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Nametags Will Improve the Performer's Show at Your Children's Party

5/7/2012

I’ve met and chatted with the well-known children’s recording star, Laurie
Berkner. When she was still doing $300 NYC birthday parties, one of her
practices was to come early to a party and learn all the children’s names. My
own experience is that memorizing the children’s names is the little pièce de
résistance that makes a party performance truly special.

But not all performers do it and when the guest list exceeds 15 or so, it can
be pretty challenging. he answer is nametags, an often overlooked, but
important element in any children’s party that includes a performer. Using a
child’s name is a very simple thing but it’s an extremely effective invitation
to participate in a show. And no matter how great the performance, a party show
is special when the children are participating.

So, put a $2 package of nametags on your shopping list and increase the
caliber of the performance at your party by a notch or two. By using the
children’s names, Laurie Berkner launched a stratospheric children’s music
career. It would be pretty steep to hire her to do a birthday party these days,
but my bet is that she still memorizes the children’s names.

2 Comments

Goody Bags Reconsidered

2/23/2012

3 Comments

Goody Bags Reconsidered -- Not all
parents throw away goody bag candy, but enough do so that your good intentions
may end up in the tall kitchen can bag. And who wants crappy yo-yos that don’t
really work and other such stuff ? The goody bag nut is not easily cracked.
At LakeshoreLearning.com, you can order quality rhythm instruments at reasonable
prices. For example, a pair of virtually un...breakable
plastic maracas is $4.95. I’ve used them at parties literally hundreds of times
and they keep coming back for more. Give just one per child if you’re looking
for a really reasonable but useful goodie bag gift. Another useful idea is any
type of simple craft. I once saw a mother give away those black-crayoned sheets
with colors underneath. The child scrapes the black covering and creates
colorful pictures. All parents need things for little ones to do! Who of you
you would dare actually leaving out goody bags altogether? Ah, that is a
question for brave souls to ponder!

3 Comments

You are the Key to your Child's Party

12/15/2011

7 Comments

Plan, prepare. But if you forget something, realize that you are the most important element of the party! What I’ve learned is that we put too much emphasis on “it” -- whatever it is -- and too little value on “us.”

As Robert the Guitar Guy, I’ve done literally thousands of performances. In so doing, I’ve learned not to panic when I don’t have something that I think I need for the show. I’ve even done a show without my guitar! Imagine Robert the Guitar Guy without his guitar!

Once my car broke down when I was doing a summer tour. I secured a ride to my next library gig but the tow truck took the car away – with my guitar in it! There was no time to track down the guitar. I called the library and told them my predicament. Just before I went on, someone handed me a twelve-string which is impossible to play in the finger-picking style I favored then. The kids still really enjoyed the show. It was me, not the guitar!

Same with your party: If at the last minute you remember that you don’t have the goody bags or the finger food or the piñata, don’t panic. It may be hard to believe but you are the most important element of the party!

7 Comments

When to Schedule the Children's Performer

12/9/2011

1 Comment

Okay, you've decided to schedule a birthday party performer for the little apple of your eye and you're wondering where in the course of a 2 hour party to place him or her. As a musician who has done over 1000 children's parties, I am often asked this question. I recommend scheduling the show early because children are less likely to run roughshod through your house if it is clear to them from the beginning what fun is in store. Also, the performer gets them wide-eyed and fresh. Anywhere from 20 minutes to a half-hour after the starting time of your party is ideal. Earlier can be problematic because some children are bound to arrive late. However, I've done performances after children have been hanging out at a party for four hours and still gotten wonderful results. (That's my job.) Also, every rule has an exception: if you are inviting children at noon or 12:30, it's a good idea to feed them first.

1 Comment

What if Aunt Bessie is coming in from PA?

11/23/2011

0 Comments

I know early is better for todler parties, but what if Aunt Bessie is coming from PA?True, the earlier you schedule a todler party the better. The kids are at their best. Your friends prefer to get the party out of the way so they can schedule other events in their day (unless their older kids have Saturday morning sports, of course). But what if Aunt Bessie is driving in from Pennsylvania and ...there's no way that you can have a morning party? Start as early as possible in the afternoon, right? Maybe not. Famous pediatrician and author, Dr. T. Berry Brazelton recommends a nap between noon and 2 pm, and most parents nap their todlers approximately in this slot, so scheduling a party in the afternoon before 3 pm. may be awkward. Sometimes the result is that people arrive late. After reading this, you may be tempted to start even later, say 4 pm, but do beware of entering the Cranky Zone. So, for an afternoon party, 3 pm is about right, entertainment at 3:15 or 3:30, followed by pizza (or alternative) at 4:15 pm, then cake.

0 Comments

Knocking Pizza off its Pedestal

11/18/2011

4 Comments

Pizza is the superhero of children’s party meals. You order out for it, kids love it, end of story. But for those of you who want to elicit oohs and ahs by knocking pizza off its pedestal, this is for you. As many of you know I ran a children’s birthday party place in Wilton for a few years. For one party, a mom came in with a corded hot pot filled with mac & cheese sprinkled with green peas. The toddlers ate it. Megan Cooley on About.com suggests making ordinary sandwiches fun by cutting them with cookie cutters. Squidoo.com has this recipe for a taco salad:

Set out a bowl of cut up lettuce, and surround it with the various ingredients for a taco salad- chopped tomatoes, beans, shredded cheese, seasoned ground beef, cooked cubed chicken, corn chips, corn, and various salsas. Let the kids assemble their own salads. All right, I know – this is nowhere as straightforward as making a call to Planet Pizza or Letizzia’s. But even I would dig into either of these savory dishes. But come to think of it, I have no qualms about pizza either.