A guide to a successful Children’s Party

Most parent’s share the desire to pull off a successful children’s birthday party. As a seasoned  children’s entertainer, I have learned to recognize some key factors that contribute towards a great party.

• Venues with lots of echo like large Gymnasiums amplify every noise going. Most people wouldn’t even consider this a factor. My daughter’s preschool had some noise panels fitted to the ceiling to absorb the noise generated by the children; it made a huge difference. The teachers found the children were able focus their attention on the teachers and to concentrate on their activities more easily. I personally favor smaller venues which have curtains, carpet and lower ceilings. I use a microphone which is easily heard when there is no echo.
• If you have a magician perform a magic show, encourage the parents to watch and participate a little. The best parties I have performed at are the ones where the parents watch and enjoy the magic show and delight at the joy, laughter and exclamations of wow that emanate from the kids. I relish throwing in a few non smutty gags for the mums and dads too.
• Do as much preparation as possible before the party starts, then you can witness you child performing as magic assistant and you can be part of the party vibe.
• Don’t invite to many children, it can be a recipe for chaos,  especially as more children equals more parents which inevitably lead to more background noise.
• 2 hours is more than enough time for a children’s party. Professional children’s entertainers will constantly provide entertainment and activities throughout the party, this is very difficult  to achieve for a period longer than 2 hours.
• If you  contract a children’s party entertainer, there is probably no need for anything else like a bouncy castle. Bouncy castles specifically are a conflict of interest for most entertainers as they distract the children and the air pumps are noisy. If you are going to hire a bouncy castle, I would recommend setting aside some time for the children to play on it, then switch it off when the children’s party entertainment starts.