My children had similar ideas about what they wanted to do for their birthday parties last year, and so I suggested that we do one party for them both. They loved the idea, and we combined their parties into one big circus!
The invitations by Itty Bitty were so much fun! The outside was a circus tent and it opened to a clown hanging from a trapeze. The invitations were topped with tulle and tied with raffia to close in the middle.
As the guests arrived, they were greeted at the ticket booth. The ticket to get in was a clown nose!
Each child was given a small red bag to use to hold the prizes they would win at the party- with a nametag on the bag. A balloon arch was a special request from my daughter. She was hoping for one the size of a building, but this was just right~
The cake was beautifully done by Emilee Greer of The Daily Deli. Emilee assembled and decorated the cake on site before the party. It was very fun to watch!
Emilee went above and beyond with this circus cake! I was thrilled with how it turned out!
With 100 little party guests (of all ages) plus parents, I had to be sure to have many games and activities.
The clown was a huge hit! He made great balloons~
There were lots of dress-up props for the children to enjoy~
The Circus Spinner Game was fun- if the children landed on a 5 or a 7 (the ages of the birthday kids), they won a prize!
The BIRTHDAY BOY having a ball in the Body Bopper! These were in constant motion!!
And the Lollipop Parade was another popular place! We played circus music and then stopped the music and called out a number. The child on the lucky number could go get a lollipop. This was so popular that we doubled up the children for this game and had 2 at each number.
The birthday kiddos had a special request to have MR. ERIC perform at the party. I couldn't think of a better person to clown around with than Mr. Eric! He kept the children laughing and dancing!
Oversized balls were on the lawn for rolling, bouncing, or resting...
The Birthday Girl gets a close look at the popcorn machine...
Retro popcorn bags by HEY YO YO.
Straws in circus colors by HEY YO YO.
Water bottle and fruit cup wrappers by A LITTLE LOLLIPOP TREE.
Circus star sandwiches...
Pinwheel toppers by CUPCAKE SOCIAL.
A happy little birthday girl~
Walking on stilts...
Favor boxes from NASHVILLE WRAPS. Fantastic JUMBO box toppers from SIMPLE TASTES.
The favor boxes had small games, an old-fashioned candy stick, and a bag of POPCORN SOAP! The soap was a fun, unexpected surprise! Bags of popcorn soap by LOVELEE SOAPS on Etsy.
A key part of the success of this party was having help! I had a group of wonderful teenage helpers that volunteered their time to run the games and activities and help serve all of the guests. Family and friends jumped in where needed, too! Behind the scenes...
A big thank you to all of the friends and family that helped make the day fun and very special!
GARDEN SOIREE 
