Children’s Party Venues- what makes a good one?

It’s a common question and there are a number of things to consider when looking for your children’s party venue.

I perform as “Magic Wanda” and my husband as “Professor Potty”, at children’s parties every week… it’s our job, and we see many venues – some better than others.  So what should you look for?

Parties at home

Cost is one obvious consideration, as children’s parties can be an expensive affair.  So why not have the party at home?  We regularly perform in client’s houses, with up to twenty or so children.  It’s a personal choice, but by carefully re-arranging furniture and removing fragile items, a “front room” can make a great venue to have a traditional style children’s party.

The Village Hall or Community Centre

The other option is to hire a hall.  There’s no doubt that a wise choice of venue can really make a difference to your child’s party success.  Apart from the obvious – such as a good kitchen that’s near to the serving area and suitable toilets, here are a few other things to look out for.

Is the venue large enough… or maybe it’s too large?  A smaller children’s party venue can have more atmosphere.

Make sure that there’s adequate parking (otherwise your guests and entertainer may end up arriving late)

Consider how hot or cold the room will be.  In summer, make sure that the windows can be opened!  We’ve both worked in halls in a heatwave, where all the windows were bolted shut and no-one had a key!

Does the hall echo?  Sports halls and gyms are generally not good venues.  Background noise can become incredibly loud, often making the children over excited and in turn affecting their enjoyment of the party and also their behaviour.  If you have hired an entertainer, the echo can adversely  affect the show.  Rooms with carpet are better if you can find one and are worth looking out for because the carpet deadens the sound.

Make sure that the lights work.  I once performed in a room that got darker and darker as the evening drew in!  And distractions such as unlocked pianos (!) and toys are best kept out of view.

A stage can be a potentially dangerous place for children, so block off the steps and close the stage curtains before any children arrive – a good entertainer will help you with this and also explain to the children that the stage is “out of bounds”

Make sure that the venue has enough tables and chairs for all the children and also chairs for any adults staying behind.

You may want to consider a a separate area for parents to sit and chat while the entertainer performs.  This way, if they want to, they can have a coffee and a natter, without disturbing the show.

Contact us if you would like advice on a party venue. Have a great children’s party!