A Day at the Circus - Face Painting!

Here's a great story about a pre school that has been hosting a circus day, every year for 30 years can you believe?! There was alot of face painting, dressing up, card board cars and much more...read on to find out...

A Day at the Circus

By Jennifer Barker - Staff Writer
Article Launched: 01/24/2008 01:00:00 AM PST

Click number to view photos: Samantha Heil (left) and Cody Palade proudly display their Spiderman-inspired face paintings...«123»

Parents dressed as clowns, or geared with colorful prizes and cardboard race cars, manned the stations as children ran around with painted faces at Paradise Preschool's annual Circus Days Wednesday morning. Paradise Preschool, the oldest preschool in Paradise according to teacher Annette Carey, has been hosting Circus Days for the children for more than 30 years.

The circus is held during normal class time, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. As a co-op preschool, the school is operated with parent help. The children's parents were greatly involved in Circus Days assisting with everything from planning to decorating and operating the games. The circus began with a parent dressed up as a juggling clown. Twenty-one 4 and 5-year-old students were divided into two groups so more children got the chance to participate in the clown's juggling act.

Children tossed the ball to begin juggling and the clown threw it back to end the act. Often the children had a difficult time catching the ball as the clown tossed it mid juggle. The children were impressed by the juggling sticks, though one 4-year-old boy asked if the sticks were going to be on fire.

After watching the juggling clown the children received a plastic bag with tickets for games and snacks. Each activity cost one ticket and at the end the children received a prize. Games included bowling, face painting, fish pond, race cars, squirt out the candle, ring toss, monkey jump and bean bag toss. Featured snacks included popcorn and strawberry or peach flavored ice cream cones covered in sprinkles.
Jeni Borgman, owner of Funny Faces, provided the face painting.

Borgman, a face painter of 25 years, said most often girls get full face butterflies or flowers, while boys choose Spiderman. At Paradise Preschool there was an added exception - the Spiderman theme made its way to girls as Samantha Heil matched Cody Palade with a full face Spiderman. Mother Taeko Toohe said there were probably more parents than children at the circus. Toohe said Circus Days provides the children with something different to look forward to and she enjoyed the parent involvement. She said with the rain and snow the children are inside a lot. Circus Days provides a day of fun to break up the dreariness of winter.

Carey agreed with Toohe adding that Circus Days was designed to "liven things up." "The children love it," Carey said. "I've had children come back as adults and say the thing they remember about preschool is Circus Days."

Volunteer Breanna Crabtree, 14, attended Paradise Preschool and returned Wednesday to spend time with her 4-year-old sister Cammie.

"I remember getting a fun little ring at Circus Days and playing on the playground," Breanna said. Breanna volunteered to spend time and have fun with her sister on this special day. Cammie said her favorite thing about Circus Days was winning prizes. Kelly Martindale, 4, also liked the prizes but she said playing the bowling game with her mom was the best part of Circus Days.

(Article Source:Paradise Post - A Day at the Circus)