Big Top Circus Party -1yr- Circus Food Cons

I began to brainstorm for my daughter's 1st birthday at the end of my pregnancy and begun to purchase birthday party things when she was just 2 months (sounds crazy but the $$$ spending is less felt). I was trying to pick a theme to suit her age and also make it enjoyable for the wide age range of children invited (invited 100 children and 75 attended). I chose a Big Top Circus Party theme. I rented a shelter at a local park.

DECORATIONS: I purchased 1,000 primary colored balloons from a wholesaler I found on the internet, balloons are great fillers. I used them for balloon arch behind the cake table, at the enterance, tied them to the centerpieces, chairs and scattered them all around the party area. Pined up from the shelter to the trees multi colored pendant garland (orientaltrading.com) enough to fill the entire party area. Rented about six 8' wooden painted clowns from local Paradise Party Rental and leaned them against the trees. As guests arrived they would enter through a wooden painted big top with 2 glued acrabatic clowns on each side made out of foam.

Gifts were placed on a wooden wagon pulled by a wooden painted clown riding a mini bike, just like you see at the circus. I had 2 teenage family members dress up as clowns to greet and take polarid pictures of the arriving families under the big top entrance. I made foam frames using primary colors and circus related foam cut outs to insert picture. 2nd clown would give each child a canvas party favor bag filled with circus related toys, personalized red pencil, mini crayons all from orientaltrading.com, I also included personalized circus themed w/ my daughter's photo on chocolate wrappers, t-shirts (printed on transfer paper and ironed on), personalized coloring book covers with circus pages (circus pages printed from the internet) and personalized circus themed thank you tags tied w/ ribbon to the handle of the canvas bag (all photo personalized items were purchased from acreativecard.com).

I also made for all the children silly cone birthday hats. I purchased solid colored cone hats (dollar store) and glue gunned multi colored pom poms, fuzzy wire, fuzzy yarn and foam cut outs. The round tables had different primary colored table cloth and white fold chairs. Centerpieces were made on round foam base decorated with multi colored fringed streamers staked lollipops all around (for guests to eat) and a beautiful puppet clown in the middle (I purchased these puppet clowns at the dollar store). Pinata had different larger puppet clowns and filled with candy, small toys and LOTS of primary colored confetti.

CAKE: The cake table had 2 centerpieces like the ones on the guest tables. Cake table skirt was red with a checkered multi primary colored overlayed scarf. Painted circus themed backdrop 7'Wx6'L was hung behind the cake table from the ceiling of the shelter. On the side of the cake table I placed a stand up blowen picture of my daughter (picture stood up about 4', had it made at a local print shop). The cake was spectacular it had hard sugar cirus figurines (lion behind a cage, clown acrabats, ticket booth, magician, big top, etc..) the entire cake was a circus atmosphere (local Mr.Bee's Bakery).

FOOD: I had a youth fair concession stand serving frozen lemonade, funnel cake, cotton candy, corn dog, roasted peanuts, and candy apple. I also had a buffet table set up with hamburgers, roasted pork sandwhiches, pizza slices, cole slaw, and corn on the cob. Drinks (sprite, coke, water and juices) were placed in large primary colored tubs w/ ice (colored tubs were purchased at the dollar store). I also bought at Costoc a large animal crakers jar and placed a hand full of animal crakers in a animal face printed ziploc bag for each child. Children plates were animal faces and all other utensils and plates were red.

ENTERTAINMENT: Rented an all day 3 in 1 bounce house w/ gaint slide and fun house. Every half hour to 45 minutes I had a different entertainment come in pony rides, trackless train ride, magician/clown - they performed a magic show and played a couple of games with the children later sang Happy Birthday and pull the pinata, had a mini merry-go-round and mini ferris wheel. Throughout the party we played circus music cds I purchased at amazon.com.

INVITATION: I made jack-in-box inviations. Cut out rectangle cardstock folded it in half with a different colored button outside. As you open the flap a pop up clowns head (die cut, scrapbook store) with the birthday party information below.

TURNOUT: Guest called it the most fun and beautifully detailed production they have been too. Children refused to leave. Altough it was A LOT of work, time and money that was put in, it was ALL WORTH IT (Big thanks to my mom and mother-in-law for all the help). My greatest satisfaction was to see my daughter and the 75 children with large grins, pink cheeks and jumping from one entertainment to the other. It makes me want to do it again :o) (it's just like giving birth it's painful but after a while you forget and ready to do it again) I don't know if my husband will agree but that's okay, it's all for his princess. Hope I was able to help with ideas. Happy Party Planning!