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Easy
Steps To Planning a GREAT Party!
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After
Performing at Birthday Parties for 25 Years, |
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Better Know Some Valuable Tips ;-)
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Timing
is everything. If
you are hiring an entertainer for your party, it is most effective
to schedule their performance to begin a half-hour after the
time printed on your party invitations. This will allow for
late-arrivals to get there, and will allow for children who
came on time to get acclimated to your home and the party. This
way, all your guests should be there by the time the show begins!
Most important, this schedule should serve to avoid people arriving
in the middle of the show. This will insure a much more focused
audience, and will allow every guest to have the most fun
possible during the show.
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Opening
Act. During
the first 30 minutes of your party, a simple game or fun activity
will keep children busy while you await the arrival of all your
guests. During this early part of your party, very young children
are happy watching a fun children's video, or you can run a game
like the age-old "pin the tail on the ..." (many new
ones match party themes.) Of course older children know how to
keep themselves busy when they first arrive. They are often very
happy just playing with toys (or playing outside if weather allows),
but you should consider providing some organized game or activity
to assure that the shy children, or the guests who may not know
others feel comfortable. |
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Don't
do it all yourself. Ask
a relative, a close friend, or the parent of one of your child's
friends to assist you the day of the party. Many times that person
will be happy to lend a hand playing games with the children,
getting the children from one area to another throughout the party
(from the play area to the performance area, to the eating area),
and to help serve the meal and cake. |
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Eat
and run. Remember
that children eat quickly. Remember that children don't eat too
much (especially when they are excited to be at a party!). Therefore,
don't schedule a lot of time for the food portion of the party.
It's most common that two hours is a great total amount of time
for a children's party. |
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Young
"Guest of Honor" sometimes gets overwhelmed. Be
sure to give the birthday child some time to get used to all
the attention. Most children looooove attention... but sometimes
at their own birthday party, they get a little overwhelmed by
all their friends and relatives, all the gifts, all the attention,
all the noise, and all the action that comes with their special
day. It is really beneficial to your child for you to have a
brief conversation the night before about how their birthday
party is a special day for them, but also that it will
be their "job" as host of their party to make all
of their young guests feel welcome, special, and happy to be
part of their birthday celebration.
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It's
all in the timing. The
majority of parties I attend follow the same simple and effective
time line. As I mentioned above, allow the children to play
games, play with toys, watch a video, or play outside during
the first thirty minutes. Then, immediately after that, have
an experienced, talented, delightful, really funny professional
Comedy Magician entertain your guests! For that section
of your party - stop reading, pick up the phone right now, and
dial (770) 973-6820 to schedule Magic Debbie today! ;-) Her
show will last One Full Hour. That Amazing Birthday Party Comedy
Magic Show will be the main event of the party. If you are not
serving a meal, the birthday cake always comes right
after the magic show. If you are serving food, (and when I say
food, I mean pizza!) serve the meal immediately after the magic
show. Then, while the children are still at the table after
the meal, serve the cake and ice cream. After the cake, if your
child opens their gifts in front of their guests, that is usually
done immediately after the cake. Then, send your guests home,
take a deep breath that everything went smoothly, and relax
and enjoy your family.
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Worry-free
planning. Let's
say you invite your guests for 11:00AM. Hire Magic Debbie to
perform at 11:30. Her show will conclude at 12:30. The children
will be all excited about the amazing magic, the laughs, and
their balloon gifts, so they will be ready to eat. Invite them
to have the meal (if you are serving one), if not, right after
the magic show, serve the birthday cake. This will bring you
to about 12:50. About 10 minutes of ripping open wrapping paper
and looking at all the gifts, and the party's over by 1:00.
If you've hired a Full One Hour show, you won't need to worry
about planning elaborate games or activities. Less work for
you, more fun for your guests, and LOTS more fun for
your special birthday boy or birthday girl. Two hours of fun,
food, festivities, and fabulous entertainment!
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Abracadabra!
Many
parties I perform at have a complete magic theme, including magic-themed
room decorations, birthday cake decorated with magical images
such as playing cards or top hat, and of course magical party
favors! A plastic top hat (available at almost every party store)
with helium balloons on ribbon or some colorful glittery table
decor sticking out of it makes a wonderful centerpiece. There
is now a beautiful line of paper party products with a very cool
Magic Theme available at party stores including Party City! Throw
some playing cards and curled metallic ribbon and/or some glitter
on the table, and you've got instant magical decor. If you are
going with a magic theme, it's most fun to give out a magic trick
or magic set as your party favor. Magic Debbie can provide those
if you so desire. |
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Just
a few reminders. 1)
Always confirm the time and details with the entertainer you hired
one or two days before your party! Your child's birthday party
is probably the only party you are hosting that week, but your
performer will be entertaining at several parties that
week! So, it's always better to be safe than sorry to make sure
you're both "on the same page" about all the show arrangements
and show time! :-) 2)
Don't forget to buy fresh batteries or charge your digital camera
battery, and of course buy a new videotape and charge your camcorder
battery to insure you'll be able to capture all the special moments! 3)
Don't forget to buy birthday candles and get some matches for
the birthday cake (you'd be surprised how many parties I've been
to where the parent carefully planned every last detail of their
party, but forget the birthday candles!). 4)
It's a great idea to buy a few extra party favors, just in case
someone unexpected arrives, or the sibling of a guest stays with
their parent and you want to treat them to the party favor. 5)
Worry-free planning also means carefully searching to find the
most experienced entertainer, someone who sounds like they
care about your party, and sounds enthusiastic! |
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Have
Fun -- It's a Party! I
know that sounds obvious, but parents should always have a good
time at their child's party too. Planning everything ahead of
time, asking for help, and hiring a professional entertainer are
just a few details that will guarantee that you will be
able to relax and have lots of fun (and a chance to really participate)
during your child's party! Also... don't stress out over the small
stuff! Try to have fun with the children. I perform at some parties
where the mother misses my show because she's in the kitchen cooking
or getting ready for the next part of the party. There are so
many special magical moments during my show, and so many opportunities
for the birthday child to participate in
the magic and be the star of the show, it always surprises
me when their parent misses those magical moments! |
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Magic
Debbie has been entertaining at children's birthday parties
for more than 25 years! Her
show is
wonderful combination of silly comedy, LOTS of
audience involvement, amazing magic, amusing
audience interaction, funny participation
that gets the entire audience involved, fascinating
balloon animals for each child, and charming interaction
with the audience members who come up to assist. Magic Debbie's
show always creates a wonderful, fun, relaxed environment that
will insure your party will be a magical, memorable success!
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An
Experienced Entertainer Knows How To Make Your Birthday Child
Feel SPECIAL & Knows How To Make Your Party Memorable!
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