Party Entertainment
Face painters who can actually clear a queue of twenty children
Face painting is the most reliable crowd pleaser at a kids party and the easiest one to get wrong. The difference between a good booking and a long queue of bored children is design speed, not artistic ambition.
A professional face painter uses cosmetic grade, water based paints made for skin, not craft or acrylic paint. They work from a design menu, keep brushes and sponges clean between children, and know which designs take ninety seconds and which take six minutes.
That last point is the one parents underestimate. A painter who offers elaborate full face designs to twenty five children at a two hour party will not finish, and the children at the end of the queue are the ones who remember it. An experienced painter manages the menu to the headcount and the time they have.
Face painting also pairs unusually well with everything else, because it runs quietly in a corner while the rest of the party carries on around it.
Who it suits
How long to book for the number of children coming
Work backwards from the headcount. These are realistic throughput figures for an experienced painter working a mixed design menu.
| Children attending | Full face designs | Practical booking |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 10 | Comfortable in an hour with room for repeats | 1 hour |
| 10 to 20 | Tight in 1 hour, comfortable in 1.5 | 1.5 hours, or 1 hour with a cheek design menu |
| 20 to 30 | Not achievable solo in under 2 hours | 2 hours, or a second painter, or a quick design menu |
| 30 plus, school or fete | Only with a fast menu or multiple painters | Two painters and glitter tattoos alongside |
What you are booking
What a face painting booking normally covers
Face painters price by the hour more often than other entertainers, because the value is directly tied to how many faces get painted.
Usually included
- Cosmetic grade, water based paints tested for skin use
- A design menu or board the children choose from
- Their own chair, table, mirror and lighting
- Clean sponges and brushes with sanitising between children
- Glitter and gems where they are advertised as included
- Public liability insurance and a certificate on request
Worth asking about
- How many faces they expect to complete per hour
- Whether glitter tattoos or arm designs are offered as a faster option
- Their policy on eczema, allergies and painting very young children
- Whether they need shade, and what they do in direct summer sun
- Whether they also twist balloons, which many painters do
Where to put them
The station decides how smoothly it runs
Face painting is the one activity at a party that creates a queue. Set it up so the queue is short, visible and out of the way.
Before you book
What to confirm before the deposit
Face painting sits on children's skin, so a couple of these matter more than they would for other bookings.
- What paints do you use, and are they cosmetic grade and water based?
- How do you handle a child with sensitive skin, eczema or a known allergy?
- How many faces do you complete in an hour, and what does your design menu look like?
- Do you sanitise sponges and brushes between children, and how?
- What do you need from me. A table, a chair, shade, a power point for lighting?
Related services
Pairs well with face painting
Get quotes
Tell us the headcount and the time you have
Face painting quotes come back sized to the number of children, so the headcount in your brief is the detail that matters most here.
- Say how many children and how long the party runs
- Mention any known allergies or sensitive skin
- Add balloon twisting to the same brief if you want both
Questions parents ask
Face painting questions
How much does face painting cost for a kids party?
Face painters usually quote an hourly rate with a minimum booking of one or two hours, which is different from the package pricing most other entertainers use. Rates move with travel distance, weekend or public holiday timing, and whether glitter, gems or a second painter are included. Send one brief and compare itemised quotes rather than working from a single figure.
How many faces can a face painter do in an hour?
An experienced painter working a sensible design menu will complete roughly 12 to 20 faces an hour. Detailed full face designs pull that number down toward 10. Cheek designs and glitter tattoos push it well above 25. If you have more children than the hour allows, either extend the booking or ask for a faster menu.
Is face paint safe for children's skin?
Professional face painters use cosmetic grade, water based products formulated and tested for use on skin. That is not the same as craft paint or acrylics, which should never go on a face. Tell the painter about any known allergies or eczema in advance, and it is normal for them to decline to paint broken skin or a child under about three.
How do you get face paint off afterwards?
Warm water and a mild soap or a gentle cleanser removes most cosmetic face paint. Baby wipes handle touch ups. Deep reds and glitter can leave a faint shadow for a few hours, which is worth knowing if there are school photos the next morning.
Can face painters do glitter tattoos as well?
Most do, and they are worth asking about. A glitter tattoo takes a fraction of the time of a full face, lasts several days, and gives you a way to get through a large group quickly. Many painters offer a mixed menu for exactly this reason.
Do face painters also twist balloons?
A lot of them do, and booking one person for both can be cheaper and simpler than two suppliers. Say so in your brief and we will flag it. See balloon twisters if you would rather book that separately.
Get face painting quotes for your date
Tell us the suburb, the date and how many children are coming. We come back with painters who cover you and are free.