What wonderful joy it is to help so many terrific kids celebrate their birthdays here in Atlanta, Georgia.  Here are some more pictures of happy kids from October magic shows by Jeffini the Atlanta Magician.

Here are some tips I offer my clients who are planning a birthday magic show.  

1.       Hilarious laughter is encouraged!!  - It is fine for children to have fun and make lots of appropriate noises and squeals during the show.  Jeffini will encourage that.

2.       Fewer distractions make the show better for everyone -- Please wait to hand out toys, candy, prizes, or snacks until after the show.  The children will all enjoy the show much better if they don’t have anything in their hands during the performance.  Also, please turn off all TVs and music in the house during the performance.

3.       Guests & parents - Please ask adults who want to watch the show to sit in the back quietly and refrain from talking, texting, or using their cell phones.  They are more than welcome to do so in another room, but please encourage them to place the focus on the children and not distract the kids while the performance is going on.  Placing their cell phones on silent mode is also a great idea.  Jeffini focuses on entertaining the children.  He may even fool a few parents, but the goal is to entertain the kids.

4.       Small children and infants – Jeffini’s magic shows are designed to be ideal for 4 year olds and up.  If there are younger children in attendance, I am counting on parents to supervise them.  It is best if they aren’t allowed to roam free during the performance.  If small children or infants begin to cry or make distracting noise, it may be best to have them removed from the room for a time in order to help the other children focus on the performance and make the show as terrific as possible for the birthday child.

5.       Remember your cameras!!  (and batteries) Please feel free to take photos . . . but understand that flash photography really distracts from the show.  We can set up a few posed photos after the show with the birthday child and Wiggles if you’d like to make sure you get good photos.

6.       Wiggles the Bunny - Please encourage children not to poke or prod Wiggles the Bunny when they have a chance to pet him at the end of the show.  Also, remind them that he does have teeth and it is best to keep small fingers away from his mouth . . . they tend to look a lot like carrots to Wiggles, and he loves carrots :)

7.       Balloons - Parents should monitor the use of the balloon sculptures after the children receive them.  Small children should not hold the balloons as they may break and can cause injury.

8.       Let me know -- Jeffini likes to involve children in the show.  If you know of any child that should not be asked to be on stage for any reason, please let Jeffini know before the show.   If any child has any special needs, please let me know that as well.

9.       Potty Break - It is wise to remind the children to use the restroom prior to the show . . . especially if they eat and drink just before the performance.  This will also help to limit the distractions.  Children can get VERY excited during Jeffini’s show . . . and . . . well . . . it’s just best to have the potty break BEFORE the show . . . ;)

10.   To start the show – It is best to have all the children line up just outside of the room or venue where the show will be performed.  Jeffini will meet them there and lead them into the performance space.  He will help them find the best seats. He will set the atmosphere for a wonderful show.  Please don’t allow the children to come into the performance space before or after show time.  

11.   To end the show – Jeffini will have all the children line up ready to head out of the performance room/space and they can pet Wiggles the Bunny on the way out.  Please have at least one parent who can assist in this process.

WOW - We just had the most marvelous time entertaining hundreds of children and adults at this year's Celebrate Freedom Festival here in Atlanta.  The festival is produced by 104.7, The FISH radio station... our favorite Christian station in Metro Atlanta.  They are wonderful to work with and a real joy.  This year, we presented 3 stage shows on the children's stage and one short routine on the main stage.  Our second show was rudely  interrupted by a rain shower, so we had to quickly make our props disappear from the stage . . . and the rain made the audience vanish as well.

But lots of folks came back for the third show which we performed with just a few items out of our pocket (since pretty much everything else was wet in the van).  My family also had fun working our booth making nearly 500 balloon sculptures for boys and girls and their parents.  We gave away a free magic show in our drawing and all had a wonderful time.  After our shows, we were blessed by Stephen Curtis Chapman's concert.  

We want to say thank you to Charis, who booked us for the third year, and to all the folks that work so hard to make Celebrate Freedom a grand success.  

Make sure you make your way to see Jeffini on the main Children's stage at Celebrate Freedom in Atlanta on August 30th.  I will be performing three shows and will have a booth where you can stop by and visit.  Bring sunscreen and lots of water... it's going to be a bit warm.  I hope to see you there.

This past Wednesday, we presented the premier performance of our new Safety Safari show.  We performed the 45 minute presentation for over one hundred children and a whole lot of adults at Chestnut Mountain Presbyterian Church in Flowery Branch, GA.

It was great fun for one and all.  Vern the Bird showed up when four children selected one huge laundry basket out of six baskets for him to appear in.  He gave us all a lesson about wearing the right helmet when riding our bike.  We then learned about crossing streets, obeying the traffic signals, not touching guns (and never pointing them at Leo the Lion or anyone else), staying away from poisons, and protecting our brains.  We ended the evening with the importance of trusting Jesus as our true Savior and the ONLY way to completely live a safe life.

What great fun.  Thank you to Chestnut Mountain Presbyterian for having us.  

Jeffini the Educator/Entertainer is excited to announce three new magical school assembly programs for Elementary Schools.  Jeffini will be touring all around Georgia and Metro Atlanta with these three assembly programs.  

The three assembly shows include:

 The Safety Safari, a Jungle-themed assembly program, in which Jeffini the Safari Guide will challenge children to Think Safe, Act Safe, and Be Safe!

Reading Roundup! a western-themed assembly program, in which Jeffini the Trail Boss will encourage children to love reading books for LIFE!  

Buddy Blastoff, a Space-themed assembly program, in which Jeffini the Space Commander will encourage children to be Buddies, not Bullies!  

Jeffini is also announcing a new name for this part of the business - Meaningful Assemblies!  Please pray that Jeff will have the opportunity to share these exciting new assembly programs with thousands of children in this coming school year.

Congratulations to North Georgia Christian School in Flowery Branch, Georgia, as they have celebrated their thirty year anniversary.  They had over three hundred guests join in a wonderful afternoon celebration with BBQ dinner, a silent and live auction, their annual art show, their spring concert with all the students singing, and some terrific activities for the children.  Jeffini the Magician was invited to entertain the children while the adults participated in the annual auction.  The show was a blast with over a hundred kids, while the school raised over $35,000 through their auction.  A big shout out to NGC and thank you for letting Jeffini be a part of such a special day.

Jeffini specializes in family entertainment and magic shows in the Metro Atlanta and north Georgia region.

If you are looking for great resources for activities at your camp or on your retreat, check out the following site.  Some of these games can work for your child's birthday party as well.  After working at camps, retreats, and schools for over 20 years, I love large group games.  Click Here for a great resource.

Here is a link to some great tips for birthday parties for 7 - 8 year old children.  Notice what she says about hiring entertainers in the last paragraph.  Hiring a great magician who has had years of experience can make your party a great memory.  The price is certainly competitive with all the other birthday party outings . . . in fact, a magician can be a great deal when you take into consideration not having to travel to another