No Place Like Home! Birthday Party Entertainers That Come to You
In spite of what we’re facing with the COVID-19 crisis, as parents, we still must look forward and make life as normal as possible for our kids. That includes birthday celebrations! We are doing our best to monitor any changes, and encourage you to speak directly to the business owners to make a plan that works best for your family. We want to continue to support our local small businesses including these entertainers who strive to make our kids feel special!
The list of birthday party venues is growing at warp speed, but sometimes the best parties are those at home. And, good thing, because right now you don’t have many other options! We checked in with our favorite in-home birthday party entertainers to see what they’re offering now and when they’ll be back up and running as normal. Many are at a standstill until groups can congregate again, but some have virtual options to keep the party going. Scroll through to find the perfect party option for your kiddo, order a cake and you’ll be making wishes come true in no time!
For Carnival Enthusiasts: Smarty Pants
Smarty Pants (yep, that’s his name) and his wife, Miss Dena, offer various balloon show and face painting options. But the one we wish we were young enough to star in is The Big Balloon Show. This ultimate performance art ends with a larger-than-life balloon creation made on the spot for the birthday star. We’re talking a giant kid-sized balloon airplane that stays inflated for an entire week. Parties are great for kids ages 3-8 years old. Plan hosting the show indoors because one little breeze can blow the whole show to bits.
Balloon Twisting starts at $399, balloon show packages start at $699, additional pricing and packages are available at smartypantsworld.com with full booking details on the website!
Covid-19 update: Smarty Pants is offering a Big Balloon package that features a 10-minute Zoom mini balloon show with Smarty Pants in his virtual balloon studio that ends with a big reveal of a balloon installation in your front yard. Check out this adorable installation he did for a 7yo's birthday in May. The cost is $299, plus any applicable travel fees for balloon setup.
For Harry Potter Fans: Scott Green
Scott Green is an absolute legend in his industry, having written a best-selling book for magicians about performing magic for family audiences, and it's pretty epic that he's right here in Chicago. He's the only family magician in the world to have appeared on the Penn & Teller: Fool Us television show. If you want examples of his performance, visit his youtube channel, youtube.com/scottgreenmagic, to see for yourselves.
Party packages start at $495 for a 50-minute show, however, prices may vary depending on age, location and number of guests. Book your party by calling 847-361-0924. Get more info online at thegreatscott.com.
Covid-19 Update: During this period of sheltering-in-place, families everywhere can experience Scott Green's interactive show via Zoom. When you schedule a Zoom birthday party, the guest of honor will receive a box they don't open until showtime that will allow the magic to literally happen in their hands. If you want examples of his performance, visit his youtube channel, youtube.com/scottgreenmagic, to see for yourselves.
For Soon-to-Be American Idols: Miss Jamie's Farm
If your birthday star just can’t stop the music, a party with Miss Jamie's Farm is a must! Miss Jamie is known throughout the area for her original barnyard tunes and magical puppet friends that she shares with the audience during her interactive sing-along, dance-along performance. Perfect for ages 1-6, each birthday party is completely customizable, so if go ahead and pitch Miss Jamie your birthday boy or girl’s theme-of-the-moment. She can totally handle it!
Prices start around $300 for 30 minutes of music. Book your party by calling 773-609-5054 get more info online at miss-jamie.com.
Covid-19 update: Miss Jamie is offering virtual playdate birthday parties because she believes just because you have to be distant, doesn't mean you can't be social!