The circus is one of the most enjoyable activities for a child. With all the animals, exciting acts, music and yummy food, they always end up having a great time. The new Disney claymation show “Jo Jo’s Circus” is all about a little clown growing up in a circus. What could be more fun than that for a birthday party theme?

Now, no circus would be complete without a lot of helium filled balloons. Balloons can be all you decorate with and it will still look perfect! When the party is over, let each guest pick their favorite colored balloon to take home.

To start the party, let all the guests get their faces painted. On each cheek they can have some sort of fun circus item, like cotton candy, balloons, or even big, round, red circles to make them look like a clown. What is best about this idea is all the pictures can be simple, like hearts and rainbows, and the guests will still love them. (Face paint can be found at most discount and party stores.)

Next, in honor of “Tater” on the show, have a bunch of Mr. Potato Heads (and Mrs. and babies) all over a play area. Let the kids create their own potato character for the show. With a polariod or digital camera, take a picture and give it to the guest to take home. You can also supply art clay for the guests to create new characters with, if you cannot find enough Mr. Potato Heads for everyone.

For some additional fun, you can modify some well known games to fit your party theme! You can play games like:

• Pin the Tail on Goliath
• Jo Jo Says
• Hot Potato
• Bob for Candied Apples

Food at a “Jo Jo’s Circus” party can be really fun. Think of all the yummy goodies that can be found at the circus: popcorn, peanuts, soft pretzels, soda, hot dogs, cotton candy, candied apples, potato chips and a whole lot more! If you want to have a real circus feel, you can rent a popcorn machine and a sno cone machine! You can serve the treats throughout the party, just like they were at a real circus!

To end the party, you can always show a “Jo Jo’s Circus” episode on DVD. The kids can sit back and relax while they watch. If you don’t want to use the television during the party, gather all the guests around and ask them “What they learned today?” They can then stand in front of the group, just like Jo Jo does at the end of every show, and tell just what they learned!

Instead of goodie bags, a fun giveaway for this party would be long or round, colorful lollypops. Although the guests might think “the bigger the better”, you may want to keep them at a reasonable size, so little teeth stay healthy.

The “Jo Jo’s Circus” theme is easy to find in many party outlet stores. You will be able to find plates, cups, napkins, decorations, invitations and thank you notes, all with a Jo Jo theme. If you do happen to have trouble locating paper products, go to your computer and look at the many quality party stores that are located online. (Tip: when ordering online, leave plenty of time for shipping!)