Whether it’s a small family gathering or a big birthday blow-out,
choosing the right performer for your child’s party can be a make-it or
break-it decision. We’ve compiled a list of New York’s
favorite children’s entertainers for bashes of any size or style.
CLOWNS
Each child who attends Looney Lenny‘s hilarious, interactive
magic show (with juggling!) receives their own clown-o-rific name. Every party guest walks away with a balloon animal. looneyluckylennyland.com
Juliet Schaefer Jeske studied clowning at the New York Goofs Ultimate Clown School, which should tell
you all you need to know. Schaefer’s talents include face painting, balloon twisting,
stilts, silly magic and the ukulele. rednosesnewyork.com
Sammie and Tudie‘s clowning philosophy: life is better when you’re
laughing. Boasting over 20 years of experience, this comedic, magic circus show
is ideal for ages three and up. sammieandtudie.com
FACE PAINTING
Not your typical face painting experience, the award-winning Faces
by Derrick will make your kids, ages three and up, wish to never wash their
faces again. facesbyderrick.com
Girls
especially love the signature unicorn design of Face
Art by Melissa. This mother of two
does fabulous face art and gorgeous glitter tattoos. faceartbymelissa.com
The owner
of Hearts Face Painting & Balloon Art brings both
creative art forms to birthday environments. Her professional background lies in
painting, so party spaces and little faces are sure to be transformed. facepaintingballoontwisting.com
Kiki’s Faces and Balloons is an
all-encompassing entertainment company offering face painting, balloon
sculpting, “silly people” and princesses. kikisfacesandballoons.com
Party
Faces By Rachel‘s
namesake has a background that’s practically a Ph.D. in paint. The Brooklyn preschool teacher’s ability to charm the little ones while she works helps
to keep them comfortable with the painting process. partyfacesbyrachel.com
MAGICIANS
The Amazing Max is so beloved; he even has his own
Off-Broadway show for mega-magic families. His high-energy, interactive show
blends comedy and juggling. maxdarwinmagic.com
Paying
tribute to the great magicians at the turn of the century, Cardone The
Ultimate Vaudeville Magician‘s act includes escape artistry, ventriloquism
and classic scarf, coin and card tricks. cardonethemagician.com
Ages 3-7 will fold into fits
of laughter at Gary the Great‘s comedic magic act. He adapts his show
based on audience response, so no two performances are alike. ahrealmagic.com
Magic Al‘s sleight
of hand tricks will stupefy even grown-ups and his goofy antics keep kids in
stitches throughout every performance. magic-al.com
Mario the Magician‘s 45-minute set is aimed at kids ages 4-11 who are
sure to go nuts for his silly antics, age-old slapstick humor and a live dove
named Mozzarella. mariothemagician.com
Kids
ages 3-8 (and their parents) will adore Silly Billy.This self-proclaimed “comedian
for children” uses magic, balloon twisting and lots of jokes to drum up
laughter. sillybillymagic.com
MUSICIANS
Led by Audra Tsanos, a highly sought-after
Music for Aardvarks instructor, Audra Rox‘s family-friendly
band is just right for Big Apple birthdays. Audra incorporates the
birthday child in the music and will have every guest jamming along on
percussion props. audrarox.com
Brett Band is the brainchild of early childhood music educator Brett Rothenhaus,
formerly of Little Maestros. His original music and kiddie classics make for a playlist that gets everybody on their feet. brettband.com
Moey’s Music Party
brings the pompoms, maracas and parachute for 45 minutes of royal fun. Try the Princess Party Package filled
with boas, bling and boogieing. moeysmusicparty.com
Meredith
LeVande, perhaps better known as Monkey Monkey Music, specializes in upbeat,
original tunes for little ones. Her parachute-, instrument- and bubble-infused party
shows instantly get all ages grooving. monkeymonkeymusic.com
mr. RAY—a pioneer of the kindie genre—takes a mix-it-up
approach to birthday gigs. Beginning with a concert and transitioning into a
dance party, the festivities end with kids stepping up to sing solos on the mic. mrray.com
A one-man band, Rockin’ With Andy makes kids and their parents want to
shake their groove things. Mom and Dad love Andy’s acoustic guitar versions of
grown-up hits and the little ones go bananas for his kids classics. Andy also
brings shakers, bells, scarves and animal puppets for maximum rocking. rockinwithandy.com
SPECIALTY
If you can
dream it, Nick the Balloonatic can make it. At it for 20 years, Nick’s
handiwork includes flower bouquets, superheroes, monkeys on palm trees, top
hats and much more. nicktheballoonatic.com
Wendy The
Pipe Cleaner Lady is a
category unto herself. Girls adore her tiaras, boys covet her spider creations
and even Martha Stewart wants her pipe cleaner flower rings. thepipecleanerlady.com
Robin Saks Frankel is a
mother of two toddlers and a freelance writer, editor and social media addict.
