Who ONLY does kids parties?

[milo]

Just wondering if anyone else only does kids parties? I do magic, balloons and discos.

Usual format...

Arrival games and juggling (15 mins)
Comedy magic show (25 mins)
Main games with prizes (20 mins)
Balloons around table and birthday song (25 mins)
Disco with balloons (35 mins)

Job's a good un...

I add in new tricks every year and I do pretty much anything the kids request with balloons. There are several versions of "the show", but I'm starting to get a bit bored with the same format day in day out. I need to throw some ideas about with someone...

[hammy]

I do kids parties and do the normal things like musical statues but cant do magic apart from making money disappear from bank account

[milo]

I do kids parties and do the normal things like musical statues but cant do magic apart from making money disappear from bank account

:)


I'm good at the money vanish too.

I really want to hear what other magic people use in their shows and what games work best etc. I've never met/talked to another kids entertainer...

[Excalibur]

There are several versions of "the show", but I'm starting to get a bit bored with the same format day in day out. I need to throw some ideas about with someone...

Mayhem's your man. He's a legend, and with regard to what you want, one of the most helpfuil and knowledgeable folk on here. ;)

[chrisj]

No. I do adult discos as well. I love the kids parties and in a few, maybe 2 or 3 years will probably drop the adult gigs as I am getting lots of kids parties.
2 hours is usually 45-50 minutes action songs, games and copetitions before the food. After the candles have been blow out I get the children to sit down and watch/take part in the magic show. I have been a member of Anglian Magic Society for 7 years.
I can supply party bags, chocolate fountain and bouncy castle and always get home earlier from kids parties.
Halfway through writing this I took a kids party for the 19th March after taking a wedding for the same night earlier. Good day today.

[Matty12]

I do booth adult/ children parties but I find that the children's parties are allot harder then the adult parties.

what about puppet shows. (I mean proper puppet shows behind curtain)

[milo]

No. I do adult discos as well. I love the kids parties and in a few, maybe 2 or 3 years will probably drop the adult gigs as I am getting lots of kids parties.
2 hours is usually 45-50 minutes action songs, games and copetitions before the food. After the candles have been blow out I get the children to sit down and watch/take part in the magic show. I have been a member of Anglian Magic Society for 7 years.
I can supply party bags, chocolate fountain and bouncy castle and always get home earlier from kids parties.
Halfway through writing this I took a kids party for the 19th March after taking a wedding for the same night earlier. Good day today.

Cool – I do about 7 bookings a week at the moment and I’m generally booked up a couple of month in advance, but I’m getting bored of performing the same old thing.

I want to empty the magic box and refill it with new stuff, starting from scratch.

Regular props my magic box contains:
Axtel laugh-o-meter – I love this prop for the under 6s.

Flito flower – Great present for Mrs Milo when I’m in trouble for breaking the laugh-o-meter

3 way magic colouring book – Ancient classic, but always goes down well with 3-5s

Die box – Good for 4-7s and always impresses kids and most grown ups.

Stratosphere ….. Don’t use it that often, I have a naughty traffic light routine (may actually be Practical Magic routine).

Change bag (multiple silks to rainbow and back using multi coloured wand routine)

Dream bags – Even the mums and dads love this, last year favourite.
Hi Ho Hats – Great story about Barry Potter, I use it in nurseries all the time

Slush powder – Good for older kids Vs adults, I do a quiz and tip cups over heads.

Bounce no bounce balls – Measure how cool kids/adults are based on height ball bounces.

Professors nightmare – Good for close up while guests arrive

Sponge rabbits – Good for close up while guests arrive

Coin unique - Good for close up while guests arrive

Card trick 8 of hearts - Good for close up while guests arrive

Large sponge wand – Good for hitting me on head.

Measle Teasle wand – Christmas present off OH, just started using it and it goes down a treat.

Pop off wand – Great for good kids, but the naughty ones will run off with the ends if you’re not careful.

Spring wand – Quick trow away gag where I get hit on the head.

Vanishing Ketchup bottle – nice little fast food routine.

Small sponge to large – Small ball is my clown nose then kids make me look really silly by making it huge.

Dove pan with 6ft spring snake or sponge cake

Acrobatic knot – Good for the older kids

Dlights – Great for the 3-5 year olds as we can chase the dots off my laser.

I take all this with me and try to figure out what they’ve already seen before deciding what to use, but there are very few children in my area who haven’t seen me at least twice and I’m running out of material.

I usually start with the laugh-o-meter and then do three/four other tricks before moving on to the games, but I want something new and exciting to work with.

What couldn’t you be without in your dream magic box?


No. I do adult discos as well. I love the kids parties and in a few, maybe 2 or 3 years will probably drop the adult gigs as I am getting lots of kids parties.
2 hours is usually 45-50 minutes action songs, games and copetitions before the food. After the candles have been blow out I get the children to sit down and watch/take part in the magic show. I have been a member of Anglian Magic Society for 7 years.
I can supply party bags, chocolate fountain and bouncy castle and always get home earlier from kids parties.
Halfway through writing this I took a kids party for the 19th March after taking a wedding for the same night earlier. Good day today.

I might try disco first and magic second…. Don’t you find they’re a bit hyper by the time you want to sit and do the magic? I would have to cut the balloons out though and that’s kind of my “thing” – What do you do about shy 3-5 year olds? I find they come out of their shell during the magic show, but if I went straight in with a disco they might not loosen up at all?

[diydisco]

i do alot of kids parties, but i do it in the daytimes in addition to my nighttime adult gigs

perhaps if saying you ONLY do kids parties, its worth mentioning if its your fulltime thing or not

[milo]

what about puppet shows. (I mean proper puppet shows behind curtain)

I have bought puppets from both the Puppet Co and Axtel, but I’m not a puppeteer. I think it takes years of handling to do it right and I would hate to do an amateur job. I know a couple of P&J professors and they are superb. If you’re interested Google Phil Fletcher or watch one of his vids YouTube - Lab Rat and Nuke on the beach (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXFIzXEIwE4) :muppet:


I do booth adult/ children parties but I find that the children's parties are allot harder then the adult parties.

OMG - I really struggle with grown ups... Especially the drunk ones who say the usual "I'm a DJ mate - What you using there... Burp"

I want to do adult stuff like weddings, but I don't really know how to get into it? I could do with teaming up with someone and learning the ropes…


Mayhem's your man. He's a legend, and with regard to what you want, one of the most helpfuil and knowledgeable folk on here. ;)

Yeah – I think we’re shared game ideas etc before, but I can’t find the post?


i do alot of kids parties, but i do it in the daytimes in addition to my nighttime adult gigs

perhaps if saying you ONLY do kids parties, its worth mentioning if its your fulltime thing or not

Yeah it’s my full time job – It’s a bit lonely though… Missing adult convo

[Matty12]

I have bought puppets from both the Puppet Co and Axtel, but I’m not a puppeteer. I think it takes years of handling to do it right and I would hate to do an amateur job. I know a couple of P&J professors and they are superb. If you’re interested Google Phil Fletcher or watch one of his vids YouTube - Lab Rat and Nuke on the beach (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXFIzXEIwE4) :muppet:

I do them myself and it's not hard to do puppet shows at all, it takes a bit of time to learn but once you have it is easy, you do need two people thought.

I record my own scrips as well to suit what I'm doing at the event.
The trick is that you just move the thumb of your hand not your fingers and practice.

[Corabar Entertainment]

Milo- just a little forum tip: rather than posting up several posts in a row, it would be better to use the 'multi-quote' function to quote all the other posts you want to reply to.

The multi-quote button appears in the bottom right corner of every post and has the large " and + in it (to the right of the button marked 'Quote'). Click this button for every post that you want to reply to, then when you click 'post reply' all of the posts you have marked for multi-quote will appear. :)

[milo]

I do them myself and it's not hard to do puppet shows at all, it takes a bit of time to learn but once you have it is easy, you do need two people thought.

I record my own scrips as well to suit what I'm doing at the event.
The trick is that you just move the thumb of your hand not your fingers and practice.

Yeah – I’ve had a bit of training with them, but it’s just not my thing. I don’t like the idea of paying someone to come along with me either ;)


Milo- just a little forum tip: rather than posting up several posts in a row, it would be better to use the 'multi-quote' function to quote all the other posts you want to reply to.

The multi-quote button appears in the bottom right corner of every post and has the large " and + in it (to the right of the button marked 'Quote'). Click this button for every post that you want to reply to, then when you click 'post reply' all of the posts you have marked for multi-quote will appear. :)
I see - Thanks
:daft:

[Corabar Entertainment]

:thumbsup: You got it! :D

[milo]

:)

[Sapphire Disco]

Milo- just a little forum tip: rather than posting up several posts in a row, it would be better to use the 'multi-quote' function to quote all the other posts you want to reply to.

The multi-quote button appears in the bottom right corner of every post and has the large " and + in it (to the right of the button marked 'Quote'). Click this button for every post that you want to reply to, then when you click 'post reply' all of the posts you have marked for multi-quote will appear. :)

Angela how do you multi quote when you want to reply to a small section of the post rather than the whole post , do you just edit out what you don't want or is there a way of highlighting and just keeping only the section you want to reply to ?

[Corabar Steve]

Just edit out what you don't want. (Quote it as normal. Highlight what you want to remove from the quote in the reply box, & them press delete).

There are a few other members that could do with getting to grips with this.

[supersound]

I am moving into kids entertainment and magic shows.
I am perfecting professors Nightmare and have a Goldilocks and the 3 bears routine for it.
I have die box and dove pan and some great wands.

I am in the process of making my own version of the roll on table too.

[milo]

I am moving into kids entertainment and magic shows.
I am perfecting professors Nightmare and have a Goldilocks and the 3 bears routine for it.
I have die box and dove pan and some great wands.

I am in the process of making my own version of the roll on table too.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Kids Entertainment:daft:

My best investment was a roll on table from Practical Magic (best UK children’s magic supplier by miles). I painted mine red, spayed with glitter and had it sign written – You could even build in some speakers if you wanted.

My best magic is without a doubt:
Flito flower
Colouring book
Die box
Dream bags
Change bag with rainbow streamer
Pop away wand
Foam wand

That’s about £600.00 total initial outlay (inc box) and you can mix and match to do shows for all ages up to about 6/7. All the above stuff is self working, should last you several years and will pay for itself in a week or two.

Have you thought about balloon modelling? Let me know how you get on and what you find suits your style. If you ever need any help with a trick give me a shout… :)

[supersound]

Welcome to the wonderful world of Kids Entertainment:daft:


Have you thought about balloon modelling? Let me know how you get on and what you find suits your style. If you ever need any help with a trick give me a shout… :)

Im attending the Quallitex day course in balloon modeling on the 15th March at Newton Aycliffe.


I will give you a shout,Pm me your phone number please and we can talk wands(even the wobbly ones)

[visualdjmax]

I did a video disco for a sixth birthday party last Friday for x2 hours and I must say I don't normally do them. I have never been so scared in all my life building upto 3.30pm. It went really well and I actually enjoyed it in the end. I think that I will leave it to the professionals though. Mayhem is the man!

[chrisj]

Hi Milo, Paul came to visit the other week with Simon (stardust) and we were talking about children's magic among other things as I do 1-3 parties each week. I often buy from Jeremy at Practical Magic as well as other dealers many of whom come to the Anglian Magic Society meetings.
I will call you later when my mobile is charged and I have finished PAT testing more gear.

[milo]

I find Sempertex balloons are far better than Qualitex. Graham Lee is the guy for training http://www.sempertexballoons.co.uk Check out his forum for help on balloon twisting and go along to one of his care & share days in Darlington.

[teenypops]

I only do kids disco parties at the moment.

Have only been going for a couple of months, but really quite enjoying it.

At the moment i do weekends only as I work full time during the week, can't really see this changing.

Nathan
Teeny Pops Disco
www.teenypops.co.uk
www.facebook.co.uk/teenypopsdisco