Shh! I've got a secret for you...

So I was talking to Bryce, one of my performers, yesterday and he shared with me a fun little bit he does with a group of children while performing.  Now I'm not going to give it away, since its his idea, and I wouldn't want to spoil it for any of you future birthday party clients.  But the premise of what he does is let the children in on a secret part of Jedi training that only true paduans know about.  And when he does this, the children get very excited.  Because they get to be part of something special and unusual!  

Children like to know things that others, especially adults, don't know.  As a family entertainer, I know that to get a laugh out of a group of children, I simply need to pretend that I don't know something that they don't.  For example, when the wand breaks, I don't notice.  The kids do.  AND they know I don't know, which makes it even funnier for them.  

So if you want to motivate a child, let them in on a secret.  Make them part of the "Tuesday Afternoon Cheese Sandwich Club." Involve them in the mission of the "Great Raking Job of 2011."  Make simple tasks or chores into an adventure, and you'll be amazed what they can be inspired to do.  You might even give them a great unexpected memory of childhood.  Good luck!

Jim Manning

Birthday Party Expert, Celebration Coach, National Family Speaker 

866-33-JUNGLE (toll free)

Email@JungleJimBoston.com

FREE Birthday Party Tools at http://www.JungleJimBoston.com

Birthday Party Madness - the SIBLING FACTOR!!!

So I performed at a party last month where they were expecting 20 - 25 children, a little high for a birthday, but not too bad.

55.


55 children showed up.  I felt so bad for the mom.  She wasn't prepared for that many children.  She was upset.  I calmed her down and let her know we were still going to have a great party.  I shifted from the show I had planned to a more stage-style presentation, and we made simple balloons for all of the children at the end.  It was a little disappointing that we couldn't make fancier balloons (I normally make elaborate sculptures for all of the children), but the kids were all happy to receive a little gift.  In the end, the kids had a good time, but I couldn't pay as much attention to the birthday boy as I would've liked.


So you're wondering: Where did all of those kids come from?


Siblings.  Siblings are the hidden pitfall of many birthday parties for children between the ages of 3 - 10. Everyone brought an extra child or two, and I found out later one couple had been watching their nieces and nephews that weekend, so they brought ten children alone.


Its so tough; parents think to themselves, "What's the big deal? I'm only bringing one more child.  It'll be fine."  And I understand.  That caramel latte served up with 40 minutes of child-free silence is beckoning.  But you start to multiply that one sibling times ten, and its a hard situation for the host parents to handle.


The problem is, how do you say no, especially when there are 2 siblings close in age?  I admit, its tricky situation if you're hosting the party.  Let me share some tips.


Tips for Handling the Sibling Factor

1. Invitation Specific - When creating invitations, be very specific about "Siblings Welcome" or "No Siblings, Please."  I know this is hard, but I've performed at over 400 birthday parties, and the less successful ones have one thing in common: many more kids are present than were originally invited.  Its OK to have a special day for your little man or little lady without 10 or more additional children.  You don't have to be a babysitting service.
2. Entertainment - Is your entertainment flexible?  Many entertainers, including myself, charge more for more children.  We do this because its extra time, extra supplies, and though we really won't tell you this, a lot more energy.  It is hard to give your best performance when you are also a referee/disciplinarian.  If you are bringing in an entertainer, you'll want to make sure he or she can handle the extra children that may attend.  Most shows can be adjusted for the extra children, but the earlier notice the better.  You need to be aware that you may have to pay for more time, or end up with a lesser quality show.  If you're doing the entertaining yourself, are your activities easily able to accommodate a larger group?  Do you have some backup activities to handle unexpected guests?
3. Head them off at the pass - As the children arrive for the party, have you or your significant other greet them at the front door.  Let parents know what time they should pick up the individual child by name.  So for example "You can pick up Jack at 2:00 p.m."  This subtly lets the parent know that the party is intended just for Jack.  
4. Polite, but firm - And if it does seem like Jack's 5 brothers are going to be joining him, just let the parents know that the birthday activities are designed for the birthday boy/girl's invited guests, but that you have coloring books for other children in another room, if they would like to stay with their children and watch them.  This should get the message across without ruffling too many feathers.

So be strong!  You can have the birthday party your child deserves, and its OK to to just be responsible for entertaining them and their friends.  And if you have any questions, let me know!

Jim Manning

Birthday Party Expert, Celebration Coach, National Family Speaker 

866-33-JUNGLE (toll free)

Email@JungleJimBoston.com

FREE Birthday Party Tools at www.JungleJimBoston.com

5 Parties in 27 hours...

Wow, what a weekend! 5 star wars birthday parties, all over New England! Andover, Ma; Bedford, NH; Natick, MA; Littleton, MA; and Andover again. Great kids, awesome parents; I love my job. And I'm good at what I do!

Jim Manning

Birthday Party Expert, Celebration Coach, National Family Speaker 

866-33-JUNGLE (toll free)

Email@JungleJimBoston.com

FREE Birthday Party Tools at www.JungleJimBoston.com

Friends of Nickerson State Park

Tonight I had the privilege of performing for the Friends of the Nickerson State Park.  They have this really cool amphitheater that looks up at the audience.  There was such a great energy about the place.  JoAnn, Lionel and Eric helped me get set up.  I had a chance to drive around a bit before the show.  Its terrific.  If you want a great place on the Cape to visit, check out Nickerson State Park online.


By the way it was my friend Austin's birthday last month.  I was able to make him into a real superhero:

Jim Manning

Birthday Party Expert, Celebration Coach, National Family Speaker 

866-33-JUNGLE (toll free)

Email@JungleJimBoston.com

FREE Birthday Party Tools at www.JungleJimBoston.com

Indoor Parties... the terror!

Oftentimes I'm asked, Jungle Jim, how do you perform your parties indoors?  SO many kids, seemingly limited space, a recipe for disaster; this is the assumption I often see.

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

FREE Birthday Party Tools at www.JungleJimBoston.com

May the Force be with you!

Last week I had the pleasure of entertaining the young padawans at Mason's 5th birthday party.  His mom Alexis is a terrific photographer and sent us these awesome photos. Even his sister Sophia dueled the Jedi Master.  Learn more about our Star Wars Parties at www.JungleJimBoston.com!

Jim Manning

Birthday Party Expert, Celebration Coach, National Family Speaker 

866-33-JUNGLE (toll free)

Email@JungleJimBoston.com

FREE Birthday Party Tools at www.JungleJimBoston.com

Who is the best photographer in Boston?

Jim Manning

Birthday Party Expert, Celebration Coach, National Family Speaker 

866-33-JUNGLE (toll free)

Email@JungleJimBoston.com

FREE Birthday Party Tools at www.JungleJimBoston.com

I am delightfully exhausted!  Today I did a 5 hour photo shoot with Infinity Portrait Design.  Professional photos have been something we've been wanting to get done for a while, and Susan Symonds of Infinity Portrait Design in Beacon Hill in Boston was the one!  I knew Susan from BNI, and was finally excited to get together with her.  We did so many great photos.  My lovely fiancee Sonya came along for hair and makeup.  Annie, Susan's wife, provided merriment and Upper Crust Pizza.  And Kyle, son of one of Ansel Adams' students and former resident of Brookfield, CT, gave us some amazing ideas with the balloon stuff.  To the right is a photo Susan shot of me on 7/7/07.  If you want great photos, call Infinity Portrait Design: 617-367-9432, or visit them at 59 Beacon Street in Beacon Hill in Boston.