As one of Atlanta Children’s Entertainers I get to go to MANY birthday parties each year. Actually only my accountant (my wife) could tell you how many parties. A few things Parents have been overlooking in ages 4 -8. WEBKINZ. As a Children’s Entertainer and balloon artists I am constantly asked to make a balloon that looks like their favorite stuffed / Virtual pet. This is HUGE parents. If a child is wanting a balloon Artist to mimic a online pet (that they play games online to win token to BUY clothing and other items for) then they are defiantly attached. Yet I don’t see any parents capitalizing on this desire. I get at least 5 phone calls a week with parents asking advice on picking a theme for their child’s party. Think about it for a minute with me. If you Daughter has a Webkinz cat she call’s Fluffy. Do you know what “Fluffy” likes?? Do you know “Fluffys” favorite food? Do you know how “Fluffy” dresses? YOU NEED TO FIND OUT!!

Why? Simple. It’s a INSTANT party THEME.. If “Fluffy” is a princess who like dirt PIE.. Then you have a Fairy Princess party, with the Birthday Cake being a “DIRT PIE” (I will post a recipe and ideas soon for one). Not only can you do that, you can look at how their “FRIEND FLUFFY” decorates her room online and see what types of things you should decorate your party with. (UMM The Balloon Guy Can Help, I am a Children’s Entertainer)

OK so now you have gone in and gotten your kid to show you around webkinz. BE CAREFUL “Smoothie Mooves” is addicting. You have your ideas. You have your Theme. Good luck. Like always I would love some feedback. So please leave a comment.

ARGHHH Maties!!! Tis the time to think of the seven seas, and to avoid having your party head to Davy Jones’ locker.

To top off your pirate party theme a scavenger hunt is the ONLY way to go. Not only does this sell your party and make it a great way for kids to have a massive game (as big or as small as you WANT!).

Supplies

This starts with small treasure chests, I have even used the plastic Easter eggs painted gold and black for this. You also need a few small puzzles (I like the 25 piece). You also need a LARGE chest for the final prize.  

Setup

1. Put your puzzle together and FLIP it.
2. draw a map with a permanate market on the back of the puzzle, leading the pirate crew to the hidden treasure.
3. put 1 piece of puzzle in each small chest (I use the painted Easter eggs for this).
4. HIDE the small chests..
5. Now fill your large chest with enough for EVERYONE playing to get booty.

The Hunt

1. Show those playing the small chest and tell them how many they need to find.
2. As they find them have them put the map together.
3. once all pieces are found flip the puzzle and let the crew go find the final treasure.

This is a GREAT game and depending on the size of you Map (puzzle) you can dictate how long it takes to play. Kids and Teens LOVE this game, and if you put a $5 in a few of the eggs for the finders it makes it even more competitive for youth groups.

I hope you enjoyed this article and if you would like to read more PLEASE sign up for the newsletter and your will get updates as more are added.

I have installed an interesting application – BlogJet. It’s a cool Windows client for my blog tool (as well as for other tools). Get your copy here: http://BlogJet.com

This will allow me to start blogging more often and get more information published faster to my blog..

I am so excited about having this and being able to REALLY start using it.

“Computers are incredibly fast, accurate and stupid; humans are incredibly slow, inaccurate and brilliant; together they are powerful beyond imagination.” — Albert Einstein

A Afternoon Tea party for many is a relaxing time around the table with refreshments and the company of friends. For years it has confused me about why ANYONE would want one of these dull and boring events for a party.  Then one day I had a brilliant plan for a fun way to put on this DRAB afternoon party.

the Madd Hatter

So came my brain child of a Twisted Tea Party

The concept of the event is to have silly games while in the disguise of a formal tea party. To begin you need to pick your menu and Kid friendly Tea. Make sure your menu is designed for kids with your finger foods being things like

• Peanut butter and Jelly
• Cream Cheese and Fruit preserves
• Cream Cheese and cucumber

For the TEA you are not limited to tea although having one or two hot teas and a few cold drinks as well.

• ginger ale with a couple sweet syrups (strawberry / lemon) goes over well
• bottled water
• pink lemonade

See to it that the table is setup very formal, I would even go so far as to have formal invitations sent out. Place a small plastic plate on top of the good stuff for the kids to eat from. Or read the CupCake Post.

Now that the boring part is taken care of get creative and think of some crazy games.

A fun game is to pass the tea pot. Your gonna need music.

Rules

• Start the music
• Start passing the tea pot
• randomly stop the music to eliminate players

Put some candy in the tea pot so that thoes eliminated get something. When the last person is left holding the tea pot they get a nice prize. I find that a  $5 Toys-R-Us gift card goes over like the holy grail at a childs party. Then again I have been known to get the participation of a easter egg hunt to 100% with even adults helpin by showing a $20 bill being added to the mix.

Also if this is the Madd Hatter Tea party. Randomly make everyone change seats. CLEAN CUP CLEAN CUP MOVE DOWN MOVE DOWN CLEAN CUP CLEAN CUP MOVE DOWN.

Until Next time. Don’t stress and enjoy a fun party.

And keep in mind that Balloon Guy Mike entertainment helps plan birthday parties and even does a FULL Madd Hatter Tea Party.

To book your event Today call 770 842 7467

This is a exciting activity that the kids not only enjoy but get to EAT. Helping you with various aspects of the party. It will let you take up some of the party time all the while letting all the kids have a great time.

Step 1 BAKE Cupcakes

1/2 cup butter, softened 3/4 cup sugar 2 eggs 2 tsp. vanilla extract 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt 2/3 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line your cupcake tin with paper or foil liners. Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract. Sift together the dry ingredients and add to the butter mixture one third at a time, alternating with the milk. Pour into the prepared cupcake pan and bake for 18 to 24 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Makes 12 cupcakes.

Step 2. Mix up some Icing

Step 3 Get ready for the party

I have only listed a few items in the list to add on .. What would YOU sprinkle on your cupcake?

For help planning your next event with Atlanta’s Top Children’s Entertainer contact Balloon Guy Mike Entertainment @ 770-842-7467

Birthday Parties can be some of the most fun exciting and fun events; because, there are absolutely no restrictions to what you can do. When planning a major birthday party, your focus should be on the guest of honor’s favorite things. If Johnny loves cheesecake, then single serve, multi-flavor cheesecakes are a wonderful idea. Once you figure out what the theme is spend some time brainstorming and go CRAZY with it. Keep in mind your honoree, if they like simple and formal, keep it that way, if they are crazy and overboard, its time to throw a WILD AND CRAZY party.  Think about your theme and work on incorporating some of your loved ones favorite things into the party. Let your imagination run wild. My mother LOVES Christmas, its her favorite day of the year, so for her party we threw a Christmas party. I even drug the tree up from the basement and decorated it, played Christmas music, had a Christmas feast, and played a gift exchange game with $10 gift cards that each guest was asked to bring.

When its time to start planning your next party for a loved one. Just remember HAVE FUN. There is no need to stress out and worry. It’s a party enjoy it.

Keep in mind if you need help planning a party give us a call, Balloon Guy Mike Entertainment specializes in helping you plan your next event.

Please comment on Party ideas you have below.

Have you heard of this fun activity? Its like going on a treasure hunt and trying to keep the hunt a secret from the hundreds of people who are around you.

Let me walk you through this FUN outdoor family friendly activity.And a Sport that claims that YOU become the search engine.

There are a few items you need to go on one of these outdoor excursions and be on the HUNT..

And the time to head out for some fun.

It begins as you goto the geocaching.com website and get a waypoint (a GPS coordinate used to pinpoint a location on the globe). Once you have found one you like print off the clues and a little bit about what your looking for …  I selected Puppy Dog Feet in Concrete (many times the names are clues to where you can find the cache).

Read the details as they will help you figure out the puzzle involved. And head out to find your first treasure.

Be sure to take something with you as many of these work with a take a item leave a item. I always try to either upgrade or match the quality of what I am trading. One that I found I left a rock in, it wasn’t just any rock either it was full of JADE a friend had given it to me years ago but it was time for this little trinket of mine to go find a new home. Other things I have left.. Super Bouncy Balls, Magic tricks, handmade items (I like to make wooden pens), and many other things out there. I have found alot of great things as well Like handmade pouches, wooden coins, a sharks tooth, and many many other things.

Here is a example of what one looks like (allthough they can be any size and anywhere)

There are litteraly thousands of these around metro Atlanta and hundreds of thousands Worldwide (even a few inside Disney). This is a great way for you and your family to spend time together and play outdoors. My family loves this and my father and I have even spent the afternoon in the woods looking around for a few of these near where I grew up.

I hope you enjoy the Hunt..

Till Next time

BGM

A few weeks ago Balloon Guy Mike had the opportunity to go and entertain at a celebration of Life party.

This party was in Honor of Brenden Heyde, a 8 year old and brain tumor survivor.

To read the Article about this Celebration Of Life <– follow the Link.

“It was a privilege to go and entertain at this party, I TRULY enjoyed every moment. When people are celebrating LIFE the atmosphere is energetic and happy. Best wishes to Brenden and his family, and I hope your enjoying twisting all those balloons”

Mike having fun teaching everyone how to twist balloons

Mike is currently working on a project that will be totaly online. A series of Videos that will let you know how to twist balloons yourself. These videos will teach you all kinds of things from the basic 3 twist dog to Mike’s Parrot. These will start off as basic balloons that every twister learns in the beginning, and quickly move you into more advanced balloons.

You will no longer have to wait for a public Balloon School event. These shapes that people love to learn at Balloon School will now be avalible online. We will also be adding balloon supplies to the site so that you will be able to get what you need to be just as twisted as Mike himself.

Here we go people.. I know many of you have been waiting for the new site design and layout. The new header  graphic still isn’t ready, but I got to start somewhere. This is the OFFICIAL launch of the NEW Balloon Guy Mike website. This site will allow visitors to post comments about articles, interact directly with Mike, and allow you to tell Mike what you would like to see. This move has been made specifically to allow you to interact with Mike more than just at your event.

Mike is also talking with various people around town and nationwide about writing articles on various topics from Trade Show booth Marketing, to Birthday party planning.

Other websites that are currently out there that are run by Balloon Guy Mike Entertainment will slowly become part of this one PARENT site, and all content will be findable under this specific site..

Things that you will find soon

• POP ART 101 videos, You to can learn to twist balloons
• Educational Shows information (the craziness of Professor Eugene Witless, Balloonologist)
• DVD’s, Balloons, Pump’s, and More (your learning how to twist now you can buy the supplies)
• The launch of Mike’s Deco Twisting services (from Weddings to Trade shows)
• Balloon Flowers (Mike’s artistic floral designs)
• Caricature Artist (have a Caricature made of a friend and have it shipped to them Via UPS)
• A podcast for Mom’s (this will go over things to do with your kid’s that are not the NORM)

Along with many other things SOON to come