HOLIDAYS
HOLIDAYS
Being able to hire a pro to entertain kids at a birthday party is a huge plus. Kids are thrilled when their favorite movie character shows up on their special day or pony rides are a plenty in their backyard!
However, while a paid pro or show-stopping activity can certainly keep the kids occupied, that doesn't mean that the adults can completely check out. Follow these "Dos & Don'ts" for a successful experience when hiring a party entertainment pro.
However, while a paid pro or show-stopping activity can certainly keep the kids occupied, that doesn't mean that the adults can completely check out. Follow these "Dos & Don'ts" for a successful experience when hiring a party entertainment pro.
Consider this list of 5 "Dos" when booking entertainment for your child's birthday party.
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1. Do be clear about what you are getting and put it in writing.
- For example, if your son is having a pirate party and loves Jack Sparrow from the movie Pirates of the Caribbean, don't assume that Jack will show up, even if you discussed your shared passion for the movie with the person who booked the entertainment.
- Put it in writing that you would like a male pirate dressed as Jack Sparrow. Be very specific.
2. Do ask a lot of questions.
- Ask all the questions that pop up in your mind when booking the entertainment. See Children's Birthday Party Questions for Popular Types of Entertainment below.
3. Do ask about cancellations and policies, and check references.
- What happens if you need to cancel the party the day before? Can you get a rain check or a refund? Find out what the company's policies are for unforeseen events or common occurrences like overtime. You may also want ask if they are insured.
- It seems obvious that parents should ask for references, but few actually check them. Follow up on this point, especially if you are hiring animals for pony rides or a petting zoo.
- If possible, get a phone number of a person who can be reached in case of an emergency, no-show, or any other issue that may come up on the party day.
4. Do confirm party details the week of the party.
- The week of the party, you must call the entertainment company or the person with whom you made the agreement to confirm all details.
- Make sure that you actually speak to someone or get an e-mailed response back as confirmation that they'll be there. Don't just leave a message because they might not get to it in time.
- If the character is a surprise, let the booker know where the entertainer is supposed to enter the party. Be on the lookout for the entertainer and be prepared to let them use a room in your home to get dressed or prepare for the party.
5. Do go over the plan once your entertainment arrives and supervise activities.
- When the entertainment arrives, go over the details of the party based on what you discussed with the booker.
- Consider writing down a timeline if you want to structure specific activities, such as face painting for the first half hour and a show for the remainder of the time.
- If the entertainment involves anything questionable, like having young children pet animals, let the parents know that they should supervise or help their child.
- As the host or parent of the birthday child, you need to keep an eye on what's going on. If pony rides are in the front yard and the main party area is in the backyard, then you and a designated responsible friend need to supervise activities in each area.
Start the process of hiring entertainers or booking activities by asking these important questions.
1. Clowns
- Some questions that may come up with a clown might be: "What kind of balloon animals can they make?" or "Does the clown do magic tricks?" Find out how the clown will fill the scheduled time.
2. Characters
- When booking a character, such as Star Wars' Hans Solo, a Disney Princess, or Spongebob, find out exactly what they will do for an hour. Some Star Wars entertainers may simply walk around while others may be able to perform a cool lightsaber show.
- You may want to go check out the costume or view a photo online. Some costumes have really been through the ringer or may be poor knock-offs of the real thing. You don't want kids to make fun of Spongebob because he doesn't look quite right or be grossed-out by Elmo's matted fur.
3. Animals
- When renting ponies to give kids rides at the party, you want to make sure that there will be a person walking alongside of each child riding on the pony. You may even want to request that they are over a certain age.
- Ask if the animals have ever bitten any children. You'd be surprised how many petting zoo owners or staff will respond, "Well sure they'll nibble if the animal is annoyed or handled a bit roughly." While a 2-year-old may not mean to poke an animal, it may happen no matter how attentive the parent is. You don't want to take any chances.
- Some other good questions are: "How quickly and what method do you have for cleaning up poop?" and "How many people are on staff at the event?"
Consider this list of "Don'ts" when it comes to hiring and handling entertainment for your child's birthday party.
1. Don't flip out at the entertainment in front of everyone if they are late.
- If the entertainment is late, help get them set up as soon as possible, keep a smile on your face, and deal with the issue when they are done. Creating a scene may make partygoers uncomfortable and embarrass the birthday child.
- Depending on the problem, you may feel like you deserve a partial refund. Take the issue up with the person who booked the engagement, or if you are supposed to pay the entertainer directly, take your business outside and away from the party.
2. Don't make arrangements with the booker for one thing and then switch things up on the entertainment without expecting to pay an additional fee.
- Just because all the kids played with the nice princess for an hour doesn't mean she's your buddy and that you can ask her for more time or special favors. She's still a pro whose time you are paying for by the hour or whatever your arrangement may be.
3. Don't disregard the entertainer's or the company's rules just because the party is in your home.
- If the animal wrangler of the reptile farm says that Billy can't hold the snake, he probably has a good reason!
4. Don't stand by and wonder when the character is going to start an activity that they or the company agreed that they would do.
- If the entertainer is supposed to leave in 15 minutes and a magic show was promised or face painting, ask them about it in a nice way. Make sure you get what you paid for and everyone should have a great time.
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