keeping kids entertained?

My husband and I just did a birthday party yesterday. I basically just went to take pictures. He was doing balloon twisting. He is a very good twister. It was a small party, 7 kids. As he made each of them their balloons, they just took off to the basement to play games and do other things. It didn't seem like they were really that interested in what he was doing. The parents were all staying with us and watching him make balloons, asking him to make more, but the kids seemed like they could care less once they each got a balloon. They were about 4 and 5 years old. Have any of you had this issue? I noticed that he doesn't really interact a whole lot with the kids while he is making their balloons because he is concentrating on what he is doing, and he said he doesn't know what to say, do, act to keep the kids there and interested if they're not. I can sympathize, because I find that I don't interact a lot with the kids while I paint them because I am so into what I am doing. When I catch myself, I immediately try to strike up a conversation, but then I find that the kids either nod their heads in answer to my questions, or they try to talk, both responses make my job more difficult. How do you all keep the kids engaged and/or entertained while you are either painting them or balloon twisting?

You need to talk to the next kid in line - if you are painting them - you don't want the kid you are painting to answer you...lol
If you are not really a chatty person a bubble machine goes a long way to entertain the young ones.
Kids respond to direct questions - like "what's your favorite animal?
fav color?" etc - if they are around 5 I ask about school - whether they are just starting or looking forward to next year starting.
I ask them their favorite shows on telly, and I ask them if they have been painted before and what they got last time.
If they are shy - I try to make a joke like - " do you think daddy should get a princess face paint?"
If they are really shy I ask their name, introduce myself - tell them I have a little girl about their age that I paint all the time and ask them for a high five.
EVERY kid I have asked for a high five - gives me one.... this seems to break the ice nicely.
If I was doing balloons - which I don't do - I would probably ask them to tell me things about the animal - or whatever I'm twisting... like...
" hmmmm I can't remember do giraffes have long necks or long tails?"
the kids think they are helping you in your designs and they become part of it.
For what it is worth I have worked a few parties where the face painting was not exactly a hit with the kids - by the time I had painted a few and it was time for me to leave they all wanted painting - but it was too late.
You feel strange sitting there when no-one seems to want you - but parties are full of things for kids and they think they can do what they want when they want - they wouldn't have known you were only there for 1-2 hours and would leave..... so they think they can come back later.
If the kids are standing there complaining about how long it is taking and won't go off to enjoy the party and I feel I need to entertain them - I sing " head shoulders knees and toes - the version where you leave the words out and the kids have to just do the actions - and the winner is the next one painted. I can sing and paint at the same time and I don't need to wahtch them as they always dob in the loser.....lol
Hope this helps - but chatting with people comes easy with time.
My man sprays tats for me and he still won't chat with the customers.... I try and make up for him and be overly friendly to all.

It would seem I don't have a problem in the chatting department ^^^^ lmao - sorry about the long post.

Thank you for the help! Duh. I can't believe I never thought about talking to the next kid in line! LOL. Well, I'm just not a talkative person, so I don't think of these things!

I don't generally talk with the next kid in line... my time with the kids is their special one on one time with the clown. There is group attention during the show portion of a party with me and the face painting and balloons are a one on one interaction time.... I make little jokes with them, ask them about their pets or school or whatever... just make them feel really special. If I'm making balloons, I'll try to make jokes about the particular animal I'm making... if I'm making (or painting) spiderman, I'll sing the theme song (I can finish the painting and the balloon in about the same time it takes me to sing the whole song).

At that point in time, I don't worry about the other kids going to play after their turn. If they are hanging around and bugging me, I usually start handing out my colouring books and crayons to give them something else to do.

I talk to the kid I'm painting, sometimes the next kid, the parent, etc. I'm pretty chatty(look at how many post I have ). I always pull my brush back if I know I'm going to get a yes or no response from the child(head nods & shakes are common). I also give instruction, turn head this way, I'm going to pat on your eye, close your eyes like you're sleeping, not like you think I'm going to poke your eye out , I haven't lost an eye ball yet , etc. I try to be funny. When parents ask how to remove the paint I say, turpentine You get a great reaction.. hee, hee! I then tell them about soap & water or baby shampoo.
Ask them about school, favorite subject, did they do anything fun for summer vacation, etc. I have a bunch of kids I know all about from my regular restaurant gig.

I'm just a big kid myself, so I love cartoons. I usually ask them what their favorite cartoon is and (since i watch a lot of cartoons) I can talk to them about it and they love it. When I'm painting a little girl, I usually just keep telling them how cute they are and how beautiful the face paint is going to make them look. Boys, if they are getting something scary, I act like I'm afraid of them (of course this does make it a problem when they try to growl and scare me when i'm painting but i still do it any way. It's way too cute!) I never thought of using a bubble machine, but i do play some kid friendly music (but I try to keep it to stuff I like as well because I'm the one who's ganna have to be hearing it all day.)

I don't do balloons, but maybe someday. I do remember a balloonist who use to come to college registeration every yr and he was very entertaining. He was dressed in a funny suit. He didn't usually say much, but he was very funny. Several times he would make faces as he worked(like it was hard to blow the balloon up) and sometimes he would let go of the balloon to be funny A balloon that pops is always an attention getter

For face painting, I always talk to the kids. If I ask them a question, I stop and I wait for a response before I continue to paint. The little kids get step by step of my painting and glittering so they know what to expect. I also tell them how it will feel like wet and squishy or a poof of air for the glitter. They need to know I'm not going to give them a shot or something painful

I make all my balloons up before I arrive. I think this is a GREAT ice breaker. People all love my balloon creations and open right up.

It's funny that this has come up because I just this minute posted the following on the WHAT DO YOU WEAR? post!

I sing. I sing silly songs and recite funny poems.

Here's one that everybody can try:

ONCE, when I was VERY young,
I put a worm RIGHT ON MY TONGUE!
I didn't like the taste ONE BIT!
And SO, I didn't SWALLOW it!
(I wait a beat for the vomit noises to subside).
But OH! It makes my MOTHER SQUIRM!
Because SHE thinks I ATE THAT WORM!

(Ogden Nash is STILL my favorite poet).
I learned that one when I was 5.

Ballooning confession: I am N O T a fast balloon folder so I prefer to do them before I arrive as it gives me a while to work on my balloons and be as creative or simple as I want. I have several 'balloon bags' in different colors (laundry bags from the dollar store!) They are WAY big and make it possible for me to do two days worth of balloons and separate my designs for each venue. I always make extras too. When the bag is empty, no more balloons!

If there are a few more needed, it doesn't wear me out to make a few on the spot! For me, it beats doing them all in the hot sun!

Just Jenny is awesome at entertaining while doing balloons. She talks to you and looks you in the eye while make some crazy balloons (without looking at it). then before you know it TAH DAH! doggy hat! or whatever...

but watching the twisting is more fun than having the balloons!! I love how I can be 3/4 of the way through making something and all of a sudden the people are like, "OOOOOOHHHH!! Now I see it! COOL!"

How about playing up the part of him that does NOT speak. Like, turn him into a silent mime type. Joke about it with the kids. See if any of them can make him talk (they won't). It will surely entertain them and keep them occupied, plus allow your hubby not to have to talk! Like call him Silent Sam or something... Just an idea, might be stupid
Barbie

Lol! These are all great ideas. I am going to get him on here to read all this. Maybe it will help him. I know I will be trying some of these things this weekend at our next gig.

Perry, I have had hand surgery so I can;t DO all the balloons on site. Starting off site means none's the wiser and works best for me!

I don't do balloons, but I can relate to the "I can't talk, I'm concentrating" feelings some of you mentioned! To fix this, I talk to the kid in my chair about what I'm actually doing on their face.

"So now it's time for the tiger STRIPES... and now I'm gonna do your CAT EYES... watch out, here come the TEETH!"

It really helps me to be more friendly while also thinking about what I'm actually doing. I'm also trying really hard to not scowl when I paint. LOL. It's HARD!