Circus Setup Ideas
The variety of activities associated with a circus makes this theme a useful choice when creating a school or group fund-raising event or putting together a child's birthday party. The circus also brings fun into the learning experience when it's used as a preschool lesson theme. You can also set up a circus atmosphere to teach skills such as juggling, tightrope walking and clowning. Does this Spark an idea?
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Preschool Learning Circus
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Decorate the classroom with colorful streamers, reminiscent of the stripes on a circus tent. Set up areas for dramatic play, math, science and language arts using elements found at the circus. A language arts area, for example, could have a game of pictures of animals and people found at the circus to be matched with cards that spell out the name of that person or animal. Set up a science area for students to explore the physics of gravity by attempting to juggle items of different weights, such as balls, bean bags and feathers. The math area could also provide some snacking fun as the students guess how many pieces of popcorn or how many peanuts are in each snack container. Once they've practiced counting, they can enjoy the fruits of their labor.
Fund-raising Circus
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To set up a fund-raising circus, you'll need to decide whether to sell tickets for admission, tickets per event or game or both -- an admission price plus a cost to play games and attend events. You'll also need to decide what circus events and games to offer. You could create sideshows that charge an admission to see magic acts, clown skits or acrobats. By gathering volunteer performers for these shows, you'll generate income by charging a special admission per show. If you decide to offer games, choose ones with a circus theme, such as having participants become "lion tamers" by throwing a stuffed lion through a hoop or "feed" the elephants by throwing peanuts or bean bags through a hole in a board painted to look like an open elephant's mouth. To ensure that your setup is complete, you'll need to have plenty of volunteers on hand to create and decorate your games and events areas.
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Birthday Party Circus
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Birthday parties can be set up to emulate a circus by using circus-themed decorations such as bunches of balloons and twinkle lights in bright colors. Tie the balloons to the backs of chairs at the refreshment table, and string the twinkle lights up around the room. If your party will take place outside, put up a gazebo-style tent in a bright color and serve refreshments under "the Big Top." Rent popcorn and cotton candy machines. Set up an area where the guests can try their skill at riding a unicycle or juggling bean bags. Hire a pony for guests to ride around a makeshift circus ring. Provide a dress-up area where the guests can create their own clown get-ups or dress as sparkly circus acrobats.
Circus for Skill Building
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To set up a circus training camp for youngsters, you'll need lots of helpers on hand to ensure the participants' safety as they practice skills such as stilt walking and unicycle riding. For this setup, useful pieces of equipment to acquire would include a low balance beam for practicing tightrope walking, a trampoline for learning flips and other aerial tricks, stilts, a unicycle and balls or bean bags for juggling. You'll also need an expert to instruct each of the circus skills you've set up. Contact a local gymnastics or dance center, theatrical organization or a professional clown working in your area for assistance in hiring the appropriate experts to lead your circus instruction.
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