Hassle Free Birthday Party Tips

Your child’s birthday is a special day and you want to make it as memorable as possible. Organizing a great party can be overwhelming and disastrous without the proper knowledge. With this party guide and the instant downloads you’ll have the everything you need to host a memorable birthday party from start to finish. By planning early you’ll avoid as many headaches as possible, so let’s get started…

• There are a few important things to consider when picking a date and time. Pick a date that the “best friends” can make it out to. It’s best to pick a date that doesn’t fall on a holiday or other special day to ensure that everybody will be able to attend.
• Most successful birthday parties are between 1.5 hours and 2.5 hours long. The younger the children the shorter the party should be.
• Consider if you will be feeding your guests, as this may help determine when the party should occur. Good start times include 1:00pm for an afternoon party or 3:30pm for an after-school party.

• It is important to consider how many people you want to invite – this may depend on how brave you are! The birthday child may want to invite their entire class, but this may not be appropriate if you do not have adequate space or enough helping hands during the party.
• We suggest that if you plan on inviting more than 9 children, than you should consider having at least 1 additional helper, and if you plan on inviting over 15 children have at least 2 helpers available.
• Avoid inviting children that you believe may cause problems. They may end up ruining the party for you, your guests, and your child. If you invite a child that you believe may cause a problem, invite the parents to stay during the party to help if anything should arise.
• Try to avoid inviting children who are sick. A coughing or sniffling child could easily pass it onto your entire family and the rest of the kids. Also, a sick child will take the attention away from your child’s birthday party and distract from the magic show.

Once a few potential dates and times have been chosen, contact Leif David as early as possible to determine availability and book your show.

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To find out if Leif David is available for your date please call (250)575-7469 or fill out our online form. Dates are vanishing quickly. Contact us early to avoid disappointment.

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The best place to host a birthday party is in the comfort of your own home. In order to make sure your house is still in one piece at the end, designate “party areas”. Turn off lights and shut the doors of places that the kids shouldn’t go. Turn lights on and decorate the areas where the party will be held. Don’t forget to make sure the bathroom has enough supplies!

We suggest placing balloons near your house address outside your home to let everybody know that they have found the right place.

Remember to let your entertainment know if you will be hosting your party outside to avoid complications.

Hosting your party outside can be lots of fun and a great way to take advantage of beautiful weather. Here are some tips for hosting a magic show outdoors:

• Make sure there is a working power outlet nearby for the performer
• A shaded area is best, especially for younger children. Shade can be from the side of a building, a tree, or a pop-up tent.
• The audience should be seated so that they aren’t looking into the sun for the show
• Serve water so the kids won’t get dehydrated on a hot day
• Have a backup plan in case the weather turns bad and you need to relocate

The best way to hand out invitations is probably at school. Educate your child on being discrete when they hand out invitations and when talking about their birthday party at school. This will make sure that nobody’s feelings are hurt when they find out they aren’t invited.

Fill out your party guest list form with everybody who’s invited. Check off their name when they RSVP.

On your invitations remember to include; the reason for the invitation (i.e.: Sally’s 8th birthday party!), the start time, the finish time, your phone number, email address if you desire, and the location of the party with directions if necessary.

Send out your invitations at least 2 weeks in advance or sooner if the date is near a holiday or other special day.

Decorating the house with just a few ballons and streamers can go a long way to create a party atmosphere. If you want to get fancy – take playing cards (poker size or jumbo) and a some tape or thumbtacks and decorate your walls. (if you do not mind the holes) or take playing cards and cut them up into smaller pieces like confetti and sprinkle them on the tables. You don’t need to overdo the decorations, less it more, plus it makes cleanup easier once everyone has gone home.

Don’t forget to add balloons outside your house address so everybody knows they’ve found the right place.

Send out your invitations at least 2 weeks in advance or sooner if the date is near a holiday or other special day.

Pick a few cool game ideas from the list below. Remember that the classic games are usually the best, that’s why they’re classics. Get the kids interested and excited about the games. You only need a couple games for your party, so find the ones you think will work best with your child and their friends. Take your time and let the kids have fun. Let the kids snack on food in between games.

Prizes for games don’t need to be big or expensive. Try picking up a big bag of suckers and giving them out as prizes. Try and make all the prizes identical. Some of the games suggested are cooperative games; these work best because there are no “winners” or “losers”.

Download and print a Leif David Colouring Sheet and have the kids colour it in. This is a great activity when guests are arriving because new people can join in at any time. Plus you can wrap it up easily as soon as everyone arrives.

Educate your child on saying “thank-you” when they receive a present on their birthday and when they open it. It’s also important that the birthday child doesn’t play favorites with their “best friends.”

When opening presents write down the gift they received on the guest list form. When the parents come to pick up their kids you can thank them once again for the gift.

Leif David offers Official Magicians Wands as a goodie bag for all the children to take home for a small fee. Each magician’s wand comes individually wrapped and includes an instruction card with six easy to learn magic tricks.

Included with the Official Magicians Wand is a 10 minute long magic workshop after the show. Leif David will teach the children exactly how to do a couple of the magic tricks using the magic wand. That way all the children have something to take home after the birthday is over.

Visit the Birthday Party Extra’s page to learn more about our party favours.

• Food: Traditional food options for birthday parties include pizza and hotdogs. However, regardless of what you choose to serve, we suggest that you try to keep it simple, easy to clean and accommodating for potential “picky eaters.” Pizza can be delivered during the party. Most kids will eat 2 slices each. This is simple because you do not need to cook anything and clean up is a breeze. Popular pizza choices include pepperoni, Hawaiian, and cheese pizza. Hot-dogs are also another popular choice. Help put condiments on the hot dogs to avoid a mess!
• Cake: Typically you cannot go wrong with a Chocolate or Ice cream cake, but remember to keep your child’s favourite in the forefront of your mind as it is their special day! Places like Dairy Queen or a Bakery can decorate your cake in a magic theme.Instead of going with a traditional cake you could go with cupcakes instead. Each child gets their own and because each one is identical you can avoid any fighting over somebody getting a specific piece.
• Drinks: Kids love pop, but you may want to serve a healthier alternative such as fruit juice or punch. Try making a fruit punch with colourful ice cubes using Kool-Aid. Help the children pour the juice to avoid spills. If your party is outside remember to serve water so the kids won’t get dehydrated on a hot day.
• Snacks: Kids love to snack on chips or candy while the party is going on, however, you may want to consider a healthier option such as veggies and dip and/or a fruit platter. Eating healthy snacks can be fun with a little creativity!

The easiest and fastest way to create the party atmosphere is with upbeat music. Try using current top-40 tunes.

Let the kids wind down before going home. Pass out the goodie-bags and thank them for coming. Don’t forget to thank the parents for the gift as well.