An Event Planner’s Guide to Kid’s Entertainment

Birthday party accessories

When looking for kid’s entertainment, there is a depth of questions that should be asked prior to making a decision on a supplier. We speak to Event and Party Planners on a regular basis who often tell us that they are unsure of what to look for and that kids’ entertainment is a field that they are not all too familiar with.

With this in mind, we decided to put together this quick ‘go-to’ guide on sourcing quality kids’ entertainment for any event.

So what makes us the experts?

Captain Fantastic is the UK’s No.1 Kid’s Entertainment Company, as voted by FreeIndex. We are a company built and run solely by professionals within the arts and entertainment industries. As well as providing entertainment for small and large scale events, we also have our very own theatre production and merchandise. We have provided kids’ entertainment for all manner of occasions – including a few celebrity birthdays!

The Basics

Before considering a supplier for kid’s entertainment, it’s important to ensure that the following basic but essential criteria are met.

  1. Are they CBR/DBS certified?
  2. Do they hold public liability insurance?
  3. Is their equipment PAT tested?

These attributes are imperative and should be carried out by any children’s entertainer to ensure safety requirements are met!

Reputation

Once you have checked that all the basics are in place and up to scratch, it’s time to assess the quality of the entertainment that the supplier is likely to provide. A good place to start is the check reviews left on FreeIndex, Google and Facebook. If there is a bad reputation lingering about, you are bound to find evidence of it here.

Another good way of determining how reputable a kids’ entertainment company is would be to check with previous customers. Most will have worked with their local primary schools, so why not request a reference? We have found that most of our customers find us via word of mouth and are parents (who LOVE to talk!). You have a high chance of obtaining a reliable reference from a school that has worked with them previously.

Experience

What training and qualifications does the entertainer have? It can be tricky to decide what level of skill and organisation an occasion may require. Some children’s entertainers may have taken on the role simply because they wanted to ‘give it a go’. All of our entertainers at Captain Fantastic are professional performers with a great track record within the arts. Some are part-time musicians and dancers and others have attended prestigious drama schools. This type of information is normally available on the company’s website or LinkedIn; alternatively, you should make a note to ask these sorts of questions when you initially enquire with a supplier.

Age and Gender Preferences

Girls and boys have different preferences when it comes to party time, as do the varying age groups! Here at Captain Fantastic, we can provide toddler parties aimed at 2-3-year-olds. Our themed Superhero, Princess, Pirate and Science parties are best suited to 3-7s; including magic, puppetry and slapstick comedy, we aim to ensure they are completely engaging from start to finish so this energetic age group are constantly involved and having fun. Our classic and UV discos are aimed at the 7-11 year age group with a personalised playlist and approach from the entertainer, as we are aware that this is when kids begin to want a little bit more freedom at their parties but rest-assured, they are still jam-packed with tasteful interactive party games.

Our Princess Parties were developed to accommodate every little girl’s dream of being the Princess on her special day, whereas our Superhero theme is less gender-biased and will appeal to a mixed audience. Prior to making a decision, assess your audience and use your judgement to decide which party type would best suit the child and the occasion.

Different Occasions

We have entertained for loads of different events making us quite the party experts! From intimate living room birthday parties for 10 or so shy children to giant corporate family fun days for little monkeys with big and cheeky personalities! Each occasion is unique and requires a different approach.

Children’s birthday parties usually last for no longer than 2 hours with a break for food treats. Following that the children grow tired or lose interest, especially the infants. The amount of children attending should help to determine the size of the party package that you go for. We have packages suitable for 10 – 100+ children and bespoke entertainers with different levels of experience and skills that we would assign to these parties. We would recommend a premium entertainer who comes with a bigger setup, more lights and extras for a bigger party.

All-day events work best with several entertainers. Face Painters, Mascots and Balloon Modellers work well here with the main entertainer performing in bursts at allocated times. A designated area with somewhere for the adults to sit and supervise from a distance is ideal in this situation.

Children’s entertainers are often booked for Weddings, Bah Mitzvahs and other special occasions to keen the kids occupied during speeches and dinners etc. A designated area to avoid noise distraction would be required.

Contacting the Company

Do try to arm yourself with answers to the following questions before contacting a Kids’ Entertainment Company, especially if you have a specific event in mind — It helps us to determine what level of experience you’ll require so we can tailor the most appropriate entertainment package to your needs.

  1. How many children are likely to attend?
  2. Where is the event going to be held?
  3. How long will you require kids’ entertainment for?
  4. Is this a mixed gender party or not?
  5. What is the event type (Product Launch, Fun Day, Wedding, Birthday)
  6. Do you have a unique idea in mind?
  7. What is your budget? (More applicable for big events)

The answers to these questions will really help a Kid’s Entertainment Company to identify the best package for you. It is best to do a little bit of research and to have a vision of what you desire for your event before contacting us so that we can pull out all the stops to make it a reality!

Planning a Party and Need Kid’s Entertainment?

Please contact us today! Our friendly and dedicated team are always happy to offer any advice you may require about our entertainment services and would love to get involved in your next project!

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