5 Magical Birthday Ideas During Quarantine
Celebrating your child’s birthday during quarantine, without the luxury of having friends over, might seem like a huge bummer, but here are some tips to make their day special, no matter what:
Photo by Princess Mijares from Pexels
#1 – Video Chat with Characters
Characters love being invited to birthday parties and have been feeling quite left out since the pandemic hit. Why not invite your child’s favourite character for a virtual tea party or performance? You could do one-on-one or on a group call with friends. Pre-recorded personalized videos are also always an option when trying to make a quarantine birthday special.
Invite one of our caricature artists to your next party!
#2 – Virtual Caricatures
Caricature artists don’t need to be present to draw a beautiful rendition of you and your family. They can easily video chat in, draw everyone, and either mail or send a digital copy of your drawing.
Photo by Patrick Case from Pexels
#3 – Drive-by Circus
A lot of people are opting for drive-by birthday parties, so why not invite some circus performers to roll, hand-walk, or hula-hoop past? There’s a diverse community of circus entertainers waiting for their next chance to dazzle.
Photo by APHOTOX from Pexels
#4 – Social distance sing-along with a princess
If your child loves to move around, why not invite their favourite princess to host a sing and dance along in your driveway? Social distance rules would be highly enforced to ensure everyone’s wellbeing.
Image by Hans Braxmeier from Pixabay
#5 – Virtual Puppet Shows
Puppet shows are fun and can be personalized. Though puppeteers love visiting your home and doing their shows in person, they can easily stream into your living room live to keep everyone safe.
How to Hire a Great Entertainer
Planning a birthday party or family event can sometimes be stressful. What type of theme will it be? What kind of food will you serve? What kind of great entertainer will you provide?
While it might not seem an enormous endeavour, sometimes providing something for your guests to do, especially children, can be a challenge. That’s where hiring a professional might come in handy, someone to take some of the work off of your shoulders and keep your guests occupied during the festivities.
To start with, you will need to decide on a theme because this will often inform your decision on entertainment. Having a backyard party – a bouncy castle might be in order? Throwing a princess theme party, a professional Princess will fit the bill? Doing an animal or zoo theme, a face painter or petting zoo would be suitable entertainment?
Here’s a few suggestions when looking to hire a great entertainer:
- Consider the age of your party-goers. Babies and tots might not respond well to clowns or a life-sized mascot. It might be best to find an activity that’s more age-appropriate. A musical entertainer or puppeteer might be more suitable for children under three. If you’re unsure, ask the entertainer their ideal age range.
- Decide if your party will be indoors or out. Some entertainers, like clowns and illusionists, work best inside, while carnival attractions, like popcorn and cotton candy machines, work best outside. Balloonists and face painters, meanwhile, will work well both in and out of doors. Just make sure to provide ample shade. Also plan a rain day alternative, just in case.
- One of the best places to search out entertainment is on the internet.
Keep these things in mind when looking:
How long have they been in business?
Is their website in order?
Do they offer pictures or a portfolio of their work and testimonials from past clients?
Do they have a favourable rating on social media?
The answers to these questions will provide good clues into how professional the entertainer is. Also, feel free to ask for references.
- Ask if the entertainer carries their own insurance. While an independent performer might not, a reputable business should have this.
- Get a quote ahead of time so that there are no unexpected surprises. Get payment terms from your entertainer; is there a deposit required and what types of payment will they accept?
- Make sure to discuss with entertainer the time they will arrive, what, if anything they will need you to provide. For instance, a face painter will usually require a table and two chairs, plus access to water, a magician will likely need a table and some quiet time before hand to set up.
- In most situations, tipping is optional, although most entertainers will always appreciate it.
