What Daffy Dave has learned from his years as a party host/entertainer

Daffy Dave's Party Planning Tips
(for children's parties)

Make sure you confirm date and time availability with your entertainer and party site (if not at home) before sending out invitations.

If considering Daffy Dave for your entertainment, it's best to book 1 to 2 months in advance due to high demand!

For ages 2-3, little groups of 8-12 works best. For ages 4-8, try to keep your group size between 15-20. If more than 20 children, it's best to have a large room, big yard, or off-site location with lots of space. If the group is very large (more than 30 children), make sure your entertainer has a portable sound system (or can project volume naturally) so everyone can hear the show!

NOTE: A difficulty of performing for children at family gatherings is the ambient noise of adults talking during the show! This is distracting for children, making it difficult for them to hear, focus and enjoy the entertainer. It is appreciated if you remind your adult guests to hold their conversations down during the show or move to another area where they won't disrupt the entertainment.

Best time slots for birthday parties on the weekend are 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. If you want to avoid serving lunch, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. works great!

If your party is for 2-3 year-olds, they sometimes nap after lunch, so it's best to book these parties in the late morning or later in the afternoon.

Weekday parties can also work at your local pre-school (check with school), in the summer, after school gets out, or at dinnertime.

Do not serve food to children immediately before or during a performance. In addition to being a distraction, it is a potential choking hazard when the children laugh.

If party is outdoors, make sure the entertainment portion of the party takes place in the shade, preferably on solid, dry ground and no wind! I have found that children sitting in the sun get too hot and uncomfortable and can't see the magic tricks with sun in their eyes. This makes for a less than optimal experience for all! Also, if the entertainer is hot and uncomfortable, the performance is less than optimal. If the party is in a public park, please make sure there is available parking and easy access for entertainer to unload and load equipment. Be aware that other children and folks in the park may also watch the show and sometimes "crash" your party. If the entertainer is making balloons and giving away prizes, please let them know which children are in your party in these situations.

Ideal (and reasonably priced) commercial and community spaces to book your party on the Peninsula can be suggested by Daffy Dave. Some of the best and least expensive are: Round-Table Pizza (and other restaurants), local parks (check policies!) Coyote Point Museum, Motel 6 off 101 in San Mateo (group room), Barrett Community Center (for Belmont residents), Burlingame Recreation Center (and other Recreation Centers), local churches, schools, synagogues and community rooms at your townhouse/condo/apartment complexes. Ask Daffy Dave for other recommendations.

A typical birthday party format with Daffy Dave usually proceeds as follows:

• 11 a.m. - Party starts (most folks arrive between 11:15 and 11:30).

• 11:15 a.m. - Daffy Dave arrives to set-up, greet the kids and warm them up for the show.

• 11:30 a.m. - Daffy Dave's Comedy Magic and Juggling Show begins.

• 12:15 p.m. - Dave's show concludes and he passes out prizes to the kids, jokes around some more, and presents Birthday Child with a Daffy Dave Video and CD gift.

• 12:30 p.m. - Daffy Dave sings "Happy Birthday" (w/ukulele) to Birthday Child while everyone joins in and candles are blown out on the cake.

• 12:35 p.m. - Daffy Dave explains to the kids that cake will be cut up for them and served after they finish their lunch which is now served. (Or, the song can be performed before pizza, etc. and cake presented after that).

• 12:30 - 1:00/1:15 p.m. - Kids eat lunch, cake, and presents are sometimes opened.

• 1:00 - 1:15 p.m. - Parents arrive to pick-up their kids, or folks start to leave party.

Optionals: Add about 1/2-hour of time if including balloon sculptures to your Daffy Dave entertainment. If including CD party favors or Daffy Dave Party Bags for all the children, only about 10 additional minutes are required to hand them out to everyone.

For more information, call Daffy Dave at (408) 800-8159. Note: A phone call is better than e-mail to ask Daffy Dave party questions. However, Daffy's email is daffydave@daffydave.com