King Custard and Cadbury (Photo credit: ronwooduk)
“King Custard visited our school yesterday, the entertainment was very interactive and the children were very involved in their learning about healthy foods. The show was interactive which gave children the opportunity to learn alongside King Custard. We will definately be re-booking in the future.”
I was performing a puppet show to a group of ninety five year olds. The audience were captivated. The story is set in a fairy castle and we had just got to the part where the children had helped to frighten away the villain. There was great excitement, clapping and cheering because the baddy had been chased away forever.
Ron narrates the puppet show
At this point I as the narrator came out front and commended the children for doing such a good job. I then said very dramatically ” Wait!”
There was complete silence. You could have heard a pin drop.
“How are we going to let Princess know what’s happened?” I exclaimed, holding my hands outstretched and making a puzzled expression.
There was a pause and then a little boy sitting right at the back shouted “Why don’t you ring her on your mobile phone!”
Every adult in the room burst out laughing it was wonderful. A perfectly reasonable response but entirely out of context. Kids are amazing.
When it comes to entertaining children there is no one size fits all. A birthday party is a very special occasion and every parent wants to do the best they can to make it is good as it can be. For the child it is very exciting because they know they are going to get lots of presents and have lots of fun. For parents a birthday party is an expression of love and pride. Having a brilliant birthday party is could be described as a kind of emotional out poring. A way of showing their love? This might sound a little over the top but I believe this is true. As a parent myself I am speaking from experience. Hazel and I always tried to give our three girls really good birthday parties even when money was in short supply and let’s face it a birthday party is expensive! They are all grown up now but we’ve been there, done that and bought the T Shirt as they say.
I am digressing. My opening statement is true. When it comes to entertaining children there is no one size fits all. The kind of stuff which will amuse and entertain a four year old is different to what will delight a ten year old. To organise a birthday party for a four year old boy and then invite his ten year old brother and all his mates to come too is a recipe for trouble. Older children are more sophisticated. They are far more advanced both physically and mentally and they are much bigger! The older children will naturally dominate the little ones. They will win all the games and sometimes younger children can be knocked over and hurt if the big ones are chasing around in the excitement. Controlling older children can sometimes be a problem too. Often you will not know all of the children who are coming to the party and so you have to hope that they will be well behaved.
This all sounds like bad news. It’s not meant to be. Mixed age group parties can work. It depends on the kids. If you are lucky enough to get a group of really well behaved children and the older ones are quite happy to mix in with the little ones then all well and good but be warned. It could go the other way so why take chances.
If you are planning a birthday party for a three or four year old child then invite all three and four year olds. This is by far the best approach.
Younger Children Love Puppets
If you are going to do the entertainment yourself and you are wondering what to do then draw inspiration from nursery school, play group, mother and toddler group or Tumble Tots. Think of the kind of activities and games that the children do at these places. Make a list of everything you can think of that you might be able to use at your child’s birthday party. Games, songs and stories are all good. Work out how long each activity will take and then make a little programme up. Alternate between an activity which involves sitting and listening and one which involves movement. Don’t try and do too much. Plan on thirty to forty minutes before the party food and then perhaps another thirty minutes or so after the meal. Use less energetic activities such as “pass the parcel” and “pin the tail on the donkey” after the children have eaten. End the party on a high note by doing the “hokey cokey” or something similar. If possible enlist the help of a friend or relative who works with pre school age children in a professional capacity. A nursery nurse, teacher or child carer would be ideal. It is also a very good idea to involve the other mums too. Ask them to join in with their children. This will make things much easier for you.
You may decide to hire someone to come and organise the birthday party entertainment for you. There are people who specialise in entertaining preschoolers. Often they are people who are ex teachers or who have experience as nursery nurses, child carers etc. Sometimes they are mums themselves who have set up in business because they enjoy working with kids and they like the flexibility this type of work affords. There are people who will organise games, do craft activities, do dressing up parties, do storytelling and so on.
Alternatively you might want to hire a professional children’s entertainer such as a magician, clown or puppeteer. All children love magic. Most love clowns and puppets are always a big hit. Not all children’s entertainers will work with very young children. The sudden appearance of a clown in the midst of a group of three and four year olds could terrify some children especially the more timid ones. When working with under fives approach is everything. The first step is to win over the confidence of the children and make sure they feel safe and are relaxed. Next the material has to be simple and uncomplicated. The funny business and humour must be pitched at a level that the little ones can understand. This may seem obvious but it is very important. Entertaining pre school age children at a birthday party is an art in itself and requires experience, knowledge and understanding. Not everyone is capable of entertaining very young children at birthday parties and so you do need to make sure you are hiring an entertainer who knows what they are doing.
Here is what one mum wrote about a party for her four year old daughter at which we had performed a magic and puppet show:
Hi there! What a super afternoon – thanks largely to you! Willow had a fab time and told her grandma all about the ‘funny man who can’t clap and had lots of sheep and a cow called Daisy’. We have our own puppet theatre at home and have been playing with it already this morning, re-christening one of the characters ‘Bonkers’. I think we may be stealing some of your act! Our guests are raving about the party and we certainly won’t forget you in a hurry. Unfortunately I can’t post anything on your facebook page for Jolly Good Productions – but will gladly do so – think we may need to be friends in order to do so?? Just wanted to let you know that we were super impressed and it was such a stress-free party for us. The kids loved you (perhaps a little too much at times) but I guess that’s just the sort of reaction you need. Thanks so much again.
Birthday parties are special. Think carefully about what you are going to do and hopefully you will have happy memories to look back on in years to come.
If you have any ideas to share about entertaining pre school age children at a birthday party please contribute to the discussion using the comment section below. Thanks.
Find more information about Birthday Party Entertainment:
In the run up to Christmas everyone is organising parties for their company or organisation. The weeks leading up to the big day are very exciting for children. If you are planning a Xmas party then why not book a Christmas show which will really stimulate the children’s imaginations.
Our Xmas Show is called Santa’s Busy Day and is all about Santa getting ready for Christmas. It has a multitude of Christmas characters and combines, magic, puppets, comedy and lots of audience participation.
The Jolly Good Productions “Santa’s Busy Day“ puppet show is ideal for a company Christmas party, a school Christmas party or anywhere that needs a great Xmas show. It’s perfect for younger children but can be enjoyed by all ages.
Santa's Busy Day, a puppet show by Jolly Good Productions
We can provide a complete package of entertainment for corporate Christmas parties. We can decorate the venue and provide all of the children’s entertainment including shows, face painting, craft workshop, Christmas characters. We can supply side shows and amusements, a disco and games too catering for all ages including the adults. Call myself or Hazel help and advice Tel 012748 821621.
What a lovely day we had in Birmingham performing at the Northfields Shopping Centre. Hazel and I were booked as part of the summer children’s entertainment programme with one of our puppet shows and face painting. We arrived in plenty of time to get set up in the centre of the mall and were soon kept busy. I did four shows with lots of children ( and adults ) watching at each time. There was as usual lots of audience participation and the youngsters joined in enthusiastically throughout. The photo below shows the set of The King Custard Puppet Show. It’s quite large but looks great in a shopping centre. Hazel sets up to one side so that those children waiting to have their faces painted can also see the puppets in action. Hazel had lots of compliments on the very high quality of her work. Its very satisfying to knwo that your endeavours are appreciated. Although we had a long drive home we both felt that the day had been a great success and we look forward to being invited back again in the future.
Face Painting by Hazel
King Custard Puppet Show
If you were at the Northfields Shopping Centre and met us there please feel free to leave a comment. Thank you.
Yesterday I worked at the Sue Walker Children’s Centre, Kiverton Park, Sheffield providing children’s entertainment as part of the summer holiday programme. Children’s Centres mainly engage with families with young children. They provide advice and support for new parents, they form the hub of a social network within the community and they also run training courses for self development in both domestic and work related fields. During school holidays the centres run activity days and outings for local families. Although these usually do have to be paid for they are always at a very reasonable price, well organised and good quality.
I like visiting Children’s Centres because they are great environments to work in. They are well equipped with good access and there’s always a nice atmosphere.
Yesterday I had two groups, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. I performed my Pirate Puppet Show, we had a break for refreshments and then I ran a puppet making workshop. The Centre Manager gave me a list of comments made by parents at the end of the morning session. Here is what they said :
It’s always a pleasure to receive positive feedback. I had a great time and I am pleased that everyone who came enjoyed it too. I look forward to my invitation to provide children’s entertainment at a Children’s Centre and hopefully I will be asked back to Kiverton Park with one of my other shows some time in the future. Fingers crossed!
Visitors to Beamish Museum in County Durham were thoroughly entertained at the Georgian Fair today by an interesting mix of traditional crafts, thrilling Fire Shows and Punch and Judy too.
Although rain threatened for most of the day it didn’t actually start raining heavily until about 4pm. Crowds of people had by this time visited the Fair and had a chance to enjoy all of the many and varied activities on offer.
The audiences for the live shows were very responsive, clapping, cheering and joining in on queue during both the Fire Eating and the Puppet Shows.
There were many other things to see and do including traditional games, period plants, carpentry and woodcarving, basket weaving, corn dolly making, the DLI re-enactment society, old fashioned refreshments, costumes, toys from a byegone era, clog dancing, northumbrian pipes, train rides and side stalls.
Beamish is a living museum which provides a window into the past. It brings history to life. A visit to Beamish is both educational but also entertaining and fun. Go to the museums web site for information on forthcoming events.
Random Mike
Ron with Punch and Judy
See the Gallery for more pics from Beamish.
This You Tube clip is so funny. It goes to show that puppets are not just for kids.
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jc20vMz0V7Q]Fancy booking a puppet show, give me a call. We don’t have Ricky Gervais our shows are still very entertaining.
Visitors to the Manders Shopping Centre in Wolverhampton had a special treat recently when Jolly Good Productions staged their latest Puppet Show. The set of a fairy castle appeared in the centre of the mall and crowds gathered to watch the performances. The story about is about King Custard and features a cast of interesting characters and lots of audience participation. The show was enjoyed by children of all ages and some came back several times to watch again.
In addition to the puppets there was also fantastic face painting by Hazel.
Jolly Good Productions are based in Yorkshire but provide children’s entertainment for shopping centres and at corporate events throughout the UK.
Puppet Show by Jolly Good Productions
Face Painter Hazel Wood
The Halliwell Jones Stadium in Warrington, home of the Wolves Rugby League Club was the venue for workshops for children this week. The Club are keen to help in the local community and regularly run arts projects for children and families. The Wolves Foundation engages the services of external artists and practitioners to share their skills and talents with local people. Recent activities have included Circus Skills Workshops, Puppet Shows and Puppet Making Workshops, Magic Shows and Storytelling.
Halliwell Jones Stadium
The Wolves Cups and Trophies
Brian Bevan, Rugby League Star
