Here is the first chapter from my latest E-Book, called:
101 “Fun-Tastic” Party Ideas for Parents: Dooney’s sure-fire hints and tips derived from 40 years of performing at family events.
By the way, every one of these tips are still relevant in our online world! There is no reason that online parties can’t be AMAZING BIRTHDAY PARTIES.
Preface:
You may ask yourself, “Who is Looney Dooney, and why should I take his advice about my parties? The answer is that I have been a full-time professional clown/magician since 1977, and have worked every kind of family party, event, and celebration imaginable. I have also been actively involved in training other entertainers since 1981, and have written and produced six books, various training manuals, and multiple video’s on subjects such as balloon sculpture, juggling, magic, personal makeup application for clowns, and birthday party tips and techniques.
The ideas in this article are not all new, though some of them are my own inventions, but the fact is; these techniques work! I still perform at parties every week, all year long, and if these ideas didn’t work, then I wouldn’t continue to get referrals from every party.
I’m also the parent of five children, so I’ve thrown a party or two. I’ve made many of the mistakes that I’m going to warn you about, and I’ve experienced the success of many a memorable party. I’ve also tried a lot of different ideas throughout the years. There’s nothing like having to plan five birthdays a year, plus holidays and school events, to give one a great deal of experience in planning family events.
I wish you the best of luck with these ideas. I used to measure a “How-To” book by the number of working techniques that I actually was able to use. When I bought a book on how to make balloons, I would consider it money well spent if I actually used one or more of the techniques described in the book. My goal is that you will be able to use at least ten or more of the tips in this book throughout your years of party planning. Take a look at the book again a few years from now, and note how many techniques you have actually used. My hope is that there will be many. Joy is valuable and re-creation happens through recreation. Family parties are the perfect place to start.
- Remember why you are throwing the party in the first place.
- Vary the activity level of the events that you plan to do throughout the party.
- Fun is the key. Fun is the word. Fun is what kids want.
- Take into account the age group of the children.
- Plan your budget for the maximum amount of fun, not for visual impact, or for “keeping up with the Jones”.
- Have a plan of attack for the party (I call it a Party-Plan).
- Don’t forget both the pictures and the videos of the event.
- Regarding videos, don’t take long continuous shots (especially of opening presents).
Chapter 1
The Absolute Basics
Tip #1. Remember why you are throwing the party in the first place.
Many of us get so caught up in the trappings surrounding the event, such as décor, entertainment, etc. that we forget the reason behind the party. How many wedding memories have been tarnished by late photographers, or a messed up cake? Are those things essential to the event, or are they simply décor? For birthday parties, the goal is to acknowledge the gift of the life of the guest of honor, and to express our thanks for their presence and the closeness of our family and friends. Could a rainstorm or a missing magician ever stop a family from celebrating these goals, if these goals were always kept in mind? I don’t think so.
Tip #2. Vary the activity level of the events that you plan to do throughout the party.
The best piece of advice I ever received about handling groups of children came from my first clown teacher, Elaine Burnett of CALIFORNIA CLOWNS. Elaine was also a retired third grade teacher, and she told me that the way to handle groups of children was this: run them around till they get tired, then sit them down and do something quiet till they are rested and begin to get antsy. Next, get them up and run them around some more till they get tired, and sit them down till they begin to get antsy. (Repeat) This advice may seem incredibly simply, but if you keep this in mind, you can always tell when they need to be run, and conversely, when they need to sit and do something quiet.
Tip #3. Fun is the key. Fun is the word. Fun is what kids want.
Yes, they also want presents, but that’s because presents are usually fun. If you give a child 10 presents full of clothes, you know that they’ll just end up playing with the boxes. Kids want to have fun, so if your goal is to have fun, then you can change plans quickly and easily to facilitate the maximum amount of fun. Don’t worry if you’ve planned an activity that gets interrupted by something silly. If the kids are having fun, go with it, and come back to the planned activity later on.
Tip #4. Take into account the age group of the children.
I’m going to separate my hints and tips into three different age groups spanning birth to the end of elementary school. I have some suggestions for teens, and young adults, but those will be explained separately. My age groups divisions are 0-3 years old (Babies +), 4-8 years old (Early Elementary), and 9-12 years old (Older Elementary). Each of these groups will act differently, react differently, and find different things fun or enjoyable. This idea seems simple enough; for instance, don’t plan a Chuckey Cheese party for 12-year-olds. But sometimes parents want their children to be older than they really are, and they forget to let kids be kids. What happens more often is that people plan activities that are too advanced for the kids that are playing. For example: don’t play musical chairs with a preschool group. They will never get any fun out of being told to sit out of the game because they missed the chair!
Tip #5. Plan your budget for the maximum amount of fun, not for visual impact, or for “keeping up with the Jones”.
One of the facts that I had to face as a parent is that you have to spend more money than you ever really want to on family parties (especially birthdays). Budgets can definitely spin out of control when you start doing themes, decor, and gifts for friends. I try to remember that children don’t have more fun if they have matching plates, moms have more fun. I’m not saying that matching plates are not a good idea. I’m simply saying that in the end, you can weigh your budgetary considerations by which items will add to the enjoyment of the guests, and the things that they will remember years later.
Tip #6. Have a plan of attack for the party (I call it a Party-Plan).
It’s been said that the best defense is a good offense. So plan events, such as games, crafts, cake, presents, food, etc. Do not stress out if you have to vary the order of events, because kids don’t work on perfect schedules. However, if you have a plan, then you can always modify your plan. If you have no plan, then you may find yourself in trouble. And don’t forget that the goal of the plan is for the children to have fun!
Tip #7. Don’t forget both the pictures and the videos of the event.
In fact, assign a person to be in charge of both mementos. I can’t tell you how many times I have to remind parents to grab their cameras in the middle of my shows. The thing about special events is that they come and go so quickly. Every event that I work has certain memories associated with the party, but if you capture pictures and videos of the event, then both you and your children will retain more and more memories of that one day. Most kids love to watch and re-watch their party videos over and over again. And there is nothing like looking through old family photographs of special events to bring up wonderful feelings and memories.
Tip #8. Regarding videos, don’t take long continuous shots (especially of opening presents).
Instead, take shorter shots, but try and get every part of the party. Get all of the family and friends, some of the different kinds of events, some of the special décor parts (like the cake), etc. These are the kinds of things you’ll want to see later on—not continuous shots of conversations or opening gifts.
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