Help: toddler birthday entertainment advice needed

[VALFR59]

Hello,

Could you recommend me a nice, affordable birthday entertainment for my nearly two years old son?

We will celebrate his 2nd birthday at home with few friends and would like something funny (like a music class.art craft session but maybe more messy) to offer them during 30/45 min of the party.

I've asked for a quote to my son's prefered music class but I was surprised with the price they ask (100? for 45 min)

(6 children maximum, all around 2, and as usual the price is 5?per lesson in their differents venues...I've asked if they could be able to make us a better offer, but I am waiting the answer, so need to find a plan B )

Do you have any experience with this type of services? is it the current prices Music classes asked for private entertainment ? (nothing suprise me anymore, in the "crazy children business" of London).

Do you have a great group to recommend me with better price?

The birthday party is at the end of November,so not a lot of time anymore to find a nice and available surprise!!

Thanks a lot in advance for sharing your good ideas and expericences :)

[hazelnunhead]

I would imagine you would pay around ?100 for any entertainment (as the person coming would be factoring in time to get there, to leave etc)

You can do a craft yourself though quite easily. Buy some (party) hats for them to decorate / or get some paper plates that they can stick stuff on. If you cut up lots of bits of paper / stickers etc you could pretty much manage it yourself. I would avoide paints and glitter!

You could make some biscuit dough and get them to cut out biscuits, and then decorate them aterwards when cooked (and use for their partybags afterwards. Or buy premade cupcakes and decorate them.

Good luck!

[DishandtheSpoon]

Hiya

There is a lady who is a professional storyteller, Vanessa, who would probably do a small group session for you. She is very well respected, does a weekly session at Woolfson and Tay in Bermondsey & the book shop in Dulwich. http://www.londondreamtime.com/London_Storyteller.html

Hope it goes well.

[helena handbasket]

One of my most successful party tricks was also the least expensive.

I brought our little inflatable paddling pool into the house and filled it with puffed wheat cereal. Add a bunch of diggers and trucks and you're set....... gave the party a digger theme (construction birthday cakes are crazy easy to decorate) and the kids loved it. Yellow and black balloons and streamers from the pound shop. Easy.

A friend copied it for her own son and added plastic construction hats she ordered online, which she gave out digger stickers to personalize as a small project. Wish I'd thought of that part.

Wine for the parents :)

[Indiana]

We have just had two little parties for our two year old and friends.

Both of which involved a little game of Pass the Parcel. We wrapped a small toy in a number of layers of wrapping paper (depending on how many kids there are) with each layer having a little yoghurt bar or (at the second party) a Thomas the tank engine magnet or a Night Garden magnet (from AJ Farmer on LL) and used my ipod to do the music. As the kids are still young you need to ensure they sit on a parent's lap to do the game and also ensure each child gets to unwrap (i.e by the person doing the music stops keeping an eye on who has unwrapped)

Definitely keeps them entertained for a good 20/30 minutes and calms them down after playing and before they have the food...cheap as chips!

[Yak]

HH, that is inspired!

*squirrels idea away for when yaklet stops stuffing everything in his gob*

[kittysailing]

I did a pass the parcel/singing circle combo which worked out well - each parcel layer has a little message on the wrapper - sing 'old macdonad' ' do the hokey cokey' ' wobble like a jelly' or whatever - just a way of getting everyone one singing and having fun. Each person got to unwrap and the parent led the song/rhyme/dance . Good luck!

[LBGBPR]

Can we all know what are this parcels about !(6)

[Coach Beth]

Hi there,

?100 is pretty much the minimum for hiring a private entertainer to come to your house or venue near you to lead a private party. As was mentioned above, when hiring a entertainer we are asking them to give up at least one hour travel time, preparation time and then the time to actually deliver the party/entertainment. And to do this on a weekend as well - frankly, it won't be worth someone's while to come out and lead a party on a Saturday for a fiver a head (I'm also self-employed so I know how much of your own time you spend on things like this - it's alot!) I've hired entertainers for my child's 4th and 5th birthdays and both charged more than ?100. For me it was worth it because personally, I'm absolutely pants at leading all those group kids activities and also sorting out all the food and sorting parents out with cups of tea at the same time (I'm definately not a domestic godess - more like a domestic disaster!)

You can also use a venue like Jags sports centre where you can have a football party where a football coach leads a group of kids in football games - cost is in the region of ?185 for one hour of activity and then one hour in another room where can have tables, food etc (you bring your own food)

But, there are some great ideas above - and if it's just a small group and you are good at this stuff they will have a great time!

[VALFR59]

ouah!!!! Thanks all for your messages &PM with a huge number of great ideas and recommandations !!

that will be very helpfull!!:))