Kids love clowns. Delight your birthday boy or girl with this party that's full of magic, games, fun, and surprises.
Clowns have delighted children for years. Why not throw a clown theme birthday party that will thrill the party guests, and make your own child the ringleader for the day!
Invitations
Printable invites are below. Print on regular paper or cardstock. Cut along the outer dotted lines and fold the inner dotted lines to form the invite. Fill in the appropriate information.
Decorations
- Cover a large appliance box with crepe paper streamers, for a “ticket booth.”
- Drape red and white striped sheets or tablecloths over tables or other furnishings
- Use curtain rods taped together to create a tent “support” over food table. Drape red and white striped sheet or tablecloth over.
- Hang bright colored crepe paper steamers around the room
- Have lots of balloons taped to surfaces, and free floating in the air
Activities
Clown Tag
Directions:
- If you have 12 children, you will need six plastic clown noses, and six 16-inch strips of red crepe paper; you will also need six black plastic “ringmaster” hats and six 16 inch strips of black crepe paper.
- Divide children into 2 groups. One group will be the “runaway clowns” while the other group is made up of “ringmasters.”
- Each clown will wear a clown nose, and have a streamer tucked into the back of their pants.
- Each ringmaster will have a black top-hot, and a black streamer tucked into the back of their pants.
- On the count of three the clowns and the ringmasters will attempt to “capture” one another’s crepe paper piece.
- Ringmasters must keep their hats on while playing, and clowns must keep their noses off.
- If someone loses their nose or hat, they must stop playing until the item is back in place.
- The game ends when all crepe papers have been “caught.”
Magic Acts
Directions:
- For 12 children you will need 6 small magic tricks (easy enough for kids to figure out with a partner).
- Break kids into pairs. Give each pair a simple magic trick to learn and practice. Allow kids enough time to figure out how the trick works and to “perfect their act.”
- Have a mini-magic show, by asking each pair to present their “trick” to the group.
- Vote on which pair had the best “act," if you like.
Cake and Snacks
Circus fare is sure to please even the pickiest eaters.
For snacks:
- Serve hot dogs in paper wrappers, with single serving size bags of potato chips.
- Have ketchup, mustard and relish bottles ready nearby.
- Set out colorful cups of peanuts, and popcorn.
- Small bags of cotton candy are sure to be a hit
- Animal crackers
- Give each child a small box of Cracker Jacks
For the Cake:
Use your favorite recipe for a two layer, round cake. Completely frost with white or colored frosting. Cut off 6 plastic drinking straws about ¾ of the way down. Stand straws up on top of cake. Place a paper funnel upside down on top of straws to form a “pointed” tent. Decorate the funnel with strips of crepe paper, or use stickers, glitter, etc. Frost animal shaped cookies with bright colors. Stand cookies up on top of cake, under tent. Decorate edges of cake with gum drops or jelly beans.
Goodie Bags
- Clown noses
- Giant clown sunglasses
- Magic tricks
- Circus gummies
- Mini Clown puzzle
- Circus coloring books
Find more great birthday party themes at Suite101.
