Circus Party Ideas

Give your child the Greatest Birthday On Earth by throwing them a Circus Themed Birthday Party! The tickets, carnival games and silly dress up items are guaranteed to make for a fun-filled, memorable day. All you need are some simple decorations, some big top themed snacks, a few activities and the perfect cake.

No need to stress over the details. We’ve done the all the research for you and put together the following guide to help you plan the perfect Big Top Circus Birthday Party.

Circus Party Birthday Cake

Forget the expensive cake from the neighborhood bakery! Make your own circus themed birthday cake with this simple to follow tutorial by Girl.Inspired. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to create your own beautifully striped circus cake, just by using boxed cake mix and premade frosting!

Then, for an even more finished & festive look, top off your pretty cake with custom edible fondant letters by Edible Details. This site also has a number of adorable fondant circus characters to add to the top of your homemade circus striped cake, like elephants, lions & seals. So cute!

Circus Party Cupcakes

Having a Circus Themed First Birthday Party? Make a small cake for the birthday boy or girl to enjoy all on their own & provide individual cupcakes for your guests. You can surround your personal birthday cake with these cutie clown cupcakes. They’re super easy to decorate: just slap on some premade frosting, attach some Trix cereal, a gummy worm smile & a Skittle nose and you’re done!

Carnival Games & Activities

It’s important to have plenty of activities planned to keep the little ones entertained through the entire birthday party. Carnival games are a great way to keep your little clowns busy and helps continue your party theme.

Source: marthastewart.com via Kerry on Pinterest

Source: impromptuparties.com via Kerry on Pinterest

This Clothespin Drop Game is a simple & cheap game for a Big Top Birthday celebration. Have the kids line up and take turns dropping clothespins into a milk bottle or glass vase. It’s probably best to choose a container with a large opening for the younger guests, while a smaller container can challenge the older crowd.

This Hook A Duck Game is also another great carnival themed game. Fill a large galvanized bucket with water & insert the package of floating ducks. Have kids take turns using the magnetic fishing pole to see how many ducks they can hook. Give them a prize ticket for each duck they can catch. For the older crowd, have a timer handy and see how many they can get in 30 seconds.

Make your carnival party games even more authentic by passing out carnival tickets and setting up a prize booth!

A Coloring Station is a great way to entertain arriving guests. Decorate a small to medium sized table with circus themed coloring sheets and place crayons, markers and gel pens in old tin cans wrapped with colorful ribbon. Then, once all guests have arrived, you can thank everyone for coming & officially begin the festivities!

Circus Party Candy

Don’t forget to load up on lots of fun candy for your circus crowd. Set up a candy bar or carnival booth with all sorts of different carnival themed candy, such as cotton candy, Red Ropes, Cracker Jacks and more! Here are a few more candy ideas for your circus themed party:

Rainbow Gumballs

Circus Party Decorations

Of course you’ll need the perfect decorations and tableware to match… as well as party favors…and dress up items for your guests. Before you start hyperventilating and pulling all your hair out, take a deep breath and check out these all inclusive, deluxe party kits.

This Big Top Circus Birthday Party Kit comes with all your decorations, tableware, cupcake liners, party favors, birthday candles…and yes, even dress up attire for the guests and birthday boy/girl. The kit also comes with invitations/thank yous, party games, face paints, carnival tickets, some candy AND fun prizes!

The great thing about this party box is half the party’s already done for you! Just add the circus striped cake, those homemade clown cupcakes, maybe some Animal Cracker boxes and popcorn and you’re ready for the Greatest {Stress-Free} Circus Birthday Party on Earth.

Now that you’ve got everything covered, go ahead and send out those invitations and get ready for a circus birthday party your child will never forget!