Hello friends. I will be doing my first party on Feb. 7, 2010 and I need a lot of help. I have never been to a party with a clown, or any kind of entertainer so I really don't even know where to begin. It's for a neighbor kid that I've made balloons for and give him most of the balloons that I practice. I also show him a magic trick whenever he comes to visit. He's turning 6 and his mom wants me to do a magic show and make balloons. I wasn't planning on being in clown since I haven't developed my character. I have no costume or face. So I was just planning on being me, wearing a colorful vest and being my usual silly self to entertain the kids. But after hearing B.Dafts comments on my identity crisis thread I may put on just my red nose, and call myself a clown. Ok so here is where I need help, what is the usually flow of a kids party. I imagine that I will just walk around and meet and play with the kids for a while. His mother has games and a piñata so I figured I'll play along, then I'll do a short magic show. Then after cake and ice cream make balloons that they can take home. Does that order of things sound right?

Here are the tricks for the show, I need help planning which order to do them in. I will post somewhere else the routines in detail for help with them, but for now I just want to know what order I should do them in, if I should add anything, or take out any. Here they are...
Change bag routine
- Red silk vanish by me, Red silk to blue silk change by voulenter,

Crystal Tube Routine
- Basically Silly Billy's Routine with some ME added

Professors Nightmare
- Starts with a two rope do as I do type of thing, ends with 3 ropes of different lenths

Cut and Restore Rope routine
- George Sands Sandsational routine with a little ME added

Soapy Suds Washing Machine
- Three dirty hankies go into a washing powder box, and come out clean. The box is ripped apart to show nothing hidden inside

Hopping Spots
- Card with spots that keep multipying every time the board is flipped

Card Trick
- Card is picked, then i fail at finding it, with a liitle magic i make it easier by having the selected card become JUMBO then its really easy to find.


I also want to work some clowny bits in somewhere, I don't if I should add them durring magic show, or just throughout the day.
things like....
Rubber Tongue
Eyepod
Pooh on shoe
Multiplying Tennis Ball
Dropping hat to ground and kick it as i go to pick it up, chase it all over the place

Please help me put this show together. Thanks

Do them in exactly the reverse order that you have listed them here... Leave out the rubber tongue, etc.; except keep a running gag about the kicked hat going throughout the time you're there...

Leave out the rubber tongue, etc.

I disagree. I would have a few clowny things in my pocket to use when I'm not doing the magic show. Maybe you won't need them, but if you are going to attend the entire party, it's good to have a few tricks up your sleeve (or in your pocket) just in case.

I think your show line-up looks great. Typically, I arrive at a party 15 minutes after it starts (to allow for late-comers), do my 20-30-minute magic show, make balloons, and then leave. I very rarely stay for the rest of the party. However, your situation is a little different, since you know the birthday child.

Good luck to you, Justloco! Please let us know how it goes and see if you can get a few pictures to post.

I usually do my show then balloons and make you exit before cake and icecream.

I arrive, juggle for about 30 minutes, balloons for about 30 minutes and then poof I am gone before cake.

I usually am still there for cake...I've had parents specificaly request that I "help" sing to the birthday child & let them take pics of me w/ the birthday kid at the cake table...I guess it just depends on each individual client. You might ask the parents if they want everything done before cake or cake in the middle and balloons after that.

...By the way...Congrats on your 1st gig, and good luck! :)

I, personally, like to be there for the cake. It allows me to, comically, "lead" Happy Birthday (I get it all wrong about three times, then have the kids - who are absolutely screaming and yelling at me by this time about what a dope I am - show me how to sing it right.) Then I can do balloons while people are getting cake so that I can spend a little more time interacting individually with those in attendance while they also have something else to distract their attention rather than just waiting for their balloon.

You have plenty of show there. It will just be a matter of finding the timing, extending/contracting as necessary. Which is something that can only come with experience.

I will have to be there fir the whole party. It's a neighbor kid, and my kids will be attending. I don't know whether or not that means I should be "on" the whole time. The mother offered me $100 to do a magic show and balloons.

I don't know whether or not that means I should be "on" the whole time.

Yeah, I think that as long as you are there, you need to be "on."

What do your kids think about you being the party's entertainer?

They want in on the action, my youngest wants to learn magic, my girls want to learn to face paint and my 14 years old wants to be left alone. But I keep them all entertained and laughing all the time

my 14 years old wants to be left alone.

wow.. thats strange for a 14 year old... you'd think they were a teenager or something :D

Flow of a B-day party can be differnt for each clown. Now is your timeto make some desisions. Say for cake leave before cake do you do ballons and face painting how much of the tricks will the kids get.

This is my suggestion seee if there is a clown in your area that will let you follow them for a day as an assitant. You are not thier to steal his rutine but you need to see the enteraction that he has with a small audance in a living room.

What are you useing to carry your magic in? do you need a small table? Do you have an ideal how you want the kids to sit for your show? What is your opening trick that will get them to know you?

My personal suggestions would be a suitcase or a trunk that has a flat top so you can use it for setting down trinks if needed.
As far a sitting kids down I start by placing a large striped rope down as an instant stage.
Then as an opener I would do something that gets the kids involved or at least focuses on the birthday child.
Any way good luck and do not be afaid to make mistakes it is though them that we will get better.

Well! If you're going to be there fer the whole party, by all means take the other stuff... Better to have it and not need it than the other way around...

I had a similar situation not too long ago. I was way out of practice when suddenly I was asked to do a birthday party the very next day. I'd never done a birthday party before, didn't even have a full routine figured out. So basically, I brought along anything and everything I thought I might could use. Luckily most of the party was just walk-around type stuff and there was a moon-walk bounce thingy outside. I was also given help with balloons in the form of an assistant clown (a son of the clown who passed the gig along to me.)

The party planner didn't give me an interary so I had no idea when the cake was going to be served, and there wasn't much room inside for a show. I tried my best, and they were all satisfied with my performance.

One thing you may want to look into is investing in a party CD or two...I have the "Get Funky" CD from Celebration Station.

Mine turned out fine and everyone was satisfied with my performance...I have every confidence you'll do just as well, if not better. :)

First perform the magic show. The magic show requires the kids to sit down. If you perform the magic show later it will be hard for the kids to keep under control. They can become restless later.

The maximum amount of time for a magic show at a kid's party is 60 minutes. If you can not perform that long, still do your job. If you see the kids not paying attention any more, it is time to start ending your show.

The tongue trick you mentioned will not hurt, depending how you do it. If you know how to perform it in an entertaining manner, perform it.

Try to involve the kids in the show to. It helps keeps their attention. You can also involve the kids by just asking questions. It help keeps away any boredom. For example: "What color is this? What color is this one? What color will you get if mixed the together?"

If you want to extend your time but do not know how, teach the children an easy trick or two after your magic show.

If you have red face paint, I would advise painting circles on your cheeks at least.

To extend your time you can add games after the magic show. Hot Potato, Musical Chairs, Chinese Get-Up, Red Light Green Light, etc. Remember to do each game more than one time.

The kids can now begin to get restless and want to be on their own. This is time to make the balloons so they can go their own direction. There is no need for you to be in control anymore.

The maximum amount of time for a magic show at a kid's party is 60 minutes.

Age will contribute to how long the kids are able to sit through a magic show. If I'm doing a 4-year-old's birthday party, the magic show is going to be short -- no longer than 30 minutes and probably closer to 20. Of course, as Happy said, it's easier to "sit" through a magic show, if the kids are actively involved. Be sure to engage them by using them as magic helpers, incorporating movements, having them shout out the magic word, etc.

Another reason to why the magic show should be first is because the kids know you less. It is less likely for the kids to come up to you and grab your props while performing. If your magic show was last, they might walk up to you while you are performing because they got close with you earlier.

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Nice job Loco!

Excellent pictures. Keep up the good work.

Those look fantastic. Congratulations!

Look good share how it went what are your thoughts what did you do that you liked and what didnt you like.

Good show, Loco! One down, all the rest to go...! Yer off to a great start.

Can you make that first picture bigger please? I can still scroll to the ends of it within 20 minutes. :)

lol

Love your look- I have been reading your threads and Im glad to see you found success

I'll try to write a little review of the gig and what I got out of it when I get home, it's a little dificult to write using my phone. Sorry bout the pic size, again I uploaded to photobucket from my iPhone and there's no resize option. Also I have video of the party that I haven't watched yet, but if I like it I'll share.

Hey you look marvoulas darling. And the kids look to be having a great time. way to go on your first gig.

WOW Justloco what progress it appears you made-good job

Still no story about how it went and what you liked and disliked about your performance.... hop to it :)

You tell him. Us oldtimers love to hear the first time stories and compare.