How to Create an Enchanting Backyard Circus for Your Kids This Summer

Summer is the perfect time to unleash your creativity and create lasting memories with your kids. What better way to do that than by transforming your garden into a vibrant, fun-filled circus? With a little planning and some imaginative flair, you can create an enchanting circus experience right at home.

Here’s how to get started:

Plan Your Circus Theme

Begin by deciding on the theme and elements you want to include in your circus. You could go for a classic circus with clowns, acrobats, and animals (stuffed or imaginary, of course), or a more whimsical theme like a magical fairy circus. Involve your kids in the planning process to get them excited and invested in the event. Who will participate? What about the other kids in the neighbourhood or your children’s classmates?

Create a Circus Tent

No circus is complete without a big top tent. You can easily create a DIY version using colorful sheets, blankets, or tarps. Use garden stakes or tall poles to prop up the sheets and create a tent-like structure. Decorate it with bunting, fairy lights, and balloons to give it an authentic circus feel.

Costumes and Face Paint

Encourage your kids to dress up as their favourite circus characters. Raid your dress-up box for costumes – I’ve got you covered if you need any classic outfits from ringmaster to circus lion have a look in the shop here – or create simple ones using everyday clothes and accessories. Face paint can add an extra layer of fun, turning your kids into clowns, lions, or trapeze artists. Keep it safe and use non-toxic, washable face paints.

Design Fun Activities and Acts

Get the kids to plan a variety of circus acts.

Here are some ideas:

• Juggling: Use soft balls or bean bags for a beginner-friendly juggling activity.
• Tightrope Walking: Create a “tightrope” on the ground using a length of rope or a strip of tape or ribbon.
• Ringmaster: Let your kids take turns being the ringmaster, announcing acts and adding to the excitement.
• Animal Parade: Use stuffed animals or have the kids pretend to be animals and march in a parade.
• Magic Show: Simple magic tricks can be learned online and performed with household items.
• Acrobatics: No need for a trapeze. Coordinated roly-polies, cartwheels or balancing a book on your head can be just as fun.
• Clowns: Clowning around will be part of the fun and can be built into any act. How about balancing a bowl of water? Or hiding a child under a coat for a magic trick? What if the lion “miaows”?

Set Up Game Booths

For more participation games, you can create a carnival atmosphere with game booths and challenges. You can set up:

• Ring Toss: Use bottles and rings made from rope or hula hoops.
• Ball Toss: Knock down a pyramid of cans with a soft ball.
• Fishing Game: Use a kiddie pool and magnetic fish with poles.
• Apple bobbing: fill a large tub or basin with water and floating apples on the surface. The kids have to catch an apple using only their mouths, without the use of their hands.
• Face Painting Booth: Set up a station where kids can get their faces painted (parents or older kids can help with this).
• Have a look on pinterest for more fun circus related kids games.

Circus Snacks

No circus is complete without delicious snacks. Serve up popcorn, cotton candy, hot dogs, and lemonade. You can also get creative with themed treats like “clown cupcakes” decorated with colorful icing or “lion tamer” trail mix.

Let them have an audience

After days of practice, encourage your kids to put on a show for family and friends. This can be a great way to showcase their talents and the hard work they’ve put into their acts. Set up a small stage area with a curtain (a shower curtain or large sheet can work) and let each child have their moment in the spotlight.

Capture the Memories

Don’t forget to take lots of photos and videos of your homemade circus. These memories will be cherished for years to come and can be shared with friends and family who couldn’t be there.

Clean Up and Reflect

After the fun, involve your kids in the clean-up process. It’s a good opportunity to teach responsibility and teamwork. Once everything is tidied up, sit down with your kids and talk about their favourite parts of the circus day. This reflection can help them appreciate the effort and fun that went into creating such a magical experience.

Creating a homemade garden circus is a wonderful way to spend quality time with your kids, encouraging their creativity and imagination. With a bit of planning and a lot of enthusiasm, you can turn an ordinary summer day or week into an extraordinary adventure and a memory never forgotten. Enjoy the magic and wonder of your very own backyard circus!