Birthday Party Magicians Near Me: Planning a December Birthday
Birthday Party Magicians Near Me: Planning a December Birthday
Children born in December spend their childhood sharing. Their birthday competes with nativity plays, end of term, family travel, and a month where everybody is already overcommitted, and a good proportion of them grow up quietly feeling their day got absorbed into something bigger.
It's fixable with a few deliberate decisions. I'm Magical Katrina, an award winning magician and mentalist, and I want to set out how to plan a December birthday properly, and how to search for birthday party magicians near me in the one month of the year when everybody is booked.
Separate It From Christmas Completely
Start with the decision that matters most. The thing December children resent isn't the date, it's the merging: combined presents, a cake with holly on it, decorations in every photograph, and a party where half the conversation is about Christmas.
Keep them apart deliberately. Separate presents, wrapped in paper that isn't festive. A party with nothing Christmassy in it unless the child specifically wants that. If your decorations are already up, consider a room that isn't the one with the tree in it. None of that costs anything and it's the whole of the difference between a birthday and a December event.
Consider Moving the Date, Not the Birthday
Worth thinking about and frequently resisted. The third week of December is a genuinely difficult time to get children to a party: families travel, school finishes, and other parents are at capacity.
Holding the party in late November or early December, or even in January, gets better attendance and a calmer day. The birthday itself stays on the real date with family, and the party happens when people can actually come. Plenty of December children prefer that, and it's worth asking yours rather than assuming.
Ask Other Parents Before You Pick a Day
Practically essential in this month. December weekends fill with nativity performances, carol services, family visits, and other parties, and a date chosen without checking will produce a run of apologetic declines.
Send a message to the parents you most want there before committing to anything. Two questions and five minutes gives you a date that works, which in December is worth considerably more than it is in May. It also tells you quickly if the whole month is hopeless and January is the better answer.
Entertainment Books Out Before Anything Else
The thing most parents learn too late. December is the single most contested month for any performer, and the weekends fill months ahead with corporate parties that were booked in September.
If you want somebody good, ask now rather than in late November. If you're reading this close to the date, ask about weekday afternoons, early slots, and the weekends either side of the busiest ones, which are considerably more available. A January party opens the field completely, which is another argument for moving it.
A Weekday Afternoon Is Underrated
Worth considering, since school finishes earlier than people plan around. The last week of term is frequently half days and relaxed timetables, and a party at three on a weekday in that week can work beautifully.
Other parents are less committed midweek than at a weekend in December, venues are available, and performers who are fully booked on Saturdays have weekday space. For a December birthday specifically, this is the single most useful scheduling idea available.
Keep It Indoors and Keep It Short
Practically relevant for the season. It's dark by mid afternoon, it may be cold or wet, and children in December are tired from a long term and overstimulated by everything else happening.
Ninety minutes indoors beats three hours anywhere, and a party that finishes while everybody is still enjoying it is remembered better than one that ran until the children were fractious. December children are frequently at their limit before the month even reaches their birthday.
Watch the Combined Present Problem
Worth being alert to, since it comes from relatives rather than from you. Grandparents and extended family frequently give one larger gift covering both occasions, which is practical and is precisely the thing December children remember with resentment.
You can head it off gently. A short note suggesting two smaller things rather than one combined gift usually works, because most relatives have simply never thought about it. It's an awkward thing to raise and it's the specific grievance that lasts into adulthood.
Ask the Child What They Actually Want
Worth doing with December children particularly. Some want their party as far from Christmas as possible, some love the proximity and want fairy lights everywhere, and some mostly want to know that somebody thought about it.
You can't guess which, and asking is itself part of the answer. A child who was consulted about their December birthday has already been told their day matters separately, which is most of what this is about.
Why Book Magical Katrina
If you're planning a December party, here's my case. I've earned multiple magic awards including a Family Entertainer of the Year honor, I've appeared on Blippi as a performer and magic consultant, and I've been seen on Penn & Teller: Fool Us and Masters of Illusion. I perform close up among the children so any indoor space works exactly as it is, I keep to the time you've asked for, I work weekday afternoons and January dates as readily as December weekends, and nothing about what I do will turn the party into a Christmas event unless you want that.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do December children actually mind?
The merging rather than the date: combined presents, a festive cake, decorations in every photograph, and a party where half the conversation is about Christmas. Keeping the two apart deliberately costs nothing and is most of the difference.
Should we move the party?
It's worth considering, since the third week of December is genuinely difficult with families travelling and other parents at capacity. The birthday stays on the real date with family while the party happens in late November, early December, or January when people can come.
How do we pick a date?
Ask the parents you most want there before committing, since December weekends fill with nativity performances, carol services, and family visits. Five minutes of asking produces a date that works, and may tell you the whole month is hopeless.
When should we book a performer?
Earlier than feels necessary, since December is the most contested month for any performer and weekends fill months ahead with corporate bookings. Close to the date, ask about weekday afternoons and the weekends either side, and January opens the field completely.
Is a weekday party really an option?
It's the most useful idea for a December birthday, since the last week of term is often half days, other parents are less committed midweek, and performers booked solid on Saturdays have weekday space.
How long should it be?
Ninety minutes, indoors, since it's dark by mid afternoon and children in December are tired from a long term and overstimulated already. A party finishing while everybody is still enjoying it is remembered better than one that ran too long.
What about combined birthday and Christmas presents?
Head it off gently with relatives, since most have simply never thought about it and a note suggesting two smaller gifts rather than one combined usually works. It's awkward to raise and it's the specific thing December children resent into adulthood.
Should we ask the child?
Yes, since some want their party as far from Christmas as possible and some want fairy lights everywhere, and you can't guess. A child who was consulted has already been told their day matters separately, which is most of the point.
Give Them a Day That's Theirs
A December birthday takes slightly more thought than a June one, and the thought is what the child actually notices. Keep it separate from Christmas, move the party if the date is hopeless, check with other parents first, consider a weekday afternoon in the last week of term, and keep it short and indoors.
Then book your birthday party magicians near me search early, because in December the good dates go before most parents have started thinking about it.
Reach out with the date you're considering, and I'll tell you straight away whether I'm free.