Planning a Magic-Theme Birthday Party

Kids these days are notoriously hard to please, but there's no mistaking the charm of simple, interactive entertainment. Birthday Parties are especially difficult if you've got a larger crowd of kids, and it always helps to have some activities planned out to keep them busy between cake and presents. Some parents might prefer to not default to video games or sports, especially if the party is mostly girls.

Few party-planners are aware of exactly how amazing of an experience it is to have a live performer. This might seem like an outdated form of entertainment to some people, but it's surprisingly effective. A live entertainer can engage the children and keep them interested, and expose them to a form of performance art, as well.

Of course, the sort of live performers we're talking about are magicians, clowns, puppeteers etc.

Step One: Find out what your child wants

Depending on the age of the child, their tastes may vary in terms of what sort of performer would be appropriate. Try to cater to their interests, but keep in mind that they also may enjoy trying something new. In the case of a Clown, make absolutely sure that they are comfortable with the idea.

Some performers may tailor their performance to suit the needs of the child. For instance, if your child is interested in Harry Potter, a magician might talk about Harry Potter while performing his magic tricks. You also may want to consider whether you would like the performer to do a show all at once, or 'mingle' for a specific period of time while other party activities are going on.

Step Two: Research

Google, check the phone book, and most importantly, network. Ask around and see who other people are recommending. If you find someone through a listing, be sure to take the following precautions:

· Check references: Ask for letters of recommendation or reference numbers from the performer, and follow up on them. Make sure that all of them check out, and have something good to say. Make sure that the references are all fairly recent.