Important to get it Right on Your Big Day!

Clown Eckie’s Tips to Get it Right at Your Child's Birthday Party
- What does your child want? With older children it's always a good idea to let your child help plan the party. 'Children know what children like' more than we do. Younger ones will expect you to consider what the birthday boy/girl will enjoy most of all on the big day. And you will also have to think about what will keep all the other children just as happy. Then you have to decide on how much work and time you will put into the event and where to have your party?
- Having your children’s party at home. It's a great idea to have the party at home, if you don't mind all the work, prefer to make or order food deliveries and also get your children involved. It's true that organising a house party can be a bit stressful. But actually, it really doesn't take that much effort to give your child a great party to remember for a long time. And believe it or not the house shouldn't get wrecked and usually only takes a short time to clear-up once it's all over. Do remember, you may have to prepare the invitations, food, drink and going home gifts.
- Most importantly. You have to be sure that you have the right kind of entertainment for the all the children on that very special day. Of course, you may not want to go to the expense of hiring a professional entertainer? But do think carefully before you make that decision! You could hire a low cost act that may be able to provide some basic entertainment on the big day. Or the onus will be on you personally to provide all the fun. Younger ones can have a short attention span and could become troublesome if they are allowed to become bored. While older children could make life a misery if the special day doesn't meet their expectations. All that's a very stressful prospect for most people, which is probably why many parents eventually decide to pay a little more for a professional entertainer.
- Party places outside the home. You can't go wrong with personal recommendations and you might also remember when your child attended good parties in the past. You can also consider having the party at a function room in a condo, at school or a community centre, or even in a park or sports centre.
- Caution! There are soft play centres, which can seem to be a good or cheap option for your children’s party? But do remember…There'll be lots of other children trying to invade your child’s party and you'll need to keep a constant eye on everyone. It's also worth remembering that some of those places may have many parties on the same day, and you will be under pressure to end the party at a particular time or pay more to stay longer. You will also be charged restaurant prices for what maybe low quality fast food and birthday cakes. Then there are so many other noisy distractions, so the ‘Birthday Boy/Girl’ may become confused and distressed when they see some of their invited friends disappearing to another part of the building.
- Keeping your children and guests amused. A professional children's entertainer will keep everyone amused throughout the whole party with lots of fun activities and a 'Great Big Funny Show' for everyone to see, once all the guests have arrived. Most parties won't need much more than that, but here are some other ideas if you really want to 'push the boat out'…
- Hire a bouncy castle if you have space in the garden. (Clown Eckie can help you find the right one).
- Hire a face painter or balloon modeller as well as the professional entertainer. There are lots of them in town, but do make sure they have the right skills to keep the children happy. And most importantly, they use quality products that won't harm your child's sensitive skin. In the case of balloon artists, make sure they use good quality balloons to reduce the risk of hurting the children when they burst. You should also try to make sure that they are reliable with good time-keeping and will be wearing appropriate costumes for a child's party.
- Party games It's good to remember that 'non-elimination' party games help to avoid having bored or excluded children. Try to choose games that every child can win at least once. This will help to prevent sulking and arguments. You might 'Google' and print a donkey picture for pin the tail on the donkey, which is always a winner. Pass the parcel is another old favourite. Musical chairs if there’s room (Clown Eckie has the music). Edible Hoops threaded on a string with the children’s arms behind their backs is also a good game. Apple bobbing if you have a place that can get wet-through. ’What's in the tights' is an easy game to make. Get a pair of thick tights you can't see through and fill one leg with different objects like a plastic cup, clothes, small toys, soap, hair-brush/comb and small kitchen items etc. The children have to tell what each object is by feeling the outside, and then put their arm inside the tights and take-out the right object. If you’re imaginative, you could make each object a small prize that the child can take home with them.
- Make sure you send-out invitations well in advance once you've booked the entertainment and any other people that will need to confirm their availability on your big day. It's usually not a good idea to let your child hand-out invitations at school. Rather you send them RSVP by e-mail, post or text message. Then follow-up with a call a few days before the party.
- When you plan your party, be sure that it won't clash with any other events like school gala/sports days, Brownies, Scouts outings or any major popular event like the World Cup.
- Check with your guests parents if their child has a food allergy, or has any medication with them.
- Have some spare clothing for children who may have accidents with food, drink or other common problems that require a quick change of clothing.
- Try to be sure those children under the age of 5 are accompanied by parents or nannies.
- Finally - Make sure you have some food and drinks for any parents who are staying at the party
Remember: As well as being professionally
competent and offering great service. Clown Eckie...
- Works for a properly registered organisation and has the correct documentation for working in Thailand.
- Is a member of the British Chamber of Commerce.
- Has liability insurance.
- Has police clearance (safe to work with children). File number: F090729-38668.
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