand at juggling, handstands or clowning.

Decorations

• Create a carnival atmosphere by decorating in bright colours with balloons, flags and streamers.
• String up fairy lights.
• Create a circus ring or stage in the backyard or living room.
• Make a booth using cardboard and hand out popcorn or fairy floss to your guests. The more adventurous could turn this into a kissing booth.
   
• Parties Online specialise in themed and coloured tableware, balloons, and costumes for parties. Create a carnival atmosphere with poppers, silly string, horns, face paint, streamers, and more. See party decorations. Sydney-based party products store.

Circus and Carnival Costumes

• Costume Box have lots of clown costumes and accessories to choose from including bowties, honking red noses, goofy shoes, wigs, suspenders, and more. Costume Box are based in Sydney with flat rate Express Post Delivery throughout Australia.
   
• Australia's Online Party Costumes Superstore - Build your own clown or circus costume from the collection of costumes, wigs, make-up, and accessories.

Circus and Carnival Products

• Cool Things is all about the latest cool gadgets, gizmos and gifts including circus and carnival toys that make you say "That's Cool". Coolthings are based in Launceston, Tasmania and deliver Australia wide and internationally. Orders can be gift wrapped complete with a message to the lucky recipient.
    
• Yardgames - Australian specialist retailer and wholesaler of giant, outdoor and team games. Based in Sydney with Australia-wide delivery. See
  • Giant games for jumbo noughts and crosses, A4 size playing cards, giant pick up sticks, and more.
  • Giant & mammoth balls
  • and Garden games for horse shoe toss games.

Circus and Carnival Activities

• Nominate a ringmaster to announce activities to your guests.
• Ask guests to have a party trick ready to perform in the circus ring. Examples include magic acts, puppetry, a joke, a mime, hand stands or acrobatics and juggling.
• Ask a friend (or hire someone) to face paint.
• Organise carnival games such as -
  • Pin the nose on the clown
  • Bobbing for apples
  • Ring toss
  • A Hoola Hoop competition
  • Balloon Dart – Stick inflated balloons to a sheet of thick cardboard. Attach this to a wall and ask your guests to hit them with darts.
  • Duck shoot
•  Hand out prizes such as rubber chickens or large stuffed toys.

Food

Carnival food includes obvious favourites such as fairy floss, popcorn, hot dogs, hamburgers, French fries, mini pizzas, toffee apples, and lollies.

• See also Second Childhood party ideas