U - Under the Big Top

Uu - Under The Big Top

Uu
Under the Big Top is a fun and exciting hands on Circus curriculum. The children will learn about the circus and put on a small circus of their own. They will learn about circus animals and circus families. They will do simple acrobats, make circus face masks, make a clown hat and more. There will be a circus lunch, dress up day, face painting, and simple costume making from recyclable household items.

Once you have completed the activities in this packet, you will be ready to plan and hold your own circus. You don’t have to go to the Big Top to have a circus Party!

Circus Vocabulary
Annie Oakley - free pass or ticket
Big Top - main tent used for the performance
Cherry pie - extra work for extra pay
Clown alley - clowns dressing room
Donikers - restrooms
Equestrian Director - ringmaster
Flyers - aerialists
Gaffer - circus manager
Horse - One thousand dollars
Iron-Jaw Trick - An aerial stunt using a metal bit & apparatus which fits into the performer’s mouth
Joey - a clown
Kid Show - sideshow
Little People - midgets or dwarfs.
March - the street parade
Nanty - nothing.
On the Show - performers and all others connected to the circus
Pie-Car - the dining car of a railroad train
Quarter Poles - poles that support the weight of the canvas & take up slack between center & side poles
Ray - a tent
Shekles - money
Troupers / Circus entertainers
U, V - no terms using these letters
Web Girl - Female who performs on web in aerial ballet sequence
X, Y - no terms using these letters
Zanies - clowns

A Day In The Life Of A Circus Performer
A typical circus day starts with a late-night drive into town. Once on the circus lot, and guided to your parking space, you get a few hours sleep before setup begins. Setup is the worst part of circus life, a circus town must be erected in only a few hours before peoples start arriving for the first performance. The work is shared between work crews who handle the tents, the seating, the electrical generators and wiring, the animals, and the concession stands. Performers are responsible for setting up their own rigging. There will be one or two performances on setup day, two performances on weekdays, and three performances on weekends. Immediately following the last show, everything is dismantled and packed into trucks, and everyone hits the road to the next town. Many circuses perform this ritual every day, and of course it goes on regardless of weather, fatigue, or the presence or absence of any paying customers.

There is never any shortage of excitement on the road. Every day deals up new events, from major catastrophes such as wild animal attacks, vehicle accidents, and aerial accidents, to the humorous, such as a performer losing an article of clothing during a performance. This makes circus life unique.

Many circuses have moved to indoor arenas but several shows still travel under canvas throughout the world.

Circus Superstitions
Never look back during a parade. (Some shows fined those who transgressed.)
Never sit on the ring curb facing out.
Never whistle in the dressing room.
Peacock feathers are bad luck.
Accidents happen in threes.
Elephants must always have their trunks up in pictures.
Hair from the tail of an elephant is good luck. (Often made into rings or bracelets.)

Circus History
The modern circus was invented in England by Philip Astley, a former Sergeant-Major turned showman. The son of a cabinet maker and veneer cutter, Astley had served during the Seven-Year War (the French and Indian War) in Colonel Eliott’s Fifteenth Light Dragoon Regiment, where he displayed an outstanding talent as a horse breaker and trainer

Astley settled in London in 1768 and opened a riding-school near Westminster Bridge, where he taught in the morning and performed his feats of horsemanship in the afternoon. The place featured a circular arena that Astley called a circus, which would later be known as the ring.

In 1770, Astley’s success as a performer had outshone his fame as a teacher, and after two seasons in London he needed to bring some novelty to his performances. He hired acrobats, tightrope dancers and jugglers, and interspersed their acts between his equestrian displays. Another addition to the show was a character borrowed from the Elizabethan theatre, the clown, who filled the pauses between acts with parodies of juggling, tumbling, tightrope dancing, and even trick-riding. Hence the modern circus, a combination of equestrian displays and feats of strength and agility, was born.

What Exactly Is A Clown?
A clown is comic character of pantomime and circus, known by his distinctive makeup and costume. His purpose is to make people laugh. The clown performs a set routine characterized by humor, absurd situations, and vigorous physical action.

Clown College
There really is a clown college. You can write for information about a clown career to: Clown College, Ringling Bros., Barnum and Bailey Circus, P.O. Box 1528, Venice, FL 34284

Free Circus Teaching Material
You can write and ask for free teaching materials from: Department of Education Services, Ringling Bros., Barnum and Bailey Circus, 8607 Westwood Center Drive, Vienna, VA 22182

Circus Animals
Circus animals come from all around the world. In India only the male elephants have tusks, but in Africa both male and female elephants have tusks. Find India an Africa on a globe or world map.

Circus Book
Make a circus book by stapling several pages together with a letter of the alphabet on each page. For each letter write or find a picture of a circus person, animal, or word.
Examples: A - acrobat, B - Bear, C - Clown, D - Daredevil, E - elephant

Make a Clown Hat
You need: Large Piece of Paper - Crayons, Markers, or Paint - Stapler

Cut a large triangle out of construction paper, decorate it with crayons, markers or paint.

Make sure the bottom edge of the triangle shape fits around your head.

Roll the triangle into a cone, fit the bottom edge around your head, and staple the 2 sides together.

You can also staple a thin piece of elastic into the bottom edge, this will help to hold the hat on.

Make Clown Hair
Cut the center out of a paper plate to fit the child’s head and color the paper plate ring.

Cut short pieces of yarn to glue around the edges.

Make Clown Face Paint
Use thick, white lotion. Add poster paint to color the lotion in the shades you want. Apply to the face with Q-tips or a small paint brush.

Make a Clown Collar
To wear:
Cut the center from a paper plate. Fold a whole sheet of tissue paper in half lengthwise. Then fold in one inch pleats in the double thickness. After making a few pleats, begin stapling it to the plate. Continue making pleats and stapling to fully cover the plate circle. or
To display:
Use a paper plate as the clowns collar, cut a small slit in the middle, blow up a balloon and put the tied end through the paper plates slit. Decorate with stickers of eyes, noses, mouth, ears, etc.
Clown Costumes
Use large white t-shirts, place a piece of wax paper or cardboard inside of shirt to prevent the fabric paint and glue from going though both layers. Use shape sponges and fabric paint to decorate the t-shirt. Use washable fabric glue and glue on pom poms. sequins, etc. You can add accessories, like hats, noses, make-up, and wigs.

You can also make clown costumes out of paper bags, old sweatshirts and old clothes, oversized pajamas, etc.

Make Circus Invitations
You can use your own ideas to make up some neat circus invitations or you can use the circus invitation included in this packet. Make one for each participant. Circus invitations can be made at home on your computer or with construction paper.

Make Circus Tickets
You can use your own ideas to make up some neat circus tickets or you can use the circus ticket included in this packet. Make one for each participant. Circus tickets can be made at home on your computer or with construction paper.

Decorate For A Circus
Make a table top trapeze, use paper towel tubes for the posts and crepe paper streamers for the ropes. Add a stuffed monkey for a cute trapeze artist!
Decorate the circus poster included in this packet to hang on the wall or door.

Get out all your elephant, horse, monkey, lion and tiger stuffed animals. Display them about the room.

Make Clown Faces
Have the children cut out a circle and add clown features. You can add a red nose, silly mouth etc. For the hair, have the children dip their hands in orange paint. Place their hands on both sides of the clowns head for hair, or you can trace the childs hands, cut them out and glue them to the side for clown hair.

Make A Circus Train
Make several circus train cars out of construction paper, join to form a long train. Next cut wild animal pictures from a magazine and glue them to the train sections. Cut small slits along the top and bottom of the train pieces, weave a long piece of yarn through the slits to connect the train sections. Add construction paper wheels to each train section. Display on the wall.

Decorate Popcorn Bags
Color one of the circus pictures included in this packet. Cut it out (in a circle or square shape), glue it to the front of a paper lunch sack, fill with popcorn.

Circus Puppets
Cut a slit on the bottom of a paper cup. Place a popscicle stick in slit and glue a circle of construction paper on each side of stick to form head. Decorate as desired.

Hold A Circus Day
Dress up like a clown, do clown and circus activities throughout the day. Use the activities suggested in this packet to prepare the day in advance. Have fun!! Get Involved!!

Make A Circus Box
Use a shoebox, decorate the inside like a circus with paper balloons, pictures of popcorn, cotton candy, animals, etc. Color the shoebox circus page, cut out the pictures, and glue them to popscicle sticks. Cut a slit along the bottom of the shoebox. Push the popscicle stick through the slit, put on a performance with your cut outs.

Circus Acrobats
Do some fun acrobats, practice the following and make a short routine: cartwheels, summer saults, jumping jacks, hula hooping, jumping, etc.

Clown Animals
Have each child bring a stuffed animal from home. Have them tell what trick their animal can do in the circus.

Circus Fun Games

One Elephant Went Out to Play
Have the children form a circle. Put a tightrope (rope) down in the center of the circle. Pick an elephant (child) to stand on the rope.

Children sing: One elephant went out to play, out on a tightrope string one day. He had such enormous fun; He called for another elephant to come. (Hollar) Hey, elephant, where are you? Another chosen child joins the line. Do this until all the children are in the line increasing the number sang as each child has joined the line. One elephant,, two elephants, three elephants, etc. When the last child has been called in the line end the song with 5 (Or the number of children) elephants went out to play on a tightrope string one day they had such enormous fun, but the tightrope broke and they all fell down!

Circus Pantomimes
Assign each child a circus performer or a circus animal. Have them act out the person or animal in front of the others without speaking. The other children have to guess who or what they are.

Pin The Nose On The Clown
Draw a clown’s face on a large piece of poster board without a nose. Tape the poster to the wall. Blindfold each child when it is their turn. Use red construction paper and cut out large red noses with a piece of double sided tape to the back, e on the back. Turn the child 2-3 times and point the child in the right direction. The one who puts the nose closest to the correct spot wins.

Circus Songs

Walking Through The Circus (tune: I’ve Been Working on the Railroad)
I was walking through the circus,
Happy as I could be.
I was walking through the circus,
Just to see what I could see.
I just saw a clown who was laughing
I saw an elephant too
I just saw the lion sleeping.
Look out! He sees you.

Elephants, Clowns (tune: Feres Jacques)
Elephants walking, elephants walking
See the clowns, funny old clowns
Horses with their riders, bears doing bear tricks,
Enjoy the circus, circus show

Circus Snacks

Circus Trail Mix
Use small white candy bags, color red stripes down the front and back. Make a circus snack mix. Use goldfish, peanuts, and pretzels. Mix it together and put it in the paper bags (

Ice Cream Cone Clowns
Use the sugar ice cream cones, fill with one scoop of ice cream. Lay the ice cream cone upside down on a cupcake wrapper, decorate with red hots, M&M’s, mini marshmallows, etc.. Use frosting as the glue, this helps hold the items on.

Hold A Circus In Your Home
Using the suggested activities plan your own circus. Make tickets and programs. Decorate the walls with circus posters, make clown masks, hats and costumes. Create a clown routine. Have a stuffed animal parade, make popcorn and punch. Have a great time. Be sure to plan a few of your unique activities to make the circus extra special.