Backyard Circus Gross Motor Imaginative Play

I’ve mentioned before that my preschooler loves to move! Well, when I suggested we do a circus when we were at the playground last week, she was eager to get started! We did another “circus” in our own backyard circus on our play set and inside as well.

Why Play Circus

The circus is not something that my kids will probably see. Ringling Brothers has stopped its circus after 146 years. Given what we know about animals, it’s probably best to stop putting them through a show. (Although no animals are harmed in Ringling Brothers circus acts, the popularity of watching them as a curiosity has faded.)

But, there is something delightful about showing off and being daring. Strawberry also enjoys watching Dumbo. Personally, I think it’s a rather dumb show (pun intended), but it is a classic and my daughter loves the circus scenes.

Why not do your own circus in your backyard or at the playground?

Ideas for a Backyard Circus

High wire (or balance beam). Practice walking along a “wire” or straight line in your home, on your patio or deck, or at a playground!
Jumping through hoops. Try jumping through a hula hoop. Plus, do the hula! It’s harder than it looks!
Trapeze artistry. Play on the rings and bars on as wing set and do some neat tricks or
Climbing. Go up the slide. Climb a difficult wall. Climb and hop on tires or other thingies. What could be better than climbing up the slide?
Trampoline. How high can you jump? Dumbo jumped down from a huge tower into a pool of water. But we’re just jumping as high as we can!
Play with a pet. We don’t have a dog. But if you do, wouldn’t it be fun to try to teach your dog some new tricks?
Clown. Whose the funny one in the family? Tell jokes and do physical comedy by running in to people or “falling” over.
Juggle. Ok, so none of us were successful at juggling, but it was fun to run around with balls and play catch!

What other ideas can you think of for your backyard circus?