The ideal party environment
“What do you need from us?…”
The above question is something I (James) am asked regularly by clients when ‘checking in’ for a party (that’s when we contact the client - typically the mum or dad of the birthday child - to chat over the details/timings etc on the Thursday before a booking).
My answer is always roughly the same - something like: “to be honest…not much”.
At Nutty’s we are, what you might call, ‘light on our feet’. With the exception of a disco party which requires a fair amount of kit, our entertainers arrive with a costume, a few props and a box full of sweets (used as treasure to be found on the adventure). Each entertainer also brings their own bluetooth speaker so music is taken care of too. The rest is all about, yep, you’ve guessed it…imagination.
So, sweets, a costume, a few props and imagination - these are the ingredients that make up a successful party. It’s a tried and tested method. We’ve done literally thousands of them!
So in terms of actual ‘stuff’ we need from the client, the answer is, as above, not much. But what about creating that ideal party environment to aid the perfect birthday experience for the child in question? This is where the client can help us out and, to be honest, this is less about what we do need and more about what we don’t need.
The best children’s parties are the ones where things are kept simple. Here’s our basic structure: adventure, party food, birthday cake, games. It really is that straightforward.
In terms of the environment in which we conduct the party, here’s a few pointers for what works really well.
Venue/Space:
Obviously the more space the better and if there is the option of both indoors and outdoors (weather permitting of course) then great, but don’t spend too long agonising over the ‘perfect’ venue. We can make most spaces work. Your back garden? Great! A hired church hall? Ideal! A room above a pub? Sure! I have even done a party with 25 children crammed under a gazebo during a particularly heavy downpour in Brockwell Park and still managed to make it work - just! So anywhere with a bit of space will work fine.
On the theme of simplicity, an uncluttered space is really helpful for a successful party.
A few decorations is always welcome, but when a venue/party area is littered with balloons or toys this can spell trouble! As few distractions as possible is the best way forward.
Talking of distractions, we love it when parents watch the party - they often enjoy it as much as the kids do! But it’s always useful if chatter amongst adults can be kept to a minimum - this also saves the entertainer’s voice and he/she will be very grateful! My rule with parents is that the more they chatter away, the more I insist they will have to get involved with musical statues, which is a sure-fire way to see keep noise levels manageable!
Similarly, what’s not to love about a trampoline or bouncy castle as an additional party activity? These can also be great to use in the adventures. But the entertainer will probably ‘close’ them for certain parts of the party, again to ensure that distractions are kept to a minimum.
So there we are, when it comes to children’s parties, simplicity is key.
Organising and running a children’s birthday party is really not as complex as people might initially think. As I usually say to the client when rounding off a ‘check in’: “if you can have the party food ready after the first hour, then we won’t go far wrong - I can take care of the rest of it!”.
