Children's party entertainer cost and recommendations

Milky_Mocha

We'll be having a party for kids aged 1 and a half to about 10. We have no idea how much this costs and would be grateful for ballpark figures.

Does anyone have recommendations for Essex? Google brings up lots but I thought a recommendation would be better. Thank you very much.

We are not looking for someone to stay all day. Just a couple of hours doing maybe a puppet show and some magic tricks would be fine.

MiM

poe.tuesday

I have a suggestion - you will need to hire a hall and do the food etc and then you can hire out http://www.animalman.co.uk/

looks fun and is different

if you don't want to do that then you can go to places like indoor adventure places that do it all for you, usually costing about £7 per child

Doozergirl

I really don't know why you bother! It costs a fortune that way and you have to clear up afterwards. Most of the parties my little boy goes to are like that anyway; it's the same thing over and over again.

My little boy's last two birthdays we held at Brewsters. The one near us is pretty nice and it costs about £5 per head for an hour and a half. The kids go mad, it's all soft so there aren't any major accidents, it's supervised so I don't have to be responsible for every movement of every child. They love it; It's still not the cheapest way of doing things but at least I don't have to clear up afterwards!

When I was little most birthday parties were held at home; my little girl is having her 2nd birthday party tomorrow and it's basically a barbeque for our friends and their kids. That's costing less even with wine for the grown-ups, though I'm not looking forward to the washing up!

Milky_Mocha

Sorry I typed my question late last night and reading it now its not very clear. I'm after recommendations and cost for an entertainer only, not the cost of the party itself. The party would be held at my home so the entertainer would come to our house.

Recommendations welcome.

lil_me

I used to work as a kids entertainer for a fast food restaurant, we used to get asked to do private parties and would usually charge £12 per hour and that was for 2 of us but was about 5 years ago. We were asked to do it by a Newcastle Football players wife first, she didn't want the party at the restaurant as parents would be there. Hired a hall elsewhere.

Entertainers round here inc magicians etc charge about £100-£150 which I think is high.

modgit

Not very money saving!! but last year I paid £150 for a clown for 2hours and £120 for the "animal man" to come, again for 2 hours, for my sons parties. Both went down a storm and were the talk of the school for ages!! (dusted off my halo!) The animal man was the local one that goes around the schools, the clown I rang a few and went with the one who sounded most professional.

By us, ball pool parties are the "thing" so parents and kids alike were chuffed at something different.

Don't live anywhere near you, so sorry can't recommend.

Milky_Mocha

modgit wrote: »

Not very money saving!! but last year I paid £150 for a clown for 2hours and £120 for the "animal man" to come, again for 2 hours, for my sons parties. Both went down a storm and were the talk of the school for ages!! (dusted off my halo!) The animal man was the local one that goes around the schools, the clown I rang a few and went with the one who sounded most professional.

By us, ball pool parties are the "thing" so parents and kids alike were chuffed at something different.

Don't live anywhere near you, so sorry can't recommend.

Thanks for this post, modgit. I'd be interested to hear more details about your 'animal man' experience as I have emailed him following poe's suggestion. You paid him £120 yet his website lists a fee in excess of £200! Is his fee negotiable?

Milky_Mocha

poe.tuesday wrote: »

I have a suggestion - you will need to hire a hall and do the food etc and then you can hire out http://www.animalman.co.uk/

looks fun and is different

if you don't want to do that then you can go to places like indoor adventure places that do it all for you, usually costing about £7 per child

Thanks for the suggestion about animalman. That website looks interesting. I've sent him an email. I hope 4 weeks is not too short notice.

Mr_Rhubarb

Hiring an entertainer isn't cheap, and in my experience you don't always get what you pay for - you can pay a lot for someone who is hopeless!
It depends a lot on what you want - if you just want the children to run riot and burn off some energy while you do as little as possible get a disco, or take them to an indoor party venue.
If you want something really special that they will remember for years that keeps their interest and has them talking for weeks and takes their mind off the telly etc, then you need a real professional, and sadly there aren't many.
we saw one who was brilliant - Professor Paradox, but I think he is based in the South West.
His site is http://www.paradoxtheatre.co.uk
Hope that helps

modgit

Milky_Mocha wrote: »

Thanks for this post, modgit. I'd be interested to hear more details about your 'animal man' experience as I have emailed him following poe's suggestion. You paid him £120 yet his website lists a fee in excess of £200! Is his fee negotiable?

We didn't use the animal man mentioned, I rang the local one listed in Thomson/Yellow pages that goes to the schools.

He was excellent, we had 2 snakes, one small, one large, tarantula, toad, coackroaches, millipedes, scorpion and some others. All the children thought it was amazing, they all got to hold them if they wanted, and we'd had it in our garden (mmm not sure if I'd recommend that!) and he let the toad jump round.....

Oh, an I spent most of the time locked in the kitchen watching through the window screaming like good scared Moms do!

Katie~baby

An entertainer would be a good idea, realistically would a man with a load of reptiles keep toddlers entertained for 2 hours? Im sure its fab for the older ones but im not sure little ones would be keen.

One thing thats always a massive hit at our house is a bouncy castle! They are fairly cheap to hire and the kids go mad! The adults love it to! And seeing as its in 4 weeks you should have lovely weather.