3-Ring Circus!

Dates: June 23–27
Time: 1:00 PM–4:00 PM
Ages: 7–12
Location: Magpie Art Center, Sedalia, CO

Step right up and enter the imaginative world of the 3-Ring Circus! In this fun and funky afternoon camp, kids will create a miniature circus universe using sculpture, photography, and kinetic elements. We’ll work with tape, cloth, pipe cleaners, paper, string, wire, and found objects to make acrobats, animals, performers, tents, and rides—some that even move!

Campers will invent their own circus characters, pose them in hand-built scenes, and photograph the action. The week ends with a creative installation and “circus show” featuring kinetic sculptures, stop-motion photos, and diorama displays.

A perfect mix of storytelling, building, and creative chaos—no experience needed, just imagination and curiosity!

Day 1: Welcome to the Circus

• Theme: Create your own circus world
• Warm-up: Draw your circus tent and choose your character
• Activity: Begin building the main stage or tent from cardboard, cloth, and tape
• Creative Challenge: Sculpt a performer using pipe cleaners and cloth scraps

Day 2: Acrobats & Animals

• Theme: Movement & balance
• Warm-up: Quick sketch: What tricks does your performer do?
• Activity: Build kinetic sculptures—swinging acrobats, balancing acts, or spinning animals
• Photography: Practice posing sculptures and taking creative photos

Day 3: Side Shows & Circus Acts

• Theme: Imagination runs wild
• Warm-up: Design a poster for your circus act
• Activity: Create diorama-style mini sets for your act (e.g., ring of fire, trapeze, clown car)
• Creative Challenge: Make one element move (e.g., turn, dangle, flip)

Day 4: Photography & Storytelling

• Theme: Capture the magic
• Warm-up: Group discussion: What’s your act’s story?
• Activity: Photograph scenes using backdrops and props
• Optional: Start simple, stop-motion, or comic-style photo series

Day 5: Big Show & Circus Installation

• Theme: Set the stage
• Warm-up: Put finishing touches on characters and sets
• Activity: Install circus dioramas and mobile elements into one big “3-ring” show