Which is best for toddlers? How to choose between birthday party magicians, clowns, puppet shows, face painters, juggler's, custom characters.
For complete information on my NYC magic show click here.
When you're planning a birthday party for toddler in New York City you want to make sure you have the right entertainment to keep the children amused. Hiring a birthday party clown is probably not a good idea. Why?
Birthday Party Clowns. Very young children are often afraid of birthday party clowns. I know some moms and dads that are afraid of clowns too. I've seen birthday parties come to a grinding halt as toddlers run the screaming in tears away from a bizarre looking birthday party clown. Now don't get me wrong, many of my best friends are clowns, it's just that you don't want to hire one for a group of little children.
Balloon Twisters. Balloon twisters a popular in Manhattan, but a word of caution. Balloons can be extremely dangerous, especially around babies and toddlers. Balloons are one of the worst choking hazards!
Face Painting. Face painting can be fun at a theme park but logistically it doesn't work very well at birthday parties. First of all, it's not really entertainment. Typically the face painter works on one child at a time while the other children wait on a long line. That gets boring really fast. Facepainting can be fun for parties that have other types of entertainment going on, but not as a primary source of entertainment. Plus ... with all the allergies going around do you really want to risk triggering a skin allergy? Latex-based paints can calls a nasty rash. Even hypoallergenic makeup is no guarantee. Plus, you've got a bunch of toddlers with painted on their faces. How soon before it's all over their clothes, your couch, your drapes and your carpet?
Puppet shows. This is one of those things that sounds better than it works, especially at parties for young children. If the puppeteer is behind a curtain it is very hard for them to keep control of the audience. All it takes is for one or two children with low attention spans or poor social skills to disrupt the entire show. A good puppet show is great for family audiences where parents will be sitting with their young children and providing direct supervision. But don't expect the puppeteer to be able to entertain a group of very young kids for very long.
Jugglers. A great juggler can keep kids entertained at a party as long as the juggler has plenty of variety in the show. After all, there's only so much time you can spend watching a guy doing the same old juggling tricks. I know some juggler to do crazy stuff on unicycles, and they juggle fire torches and machetes. Not exactly what you want at a toddler's birthday party in an tiny New York City apartment!
Costume Characters. I performed at a party at Pizzeria Uno on the upper East side where they hired a Bob the Builder costume character from the local party entertainment agency. The birthday mom was in a complete panic! After she had put her up a deposit down the talent booking agency told her that Bob the Builder didn't talk. It's the same thing for SpongeBob SquarePants, Spiderman, Scooby Doo, Cookie Monster and Mickey Mouse. The costume muffles the speech. That means the children get pretty bored fast.
One time I saw costume character show up at a party wearing this really pathetic looking big Bird costume. The feathers were horrible. It's how you would expect some buddy to look after they were tarred and feathered. The costume was dirty and the children were afraid to go near a guy!
So what's the best entertainment for a toddler's birthday party in Manhattan? Now you're going to think I'm quite biased and that's only because I am. My birthday party magic show works great for children ages three and up. I did a one hour show for 30 children ages three to four recently and they were completely enchanted by the magic for the whole hour. Why?
Birthday Party Magic Shows for Toddlers in New York City
I use very colorful magic in my show that captures the attention of young children. The plot line of my magic is pretty simple and easy to follow for that age range. I have structured the show so that the pacing and timing matches perfectly with their attention span. Strategically placed surprises keep the kids on the edges of their seats. Plus the show is very interactive.
You can't honestly expect a group of toddlers to sit still for an hour, can you? They want to be involved. They don't understand the concept of sitting and watching the show at a party. To them the show in the party are the same thing. So I get them to take part in the magic tricks. The birthday boy or birthday girl becomes the star of the magic show. The children make the magic happen.
I also have a lot of variety in the show. You do a trick with a live bunny rabbit at absolutely delights all the children and parents. He's an adorable little bunny who does some amazing magic! After the show, the children gather around to pet the bunny and ask questions about him. I also do a silly routine with a raccoon puppet that creates a lot of laughter. The puppet does some very silly stuff that the children really enjoy.
I'm also an accomplished balloon sculptor myself. As long as there is sufficient adult supervision and the children are not too young to have balloons as toys I can create all sorts of balloons like dogs, birds, hats, swords, butterflies and other whimsical shapes.
So there you have it. You can hire a clown and scare the young children, or you can book my silly magic show that combines comedy, clowning, juggling, puppetry and of course amazing magic.
I perform all over New York City, Long Island, Westchester County, and beyond. So whether you're having a first birthday party with some family and friends, or big birthday party with all your child's classmates involved, I magic and comedy show is guaranteed to amaze and delight children and adults alike. My weekends sell out fast as I do lots of birthday parties in New York City, but there's always a chance that I could be available this weekend. If I looked up, I'd be happy to help you find an excellent children's performer who will do the job.
From Tribeca to Central Park from the upper West side to lower East side, I perform all over New York City. Give me a call!
Be sure to check out my amazing testimonials and reviews here!