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E-mail... Gary & Deb Gray
fun@harrytheclown.com
A good length for your Party
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It is important to get the length of the party right, so there is time to have fun,
but not to long that the kids get bored. The optimum length for birthday parties
involving children from 4 to 8 years old is about 2½ hours. This gives time
for opening presents, entertainment, food, and a couple of games.
Party time-table
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In my experience, a 2½ hour party is best scheduled as follows.
0 hrs. Party begins. Guests arrive, Opening of presents.
0 hrs 30 mins. Entertainer. (60 mins)
1 hr 30 mins. Yummy food (30 mins)
2 hr 0 mins. Cool games. (15 mins)
2 hrs 15mins. Free time and giving out Party Packs. (15 mins)
2 hrs 30 mins. Home sweet home!
This time-table allows latecomers to arrive in time for the entertainment, food and games.
It is usually best to eat after the performer has finished.
Home or Hall?
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Where to hold your birthday party?
Celebrating at home keeps the costs down and saves you having to travel
back and forth. Also the atmosphere at home will be more relaxed and familiar.
The local Hall, Kindy, restaurant party rooms have the advantage that there is plenty of room for the guests. You will have space for entertainment, usually plenty of tables and chairs for the feast, easy parking and in some cases "NO" tidy up at the end.
Invitations
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They should be sent out early to give plenty of time for reply. You can buy them,
or make your own, which will give your child a chance to be involved too. Whatever you do make sure the invitations contain;
Your Child’s name and age.
Your Guests name.
Where the party will be held.
The date, and time.
Details of Fancy Dress, etc.
How to reply (your phone number, etc.)
Just in case of any emergencies
it's a good idea to have all your guests phone numbers.
Food
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I have never yet been to a birthday party where all the food was eaten. Kids
are not starving, and in many cases they would have eaten something before they have arrived at your house.
Try to set out the food in advance and cover it with a tablecloth.
Keep to bite sized pieces, cutting sandwiches in eight, Kids love food they
can get in their mouth in one go.
Balance sweet and savoury treats.
Some children may be Vegetarian.
Make the tables look special using matching paper tablecloths, napkins, and cups.
Don't give out drinks or icecream during the entertainment.
Preparation on the Day
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Put some balloons on your letter box so you are easy to find!
If the party is in the local hall, be sure to arrive at least 30 - 45 minutes
before the guests. This gives you a chance to turn on the heating, unload the car,
set out tables, and get the kettle on for a refreshing cuppa before the onslaught
begins.
When the Guests arrive
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The children will start arriving at the time you said the party will begin! Guests will usually have a coat that
needs hanging up and a present for the birthday child.
Some parents prefer to place the presents on a table and save the opening for later.
If you are having an entertainer, it is a good plan to begin the performance about half an hour
after the start of the party. This gives a chance for the latecomers to arrive and for
everyone to settle down.
Helping the Entertainer
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"Harry the Clown" very adaptable to entertain in all situations.
At children's shows we prefer if the children are sitting down
on the floor in front of us. Not spread out far and wide.
It's a good idea that no one sits behind us.
Avoid giving the children squeaky noisemakers
just before the show starts.
One of the most difficult and distracting things for
any performer is to have a group of adults chatting away behind the children, or
even in the kitchen. So try to make sure that any parents or relatives either watch and participate in the show or get completely out of earshot. (Thanks!)
Party Games
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If you organise the party along these guidelines, you will not need many
games at all. You will have time for ‘Pass the Parcel’ after the food and before you know it the party is just about over!
Pass the Parcel
Wrap a bar of chocolate or some other special gift, in a layer of paper. Now wrap it
in another layer ,place a lolly pop and repeat until you have layers for the children
you have have at the party.
Finally wrap it in gift paper so it looks nice. Sit everyone in a circle and play
a short snippet of music. When the music stops, the person holding
the parcel removes ONE layer of wrapping. Repeat until the last layer of
wrapping has been removed. The winner keeps the present.
Hunt the Clown Nose
Hide a Clown Nose somewhere before the guests arrive, and have a
small prize for whoever finds it.
Ring on a String
Tie a long piece of string in a circle and have the children sit down holding it. On the
string is a ring. One person
is placed in the middle and closes their eyes while the ring is hidden in someone’s hand.
Then s/he opens his/ her eyes and the children rhythmically move their hands along the
string, trying to pass the ring round but hide it from the person in the middle. When
the ring is found the person holding it goes into the middle.
Feel The Sack
Hang a sack from the ceiling in your house. Place objects in the sack such as a alarm clock, a toothbrush, toys, fruit, etc. Split the children into two teams. Get the children to feel the sack and try and guess what is inside. Keep the score.
Shoes in the Bucket
Divide the children into equal teams. Place all the teams the same distance away from a bucket or container. Get each child to try and flick his/her shoes into the bucket. Count the shoes in the bucket at the end the team with the most shoes in the bucket wins.
Roll the Marble
Each child must roll a marble using his or her nose from one marked point to another. Large objects such as tennis balls may be used but an extra rule stating that the ball must always be in contact with the child's nose should be put in place.
Musical Chairs
A well known game whereby each party guest is given a chair or a cushion. The guests walk around the chairs or cushion when music is played. When the music is stopped the guests must find a seat. Each time the music stops and starts again a chair or cushion is taken out. The person without a seat when the music stops is out. Continue until only two people are left with only one chair or cushion. The winner is the contestant seated when the music stops.
Treasure Hunt
Divide your party guests into teams. Give each team a list of items to collect which you will already have hidden in a garden or park. The first team to find everything on the list and return to the starting point are the winners.
Booking your Entertainer
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Please book your party entertainer well in advance to ensure that you get the right entertainment, the date and time you prefer.
Please don't simply go with the cheapest performer, remember you only get what you pay for. Likewise don’t go for an entertainer simply because they are expensive. You need to know the performers experience and what they are offering you.
Remember when you hire a children’s entertainer you are paying for their time, their expertise and the enormity of fun they will bring to your child's birthday party.
Of course, for your party to be really memorable and stress free, "Harry the Clown" is excellent and will certainly help to make your special occasion something to remember!
"Harry the Clown" has a fantastic mixture of magic, clown silliness, a cool puppet, a rabbit, balloon animals and more. There is lots of audience involvement and special attention is given to the birthday child. The show is tailored to the age of the child and the whole show & Balloons lasts around one hour.
Finally....
We wish you the very best
in the planning of your child's birthday party.
Please remember to enjoy the day yourself!
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