Children's party entertainers help please!

[Fefifo]

Just posted in chat before i discovered this topic!

Right, so I'm doing a whole class party in a hall for my DD's 5th birthday and the idea of entertaining 30 kids by myself terrifies me so want to book an entertainer but am really struggling with deciding which kind and never seen one in action before.

I'm pretty sure that I want one that offers a disco set up, but would you go for a whole 2 hour disco or one that splits the time between a magic show and a disco? I was also thinking about just getting a magician for one hour and then doing some games with a CD player myself for the other hour. Do the children's disco (no magic) entertainers really do something great that would take a lot of effort to do myself? The other thing I was thinking about doing is getting a bog standard (cheap) dj and a bouncy castle, but the ones I'm looking at seem to hold around 10 kids max at a time so might be an arse to be making sure everyone gets a fair turn etc.

I was pretty set on the magician/disco type entertainer but then my sister said she'd never been to a party where the magician had actually managed to hold the kids' attention and they'd ended up bored. What do you reckon for a bunch of 5 year olds?

I know I'm probably putting way too much thought into this but all options do cost a fair amount so just want to make sure I get it right.

[StealthOfficialCrispTester]

We had a magician for DS's 6th party
I think he held the kids' attention OK (I was usuall out the back doing party bags or food!)

[InkleWinkle]

We had magician for DD1 6th birthday.
2 hour party. 10/15 mins for everyone to arrive, 45 mins magician, 3mins eat & birthday cake, 30 mins party games/running with balloons/giving out party bags.

Worked well. (And so did the wine afterwards )

[InkleWinkle]

Or even 30 mins for eats & cake!!

[PoppyWearer]

I've taken DC1 to a disco/magic party and it was fab, the kids loved it!

[Fefifo]

Yay, will go for the disco/magic option then. Could anyone recommend any entertainers that do this in the SE London area?

[iwantavuvezela]

Tedious if you look on the East Dulwich Forum (edf) there are quite a few recommendations for magicians etc.

[preeti222]

Few months back we celebrated my son's 6th birthday party. and as I am not so good at planning party so we hired party princess productions.They planned superhero party and provided spider-man characters for that birthday party.It was nice party.Everyone had lots of fun.

[GOM]

Avoid one company with one single guy.

[MortaIWombat]

We just went to one at Brockwell Park's lido (Whippersnappers party thing). It was for a bunch of 4-5 year olds, and the entertainer held their attention VERY well, even the, ahem, livelier elements, with magic and disco (including UV face paint she put on arms which they thought v cool under UV light). You seemed to do your own food, which must reduce the cost a little. I can't remember her name, but a white lady with long braids did it, and was brilliant.

I'm going to nick the idea for next year - it was fab!

[AmandaJay]

Hello. Can anyone recommend a good party entertainer for 5th birthday party? North London -20-30 girls and boys age 4-5 in a hall. Last year we had Mr Silly Billy Bluehat who was amazing but as everyone has seen him - and I have recommended him to so many that we keep seeing him! - I wanted to do something different. Have been to several other parties - seen magicians, princesses, etc but none held the children's attention or seemed to have enough control over hecklers!! Any recommendations appreciated. Probably 1.5 hr show.