A Day the Circus -4yr- Circus Train Cake

Circus party for 4year old.  this was my first active birthday party.  most of the party was done off the computer. 

party invitations were done by picking out a lion tamer and lion in home publishing for the invitation. it provided all information like: circus grounds, menu, special attractions, ringmaster, events start at: etc,  mailed with invitations was a coupon that read:  this coupon entitles you to:  A DAY AT THE CIRCUS! brett's 4th birthday, then their name so they could guess how many animals were in the monkey jar upon arrival. 

also I sent a sort of schedule for the parents so arrival would run smooth.  I made transfers off the computer with a clown and wrote clowning around brett's 4th birthday party. transferred these to t-shirts that was given out when they arrived.  those that didn't want to become a clown (due to age fears) could just wear the shirts, or both. 

when they arrived they turned in the ticket by guessing the cookies in the jar (bought at Wal-Mart), they were given a circus bracelet that had party elephants on it with brett's 4th birthday written on it(made off the computer).  this is when T-shirts were passed out or transformed into a simple clown, just a little face paint. 

Then the parents could go to all the booths were there was duck picking, pin the nose on the clown, elephant toss, throwing balls through a clowns face(eyes, nose, mouth) made out of a box.  Each game they got tickets. 

There was a cake walk for the parents, prize was a cake made like a tiger, and one like a lion (played twice) throughout party.  Then we had a peanut hunt (I made the peanuts out of construction paper, one child had peanut allergy) I made elephant masks off the computer.  All the kids went around like elephants and found the peanuts that were scattered around the yard. 

I had a eight train party cake, animal crackers bagged, bananas frozen on a Popsicle stick, punch in an igloo (serve yourself), popcorn already bagged.  Everyone ate as the wanted except for cake which was ate after we sung happy birthday. 

Decorations were just lots of balloons, crepe paper. I had monkeys made out of construction paper hanging off a trapeze (paper towel holder.) to ad dimension in the yard I took dowel rods and tied inflate animals on them and crepe paper to make a run way for the games. 

I also had four PVC pipes these served as a place to hang balloons, sign that read come clown around, and the party favor plates.  I took two paper plates and made either a tiger or elephant out of them (crayons, felt for elephants trunk and ears) stapled them together, punched a hole at top, put toys from the zoo grab bag in it(oriental express), tied it up and hung it on string between two of the PVC pipes, used colorful table covers on two tables with place mats of animals, a fisher price circus train in the center for kids to play, balloons tied with popcorn bag to weight the balloons down, clown noses all the dinner ware on table, very festive. 

When everyone was ready to leave they turned in the tickets from the games for plate, inflate animal, clown nose, elephant mask, T-shirt, and a free ticket to the shriners circus for the next week.  Clowning around was a lot of fun.  Lots of preparation, spent tops $100.  most everything was done off computer, or made out of construction paper.  Only thing I spent money on was prizes from oriental express, cake, paper goods from dollar store.