Party Entertainment
Kids party entertainment, sorted by what actually holds a room
Nine kinds of children's entertainment, each suited to a different age and a different room. This page is the map. Pick the one that fits your child, then compare suppliers who cover your suburb.
Children's entertainment splits into three jobs. Someone who performs to a seated audience, someone who runs activities with a moving group, and someone who does a repeatable thing to each child in turn. Magic and character shows are the first. Entertainers, hosts and DJs are the second. Face painting and balloon twisting are the third.
Knowing which job you are trying to fill is more useful than comparing prices, because the three formats fail in completely different ways. A performer fails when the room is not set up to watch. An activity host fails when the group is too large for one person. A queue based service fails when there are more children than minutes.
The table below sorts all nine by age and by what they need from your space.
Browse
Every party entertainment option
Each one has its own page with the detail, the buyer questions and the planning notes that actually differ.
Kids Party Entertainers
All rounder entertainers who run the games, the music and the crowd.
ExploreFace Painters
Face painting, glitter tattoos and body art with skin safe products.
ExploreBalloon Twisters
Balloon artists working a queue of children fast.
ExploreKids Magicians
Comedy magic shows written for a child audience.
ExploreCharacter Entertainers
Costumed characters who arrive in role and stay in role.
ExplorePrincess and Superhero Parties
Themed packages built around one favourite character.
ExploreKids Party Hosts
A host who runs the schedule so you get to be a parent.
ExploreKids DJs and Disco Parties
Age appropriate playlists, lights and dance offs.
ExploreAnimal and Petting Zoo Parties
Mobile farms and handlers who bring the animals to you.
ExploreCompare
All nine, sorted by age and format
Use this to shortlist, then open the individual pages for the detail.
| Entertainment | Format | Best age | Needs from your space |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kids party entertainers | Activity host | 3 to 12 | One clear area and a power point |
| Face painters | Queue based | All ages | Shade, a table and a chair |
| Balloon twisters | Queue based | 3 to 10 | A sheltered corner out of the wind |
| Kids magicians | Performance | 5 to 10 | Seating, a wall to perform against, light on their face |
| Character entertainers | Performance or appearance | 2 to 9 | Shade, a private space for costume breaks |
| Princess and superhero parties | Themed programme | 3 to 8 | Clear space for a themed activity block |
| Kids party hosts | Coordination | All ages | A run sheet and the authority to run it |
| Kids DJs and disco parties | Activity host | 6 to 13 | A darkened room, a clear floor and real power |
| Animal and petting zoo parties | Come and go | 2 to 8 | Flat ground, shade and gate access |
Choosing between them
Three questions that narrow nine options to two
Most families overthink this. These three answers do almost all of the filtering for you.
Common questions
Choosing kids party entertainment
What is the most popular kids party entertainment?
All rounder entertainers and face painters are the two most consistently booked, because both work across a wide age range and both fit almost any space. Magic and character packages are more age specific but land very strongly when the age is right.
Can I book more than one type of entertainment?
Yes, and most parties do. A common pairing is an entertainer running games while a face painter works quietly through the queue. Put both in the same brief and quotes come back for the pair rather than separately.
How much entertainment does a two hour party need?
Usually one main booking of about ninety minutes, plus something self running for the gaps. Games hire or a balloon twister covers arrival and the wind down. See kids party games.
What if my child is between age groups?
Book for the older end. Children stretch upward happily and get bored downward quickly. If the guest list is genuinely mixed, an activity host handles a spread far better than a performer does.
Do entertainers cover the whole country?
Individual suppliers set their own service areas, and most work within one part of one city. Choose your area from the locations pages and your brief only goes to people who actually travel to you.
Tell us about the party once
One brief, matched to suppliers who cover your suburb and are free on your date. Free for parents, with no obligation to book.