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.