Welcome to my first blog where I'll be sharing helpful advice to help your party go really well. This is for children's birthday parties aged 4-8.
6 tips for an affordable and enjoyable party. From a professional children’s entertainer and mum!
1. DON'T Spend more than you can afford
The perfect party is one that you and your child will enjoy, and that you can afford. Spending loads of money on bouncy castles, food, custom cake, party bags and entertainers is not a must. Hosting a party you cannot afford is stressful and your child will subconsciously pick up on that.
A simple party with some music and a few close friends (this often works better than inviting the whole class), some food and a fun activity works great. The activity can be free!
Going to the park for a sport, going to the beach, a treasure hunt, a disco anything they can think of.
But of course, if you would like that activity to be a brilliant circus show and workshop, then I got you covered! And you can fill out an enquiry booking form here.
2. DON’T stress the food.
If you're on a tight budget suggesting people bring a dish is always fun and spreads the cost people love rustling up their speciality.
Personally I would always suggest some healthy food plus a few “treat items” thrown in - for a few meals a year I think strict sugar rules can pretty much be thrown out of the window!
Here are some healthy suggestions that still go down a storm:
Carrot sticks
Red pepper sticks
Grapes
Crackers
Apples
Sandwiches
As for the treats - well you know your child best, go for what they want!
If you are booking my show and workshop package - the best thing to do is to have the show first, then food/treats and cake, followed by an active circus workshop to let them run off all that food energy!
3. Church halls are your friend
The simple act of booking a local hall can really change how things go.
Just having a big empty space to run around in is enough for most kids to be having a good time. Add some music, some party food and maybe even a show and you are on to a winner.
Having a party at your house can save you some cash but can often be more stressful;
Breakages from having kids running round your house;
Noise for the neighbours;
Kids hiding in their room when things get too much;
Kids struggling to share their home toys!
These are all common occurrences.
If your child was born in the height of summer a garden party can be a great shout, but any local hall with an outdoor space is still often less stressful.
Benefits of a local hall:
Halls normally have a kitchen connected to the main space through a helpful serving hatch;
Lots of space, tables and chairs for food;
That vital “run around space”;
No breakable family heirlooms at risk on a mantlepiece;
It doesn’t feel like your birthday child’s home territory that they might get a bit defensive in!
A quick google search for your nearby spaces is the best bet.
As a children’s entertainer that does cool circus tricks I have got to admit, I also love having the space to perform!
4. Custom playlists
If you know your child loves certain songs. Make a playlist and give it to the entertainer, having familiar songs they love playing really puts a birthday child in the party mood.
5. Expect half the kids to be late and some not to turn up. This is normal!
Family life is hectic. Often kids just won't turn up for a million reasons, my rough rules of thumb are:
If you have invited 30, around 20-25 will come.
If you say the party starts at 10 you have a twenty minute window of arrivals (9:50 to 10:10)
Factor this arrival window in with music playing early, and maybe a colouring table for some kids who find the situation a little intimidating - and all will run smoothly.
6. Bring a lighter!
It takes longer to light candles and get the cake ready than you think! Make sure this is prepped and don't forget matches or a lighter.
If you book me I'll always have a spare lighter on me for this!
Take a breath, I can help!
If performed at 100’s of parties. While I’m at your party I’ll be helping with all aspects; helping with the birthday song, getting the kids sat down for food - think of me like a stage manager.
Also when I’m doing my show, it's a great chance for you to prep food, take photos or just take a breath - have a sip of tea/wine!
Head to my booking form page to get in touch about your child's special day, and don’t worry if you don’t have all the details sorted, just drop me a message with any details you can: https://forms.gle/yPMnz2zi3Svinyny6
