The question we get asked again and again is how much does it cost to hire a children’s entertainer? If you have never planned a child’s birthday party before, it’s probably something you are totally unaware of. There are several factors to consider when working out the cost of a kids entertainer. Fear nor, for we will go over these points below, then give you ballpark prices and then finally, ways to save money.
Tips for Cost-Effective Kids' Entertainer Bookings
Depending on where you live, the cost of a kids entertainer can vary greatly. For example, hiring an entertainer up in the North East is a lot cheaper then hiring one in London. Costs generally go up the further South you live. While Non-Stop Kids Entertainment have fixed costs throughout the country, other children's entertainers genuinely alter their prices depending on the location.
Day Of The Week
Kids entertainers will generally offer a discount if you book a party mid week instead of the weekend. This is because it’s a lot quieter in the week and entertainers want to encourage people to book outside of the weekend. This is one reason why after school parties have become so popular in the last couple of years.
The Time Of The Day
There are certain times throughout the year that entertainers will charge more. The obvious example is Christmas Day or New Year's Eve. However, many entertainers will charge more throughout the whole of December. The reason is demand is very high and therefore, prices can be adjusted to reflect this. Other examples of key dates include Easter, Halloween and Bonfire Night.
Full Time Or Part Time?
A lot of the time kids entertainers that are part time and have a full time job elsewhere will charge less. This is because it’s not their sole source of income and therefore, the cost is less of an issue. This isn’t always the case. We know several excellent part time entertainers that are exceptional and charge much higher fees. However, the general rule of thumb is that part time entertainers charge less.
How Long Do You Want To Book?
Most kids entertainers will offer a one hour or two hour package. Some will even offer a 90 minute package. The most popular option with parents is a two hour package because that way, you have an entertainer that will run the whole party. However, one way to save money is to just book an hour package. You will have to learn how to play some party games yourself but it will save a lot of money by doing this.
The Time Of The Year
There are certain times throughout the year that entertainers will charge more. The obvious example is Christmas Day or New Years Eve. However, many entertainers will charge more throughout the whole of December. The reason is demand is very high and therefore, price can be adjusted to reflect this. Other examples of key dates include Easter, Halloween and Bonfire Night.
Level Of Experience
More experienced entertainers tend to charge more. This is because they are generally in constant demand and have a stream of clients coming back again and again. They charge more to reflect the experience you are getting by booking them. Less experienced entertainers are cheaper because they are just starting out and are trying to make a name for themselves.
They ultimately don’t want to lose a booking because of how much they are charging.
Distance To Travel
Most kids entertainers will go anywhere as long as they are paid enough. However, they will charge extra over a certain amount of miles. This is because they have to cover the extra costs they are incurring. The key is to check if your entertainer is local and if there is a particular entertainer you want that’s further away prepare to pay for them to get to you.
The Amount Of Kids
Sometimes children’s entertainers will charge more if there are more kids at the party. That’s not always the case but it can happen. It’s worth checking to see if there is a charge incurred from your entertainer for the amount of kids you have invited.
The Quality Of The Entertainer
As a general rule cheaper entertainers will not be as good which is why they charge less. It goes back to the point we made earlier. The more experienced you are, the more you will charge. Our kids party entertainment have seen some amazing entertainers who charge very little. We have also seen some expensive entertainers who are terrible. However, as a rule you can expect a cheaper entertainer to be less entertaining that someone who charges more.
So, how much should you expect to pay for a kids entertainer? You can find them as cheap as £50 and as expensive as £400. However for a good quality entertainer that will come along and do a great job the average is £180 to £230 for a couple of hours.
If you want to save money you can make sure you are booking outside of peak time. You can make sure you are booking a morning or afternoon party so that your entertainer can do a couple of parties in the day. You can consider organising the party after school in the week. You can even just book for an hour and then in the second hour organise something else yourself.
Choose The Right Kids Entertainer!
Whatever you choose to do, make sure you do the research. Watch video Showreels, read reviews, check out your entertainer on social media and look at their website. Don’t rush the decision.
Thanks for reading. If you're looking to book a party with us, give us a call at 0333 301 3002 or fill in an enquiry form by using the banner below. We look forward to hearing from you!
