Circus Week

Everyone had a fantastic time during our ‘Shelton Circus Week’. In preparation for the special week all children worked with Tan Draig, creative practitioner, to explore different elements of a circus with a particular focus on ‘magic’, Children were encouraged to ‘think outside of the box’ as they tried to work out how different tricks were performed. Much mathematical language was generated as children explored packs of cards.

Children made a variety of things which they then used to perform to the rest of the school on our specially constructed circus stage at the end of the week. Our ‘Shelton Circus’ was made all the more special because the children performed whilst dressed in circus costumes! The school was full of clowns, ringmasters, strongmen, acrobats, elephants, lions, tigers and trapeze artists!

Year 2 pupils made a ‘Box of Doom’ into which a child was placed and huge nails pushed through the box! Another class made some amazing ‘zombie balls’ and performed very confidently with these at our Shelton Circus. Reception pupils made dog puppets which they performed with at our ‘Canine Circus’ and bird puppets which performed amazing feats! Year 1 pupils made a magicians hat and a magic box, both with carefully concealed compartments, from which they pulled a range of different things to the amazement of the audience.

Additionally, children worked together to make some life-size sculptures of trapeze artists, acrobats and a ringmaster.

In classrooms, the children made some fantastic artwork including trapeze artists, circus trains and paintings as well as writing circus stories and instructions.

All children brought a teddy bear to school so that they could participate in Tan’s Teddy Bear Circus – the teddies were very brave and were catapulted through the air on a see-saw, launched from a cannon and one really brave teddy was sawn in half!

Children learnt a range of circus skills including plate spinning, juggling with scarves, balancing feathers and clown routines. All children worked with Kevin, a professional clown, to explore a range of activities including ‘jack in a box, tightrope walking and steering clown cars and trikes!

The highlight for many children was working with our clowns, Bubble and Squeak, who were very funny but very naughty – custard pies were flying everywhere!

At home, children made circus puppets and brought them into school – all children received a special circus certificate as a reward and Shelton Infant University credits.