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Module: 4

Way of Planning the Entertainment

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Intended Learning Outcomes:

To learn about the different types of entertainment available

To learn about non-traditional types of entertainment available

To understand what kind of entertainment works well at each party

To learn how to hire an entertainer

To learn how to vet an entertainer

To learn what questions to ask an entertainer

To understand how to keep the party moving

To learn how to structure the party around a performance

To learn about the different ways of making the guest of honor feel special

Module Index:

4.1 Types of Kids’ Party Entertainers

4.2 Working with the Entertainment

4.3 Keeping the Party Moving

4.4 Making the Guest of Honor Feel Special

4.1 Types of Kids’ Party Entertainers

Hiring entertainment for children’s parties can transform a great party into a memorable experience.

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The list of kids’ party entertainers is as long as your imagination allows it to be. As parties become more

dynamic and diverse, the kind of entertainment you can hire grows immensely.

There are plenty of opportunities to hire what you may consider traditional party entertainment. These

traditional entertainers may include face painters, balloon twisters and magicians. All of these are great

entertainment options for a children’s party.

Some of these traditional party entertainers will offer in-home entertainment. This means that they will

bring their acts into a client’s home or backyard. Some in-home entertainers may include:

Musical Performers

Face Painters

Animal Handlers

Magicians

Costume Characters

Clowns

You will also find party entertainers that work within a set space or a certain venue. These entertainers

move away from what you would immediately think of as entertainment. Instead of putting on a ‘show’

per se, they will have a set routine or program that will entertain children. They often work in similar

ways to in-home entertainers except that you will have to visit their venue to take part.

Some of these entertainment providers may include: Actors running drama camps, Circus performers

teaching stunts and circus skills, Artists teaching painting or pottery, Gymnastics or sports centers

offering structured open gyms.

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You should not feel limited by traditional ideas for party entertainers. You do not need to focus on

finding an entertainer who caters solely to birthday parties. Entertainers like clowns and comedians and

performers are great for big audiences and this is why they remain popular with both children and

adults.

However, you might instead decide to move away from a performance style entertainer and choose to

include entertainment that has a workshop format.

For example, if you are throwing a party for a soccer team, you have several options for providing

entertainment. You can always hire a soccer field and host a friendly match. You can also go down a

traditional entertainer route and hire a magician.

If you wanted to create a personal and relevant entertainment experience, you might choose to find an

entertainer who has a flair for freestyle soccer. This kind of entertainer can come into a home and put on

a show for the young sports enthusiasts and then spend time teaching them a few freestyle tricks.

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This is a fun type of party entertainment because the children are taking away tangible skills related to

their interests rather than half an hour of laughs.

The decision regarding what kind of entertainment you want at a party should be as personal as every

other decision you make.

Remember that when it comes to planning a party, parents are not just hiring you out of convenience.

They are hiring you to give their children a special and memorable day.

4.2 Working with Entertainers

Hiring an Entertainer:

Hiring an entertainer is different to hiring other vendors because many entertainers will offer specific

services or shows that are designed for certain age groups or audience types. Where caterers and other

vendors may adapt to each party by ordering different food or planning different menus, an entertainer

will often have a few planned shows that they execute very well.

The fact that entertainers have established routines is a great thing for party planners. This means that

the entertainer has spent time and energy working on a performance that promises to be a good time for

everyone involved.

A good entertainer will have a routine that has been tried, tested and evaluated based on what they find

works well for their audience.

You can use several methods of hiring a children’s entertainer. You might go through an agency or a

service that manages a group of entertainers. This is a great option because you will often have access to

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several entertainers at once, which means they will offer more availability. It is also great because many

agencies will vet their entertainers before offering to represent them.

Another option is to establish relationships with individual entertainers. You can do this through

networking or simply by contacting local entertainers online. You can find them through online

directories or through Google searches.

Entertainers are usually self-employed professionals just like you, so you can also find them through

their websites or their social media profiles.

There are benefits to both methods.

When you work with an entertainment agency, you will usually have the option to choose between

several different children’s entertainers. They will usually offer several different entertainers in each

category. This means you may have access to a few clowns, a few magicians, a wider array of costume

characters and more. This is especially beneficial should the booked entertainment have to cancel at the

last second.

An agency will often do all of the work for you to find and book a new entertainer. This means you only

need to make one phone call rather than scrambling through a long list of potential candidates.

Working with the entertainer directly also has several benefits.

If you can build a professional relationship with individual entertainers, this can serve you well. Each of

your industries compliments the other and there’s no reason not to have an informal partnership with a

group of different entertainers.

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It is also worth noting that individual entertainers are often less expensive than working with an agency.

This is because the agency usually charges more to make sure they can cover their agency fee and

overhead costs. If you can save money on agency fees then you can save money in your budget for other

things. It also means that your entertainer is getting the fee they deserve.

Vetting the Entertainer:

Whichever option you choose, you will need to vet the entertainer.

First, you will want to ask the entertainer for a show reel or a video of their act. Many entertainers will

offer short clips of their shows for you to view before you book. You should always view these when

they are available, especially when you are working with an entertainer you have never seen before.

Secondly, you will want to ask for references. Many entertainers will offer references either directly

from past clients or through their website. Take the references you find with a grain of salt. As a

business owner yourself, you would never pass on neutral or negative comments that you receive to

other customers, you can expect that the people you hire will do the same.

In addition to viewing references, you will want to research the entertainer online. You may find reviews

of agencies or entertainers on different websites, like Yelp or Facebook, that have not necessarily been

curated by the business themselves.

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Third, you will also want to ask the entertainer about their insurance policy. Most entertainers will have

some form of protection in the form of insurance to protect their business, but also to protect clients

should anything go wrong. In some countries or regions, this insurance will be mandatory.

Finally, you will want to ask entertainers about any background checks or police checks they have had

performed. In many places, children’s party entertainers are not regulated by an industry. Therefore, it

is not required for them to have completed a background check. However, many qualified entertainers

will go through this process regardless and are happy to provide proof of any certifications they have.

After you have vetted your entertainer, you will want to get to know more about their

show.

You will need to know, not only about what kind of show they provide, but who their show

is suitable for.

You will also need to understand what your role will be in their show.

Questions to Ask Entertainers:

What age is the show suitable for?

How long is the show?

Do they provide only entertainment or do they also facilitate games?

How long do they stay?

Do they have an assistant?

What do you need to provide, if anything, for the show?

Do they give away prizes?

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4.3 Keeping the Party Moving Hiring an entertainer is a great way to keep the party moving because the entertainer will break up the

day for you. However, you will still need to keep the party moving when the entertainer is not

performing. It is especially important to keep the kids going just before the show is about to start.

Why is it important to keep your party moving forward?

Your entertainer will often have a firm schedule implemented and will want to stick to it. Some

entertainers perform several parties a day on busy weekends. Running late will have a knock-on effect

for them and be stressful for you. Keeping your party moving will not only keep it more dynamic, but it

will ensure that everyone gets to participate equally in all of the activities you have planned.

Keeping your party moving comes down to your scheduling and organizational skills. You need to do

three essential things to stop your party from getting out of control or grinding to a halt. You must make

a schedule, ensure that schedule is realistic and make sure that there is flexibility in some parts of your

schedule.

Keep a Schedule

You will ideally create a schedule for every party you do. Whether it is to get the children from presents

to dinner or just to make it easier for you to make it through your day, a schedule is a great way to keep

the party moving.

Every schedule will be different depending on the length of the party, the number of children, the nature

of the party and the age of the children.

Parties for younger children will often be quite short. They may run from one to two hours long

depending on the nature of the party.

As a result, you will need to create a tightly run schedule. To ensure everything is running smoothly,

before the entertainer is due to perform, begin to get all of the children ready for the entertainment at

least 10 minutes before the performance starts.

Parties for older children still require a schedule, but it doesn’t need to be so tightly run. If you have

hired an entertainer, try to get everyone seated and ready for the performance five minutes before the

performance starts.

If the kids have to sit for a few minutes, keep a game on hand that they can play while they wait

patiently. Games like “Telephone” are great because children of all ages love it, it requires no props and

kids are encouraged to remain calm, quiet and seated to play the game.

Having everyone in place when the performance is scheduled to start is not only respectful for the

entertainer, but it also ensures that the kids get the most of the show.

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Make Sure the Schedule is Flexible

In most cases, the performer will start and finish their show at a specific time. This means that the party

schedule needs to accommodate them as much as possible. If you can, keep the scheduled activities

before and after the performance as flexible as possible.

Try to avoid scheduling food or snacks on either side of the performance, especially if you are serving a

full meal. Keep any food as far away from the performance as possible. This will allow children time to

eat at their own pace instead of being rushed. It will also cut down on the number of bathroom breaks

that happen before and during the performance.

You should also avoid scheduling any arts and crafts activities directly before the performance. You

want to do this for two reasons.

The first reason is that you will often need time to get the kids cleaned up before the performance. No

matter what art project you suggest, at least two of the kids will need to get cleaned up after covering

themselves in paint, glitter, paste or anything else they can find. Even if you did not bring any glitter to

the party, at least one child will be miraculously covered in it by the end.

The second reason is primarily for parties with older children. Older children will want to have plenty of

time to work on their crafts. Not having to interrupt the making of their masterpiece will keep them

happy and make the whole party run smoothly.

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4.4 Making the Guest of Honor Feel Special

Making the guest of honor feel special is a great way to add a special moment to the day for both the

child and their parents. Parents want their children’s party to honor them in some way. That is one of

the main reasons they are throwing the party in the first place.

How you make the guest of honor feel special will depend on the child and on the age group.

Different Personalities

Every child wants to be recognized and celebrated. However, they will want this recognition to come in

different ways.

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Some children will enjoy special attention more than others. You will come across many different

personalities and each of them will handle attention differently. It is always wise to ask parents about

great ways to make the guest of honor feel special before you make plans.

If the child is shy and does not like the spotlight, you want to avoid singling them out in front of the

group and instead find quiet ways of recognizing them. Some children do not even like having ‘Happy

Birthday’ sung at a party because it makes them feel uncomfortable.

If the child is outgoing and enjoys having all eyes on them, you can find ways to show off the child

amongst the party goers.

Whether the child prefers to be center stage, behind the curtain or somewhere in between, make sure

that you ask their parents before you create an elaborate plan to celebrate them.

Different Age Groups

How you recognize the guest of honor will also depend on the age group of the children at the party.

When you are dealing with a younger group of children, you will need to keep the party feeling more

egalitarian than you will with older children.

Young children may not always recognize that the guest of honor should be honored. For younger kids, a

birthday party is more like a big play date where one of their friends happens to be showered in

presents. Too much recognition can result in other children feeling unhappy or alienated during the

party.

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Older children, normally around aged 10 and up, are more keenly aware that they are at a party to

celebrate their friend or classmate. They have been to enough parties at this point to understand that it

is a special day for the guest of honor and that they are there to help celebrate them.

When you have a group of more mature children, you can provide more obvious attention to the guest of

honor.

Example #1: A Shy Little Boy

So what do you do to make the guest of honor feel special if he is a shy young boy?

The first thing that you should do is consult the parents. All you need to do is ask them how you can help

their son feel special on his big day. They may already have ideas for you and all you have to do is

implement them.

If he is shy and his parents are not sure what you can do for him try one, or all, of the following ideas:

You might purchase hats for every child at the party, but make the guest of honor’s hat a little bit

different than the others. This way, he will not feel singled out because everyone is wearing a hat; but he

will still feel special because his hat is different to all of the other guests.

You might set a precedent where the guest of honor always gets to be first in the line when you are

doing activities, eating snacks or playing games. This way, he will be reminded that he is special and he

will enjoy the privilege of being the leader. Being the line leader goes a long way, especially with young

children.

If you are baking cupcakes for the party, you might decorate the guests’ cupcakes in one manner and

then add his favorite color, name or a special decoration to his cupcake.

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Example #2: An Outgoing Older Girl

Working to make an outgoing child feel special is easy and fun. You have a lot of options for outgoing

older children that range from fun to a little bit wacky.

Again, you should always ask parents if there is something they want to incorporate into the party to

celebrate their child.

If they do not have any ideas or they want to shower extra attention on their child, you might try one, or

all, of the following ideas:

You can give the birthday girl a funny or crazy hat to wear all day. They will love standing out in the

crowd and outgoing children are often happy to dress up and be silly.

You can encourage the entertainer to single the child out for the biggest trick or prank of the show. They

will know not to neglect the rest of the audience, but still know how to make the guest of honor feel

special. Chances are, the entertainer will take the initiative and ask if you want them to pick on the guest

of honor.

You can create a game that the guest of honor facilitates. For example, you might suggest that when the

guest of honor yells out a secret code word, everyone at the party has to freeze and strike a silly pose.

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The secret code word may come at any time (except for during performances and food) and the guest of

honor will hand out small prizes to those who have the silliest poses.

Whatever you decide to do to make the guest of honor feel special, make sure that it happens in a low

pressure environment and always allow the child to feel like they have the option to back out.

Whether the child is shy, outgoing or simply cautious, you should never pressure the guest of honor into

participating in anything that singles them out in front of a group.

When you approach children about these things, your language should avoid tones like “Because you’re

the birthday boy/girl, you have to….”

Instead, you should say, “Since today is your special day, we thought you might like to…”

Using softer language gives children a choice and will help them feel like they are in control.