I've been performing at birthday parties for half a dozen years. I don't want to say I've seen it all, but I have seen a lot. My activities are suited for indoors and outdoors. I always come prepared with an additional 30 minutes of activities planned, so if one thing doesn't work due to space limitations, I move onto the next. That being said, in all my years of entertaining children, I can think of only one space that was a challenge. It was a small apartment in Southie, and there were at least 20 children. It was planned for outdoors, but had to move inside because of the weather. I ended up eliminating some of the activities planned, and instead switched to "Guess what kind of balloon I'm making!" The kids were so focused on getting the next balloon right, they didn't have time to think about not having room to run around. When cake was served, they all sat quietly waiting for the next balloon sculpture.
So parents, if we have to move indoors, no worries. But here's some tips just in case:
1. Clear as big a space as possible: This may seem obvious, but a few of the indoor parties I've done had a number of chairs in the party room. I prefer kids to sit on the floor. It keeps a unified group, makes better use of the space and gives me more room to entertain the kids. The reason the chairs were there leads me to point #2.
2. Have another room for adults: I always ask for there to be one or two adults present during my performance. That being said, I often perform where adults are, and, really enjoying other adult conversation, they have a tendency to talk over the performance. So as to prevent a situation that distracts from the kids having as much fun as they want, designate a separate room for the adults to talk.
This way everyone gets to enjoy themselves.
3. DON'T WORRY: I don't deny that it is stressful having all of those kids and adults in your house. But with a little bit of planning, your party will be a great success. Kids want to have fun. Adults want to relax. And if you hire the right entertainer (ahem), have some good food, and make sure most of the attention is focused on the birthday child, you will have a great party.
Visit my website - www.JungleJimBoston.com to receive my FREE Article - The Top Ten Mistakes Parents Make When Planning Their Child's Party. Have a great day!
Jim Manning
Birthday Party Expert, Celebration Coach, National Family Speaker
866-33-JUNGLE (toll free)
Email@JungleJimBoston.com
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