How do you warm up the kids at a birthday party before you start your show? I have several audience warm-ups that I do. However, I've got a repeat birthday party for a kid whose attended six or seven of my parties, and I'm trying to come up with some fresh ideas.

Well I don't have much cause I'm just starting out but I think I got a good lead into balloons.
Song:
I'm a wobbly jelly, Your a pink parfait,
I'm a chocolate truffle, Your a lemonade
You can play some silly games. I'll sing a merry tune.
Whoops Buggledy (funny gurgelly sound I make with my mouth and my whole cheek wiggles) AH
Pop ( standard mouth pop)
Let's make balloons.
Song is my american variation of part of a song one someone posted here from a you tube video I think it was from the song My pink half of the drainpipe. If you want the chords just ask.
Sara K.

I think we too often try to find "Fresh" stuff. What would you do if you tuned into your favorite TV program and the theme song was different? And how many times have you watched the same movie over and over? There are certain parts of my show that the kids get upset if I don't do them because they saw them in the last show. Kids like seeing the same thing over and over. There is a certain feeling of importance if they know what you are doing and the other kids don't. When it comes to an interactive point they are ALLLLLL over it because they know it is coming and are looking forward to helping. That doesn't mean never change anything but be aware of how much the kids like certain parts before you start replacing them.

What are you doing as warmups?

i think stuart pid just changed my way of thinking on the subject of repeat parties but what if you grabbed that kid and had him help you warm up the crowd with you????

That's cute. I like it.

Stuart Pid, you're correct about the kids wanting to see some of the same things over and over again. Last spring, this same kid's mother called me a few days before the party to tell me that her son had said that he hoped Pickles did the trick where the kids got to bake the cake. I had NOT been planning to do that trick, so I worked it back into the show. I'm not sure, however, that the warm-ups are the part that they want to see again and again.

Last year's warm-up is the one where I explain to them before the show begins that I have two very important things to tell them. #1: If at any time during the show, they see anything they really like--that's super duper funny--they need to clap their hands and hoot and holler and laugh as loud as they can. Then, of course, we practice. Then I tell them the second thing, which is the most important of all: If at any time during the show they see something they DON'T like, that they DON'T think is funny, that STINKS (PPPeeew), they need to.....Clap their hands, hoot and holler, etc. Sometimes at this point, I get confused and think they are applauding me because my show is over. I start bowing and thank them for being a wonderful audience.

Mr. Pinkberry, I think your idea is a superb. In the past, I've played games where the children are not allowed to laugh, and it's great fun. I've also had success with routines where I tell the children not to do something (e.g. erase the pictures from the magic coloring book), and the second I turn my back, a few of them start to do whatever I told them not to do. I have learned, however, only to do this when I have a big boisterous group. It's risky to rely on a group of five or six shy kindergarten princesses to go against your clowny orders. But this will be a big party -- 25 seven-year-olds who know me well -- so it could be a fun twist to get them warmed up. Thanks for the idea!

I like that "do not laugh" idea! I know I can't claim to be "sour pickles", but I am considering it for my show, now. Sounds like a GUARANTEED way for laughs and giggles. Nothing gets a kid doing something like telling them not to!

Do you have the applause / laugh-ometer? If not, it is a small case with a graph on the front and a pin going from 1-10 and a microphone attached to the side. You operate the pin from a slide on the top. You can start off with seeing if the boys or girls are louder and then tell them that if they laugh too loud and it reaches ten the machine will break. Get them all to laugh and cheer together and then click the case open where contained inside is 3 or 4 big slinky springs that bounce around...Oh no it's broken. Quickly move on congratulating them on being your best audience ever.

I also like to ask them if they have done their exercises today and then get them to stand up and play knives, forks and spoons with a big sneeze for pepper and a shake of your bottom for salt. I the get carried away calling out salt over and over..

Tickles,
That sounds like a fun game. For the knives, forks and spoons part is that like touching head, knees and toes? Thanks
Sara K.

Here is one I like to use.

"Hello everyone! I'm (name). And I'm so happy to be at (child's name) birthday celebration. Are you happy to be at (child's name) birthday celebration party, too? I'm so Happy to be at (child's name) birthday celebration that I want to make a big smile."(Make the big smile). If you're happy to be at (child's name) birthday celebration make a big smile too! I'm so happy to be at (child's name) birthday celebration I want to....(make silly face, yell hooray, jump, moo, bark ...tailor to your audience using simple things for timid children, active movements, ballerina moves for a princess party or even dance the latest dance move, considering you can do it too! Just choose a few. After each one get the kids to do what you do. Start gentle and get more active or silly with each one. ) Hey I know a game about being happy. Since we're all happy to be at (child's name) birthday celebration, let's play it together. (proceed to sing if you're happy and you know it and include the things you did earlier or if your singing isn't so great sing along with a Cd instrumental of the song so you can include your own unique ideas.) Birthday child is beaming with pride. Adults generally will join in with the singing since tune is familiar to all ages. After all, isn't everyone happy to be at the child's party and help celebrate him or her. This warm-up allows for the familiarity of things staying the same, as StuartPid said. "The kids know you'll be singing the happy song." This warm-up can also add to excitement of things changing because, you can change it depending on party theme or what you do.

Tickles,
That sounds like a fun game. For the knives, forks and spoons part is that like touching head, knees and toes? Thanks
Sara K.

For knives you have both arms straight up above your head with palms touching looking like a knife blade, for forks you have arms at shoulder length bent at elbows looking like each forearm is a prong with your head being the centre prong, for spoons it is arms rounded above your head as like a ballet dancer. mix them up lots and then go with salt salt salt etc etc

That's cute. I like it.

I too am curious as to what the Knives Spoons and forks excercise things is. I've never heard of it Tickles.

Whoops, found your description, awesome

I too am curious as to what the Knives Spoons and forks excercise things is. I've never heard of it Tickles.
I assume it is a game that is local to her area. Sounds like a good one though. Kids love silly movement games.
Sara K.

I'm still curious about the salt and pepper part though. :D

I'm still curious about the salt and pepper part though. :D

I'm still curious about the salt and pepper part though. :D
The pepper I think she said was a big pretend sneeze and the salt was shake your "tail feathers". Just keep mixing up the directives and see if they can remember what to do. Add alot of salt-shaking those hips to make it funny.
Sara K.

Not a warm up but I think I found a cute final parting joke. How do All birthdays end? Use your 260 balloon and blow up the following twists. Pop the 6th balloon and show the letter. I sometimes have trouble with the pop twist so I would have a back up already twisted in case the pop twist came apart. Here is the link for the letter Y. Balloon Twisting Animals: Letter Y - Associated Content - associatedcontent.com (http://www.associatedcontent.com/video/676568/balloon_twisting_animals_letter_y.html?cat=24)
Sara K.

My parties tend to end with an excercise I call "Wave your hands above your head and scream." I imagine that they'll work themselves into such a tizzy that they'll never even notice that I'm leaving and then pass out in the car for mom and dad. I'm sure that it doesn't "always" go like that though...teehee. It's quite a site though when they all do it simultaniously.

I remember seeing Sammy Patrick Smith at a workshop one time. He asks the kids to yell "yeah" as loud as they can.......of course, you have to ask them a couple of times to get the desired loudness! Then he asks them to clap.......same deal.....ask them a couple of times. Then you ask them to do both at the same time. After they do it, he would say, "thank you all so much for your applause".........LOL!

Punkin