Hobbies And Interests
Circus Parade
Kids can hold a circus parade around the house or in their neighborhood by dressing in circus costumes (such as ringmasters, animal trainers and various animals) and decorating bicycles, scooters and wagons. Kids may walk one after the other as elephants, with their hands in front as trunks. A leader should play circus music and have enough horns and whistles for kids to blow as they parade around.
Musical Clown Noses
In this variation of Musical Chairs, a leader puts red clown noses on the floor or a table (one less nose than the number of kids playing the game), plays music and has kids walk around the pile of noses. Once a leader stops the music, kids grab a nose and put it on. The kid with no clown nose exits the game. Kids return the noses to the pile, and the leader again starts the music. The game proceeds until one child remains.
Relay Races
Kids race to dress in clown gear for Clown Relay. A leader places two similar clown outfits 15 to 20 feet away from the start line. Upon start of the relay, each team's first player runs to the opposite line, puts on the outfit, runs back to the start line, removes the clown clothing and tags the next player, who puts on the clothes, runs to the opposite line and then back to the starting line and removes the clothes. The relay concludes when each member of a team has completed the process.
An elephant's favorite snack of choice may serve as the basis for a peanut relay. Two teams of kids divide in half and face each other about 15 feet apart. Once a leader blows the whistle, the first players on each team push a peanut with their nose from their side to the other side. Once they reach the other side, the next person pushes the peanut back. Play continues until every player from one team has pushed a peanut.
"Gingerbread Circus: Knife Throwing"
Players must avoid injuring their brave assistants when playing "Gingerbread Circus: Knife Throwing," accessible at the Miniclip site. Within an allocated time frame, players use a limited number of knives and take aim at targets on a spinning wheel (on which gingerbread assistants also lie). Upon the end of a level, the crowd either cheers or boos players' efforts, and players receive points based on number of targets hit, accuracy and their assistant's condition following the demonstration. If players injure their assistant during the trick, they lose points and, depending on the severity of injuries, their lives. The game ends when players have lost all three of their lives.
Video Games
Kids may participate in the "Greatest Show on Earth" by playing 2K Play's "Ringling Bros. and Barnum &Bailey Circus" game for the Nintendo Wii platform. Players experience popular circus attractions such as aerial acrobatics, Bengal tigers, clowns, elephants, the human cannonball, the Spherical Miracle of motorcyclists and tightrope walking. The release includes more than 40 games, eight of which offer multi-player functionality.
A companion video game, "Ringling Bros. and Barnum &Bailey Circus Friends: Asian Elephants," available for the Nintendo DS platform, focuses on elephant care. Players ensure that their elephant eats well, stays clean and healthy, exercises daily and trains hard as he prepares for Ringling Bros. stardom.