The hectic time of holidays is almost here and will quickly be gone.
Are you ready to gear up for a new year of business?
Are you ready to file your taxes from this year?
In the aftermath of the holidays, it's probably a good idea to get all your receipts in order and make sure your spreadsheet of income/expenses is up to date (you do keep track, right?) Even if your business is coming out in the red after all the deductions, it's good for your own peace of mind to know exactly where you are. You can't get anywhere if you don't know where you are starting from! If you didn't keep careful track of your income, expenses and kilometers this year, start January 1st for next year. It's a good habit to get into and it's not hard to do. A simple spreadsheet with the headings: "date," "description," "income," "expense," "kilometers." Works well for me. At the end of the year I sum the income, expense and kilometers. Be sure to subtract the expenses from the income to see how much money you REALLY made and on your taxes you can deduct kilometers as well as a portion of your house expenses because you have a home business. If you lease your car, I think you can deduct some of that too, but I'm not an accountant, so check with the person that does your taxes to see what things you can give them to deduct in there. If you do your own taxes and know of a resource for looking up things like that, please post a link in the comments below for others who might find it useful. Lucky for me, my dad is an accountant and he does my taxes for me.
Make 2012 your best business year yet!!
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown :oD
Thursday 22 December 2011
Monday 12 December 2011
Resolutions and Goal Setting
Yes, it's coming to that time of year!! Take a look at your books from 2011 and see how you did. Are you happy with the year compared to previous years? We always want to do better, we all want to see improvement, but I hope that you are happy with how far you've come enough to be able to push yourself to do more and not bring yourself down with the grumpy gusses.
Setting goals for the upcoming year is often a daunting task. You don't want to set your goals so high that they are unattainable, but you also don't want to set them so low that you don't feel like you really accomplished much by reaching them. There are often one or two on my list that go onto the list the next year or two as well... There are sometimes one or two that have been there for a couple of years already and need to be removed so that I can move on to other things (juggling was one of those for me).
I thought I'd take this post to talk about setting those goals so that they can be meaningful and helpful. I'm no expert (as usual), but I hope that some people find my thoughts helpful in setting their own goals.
1. Write them down - put them in a place where you can look at them, often. Studies have shown (ok so I don't have exact references to the studies, but trust me they are out there) that having your goals visually in front of you every day makes it far more likely that you will accomplish them. Keep them at the front of your mind and push for them.
2. Be Specific - REALLY specific. Not, "make more money." Look at your income for the last few years, is there a trend in the amount that you are increasing each year? So take the next number you would expect and bump it up (just a little) for your goal. Make it a little harder than coasting along, but not so far out there that it is a ridiculous expectation. Then, be even MORE specific... HOW are you going to make more money? Are you adding to your offered services? Advertising more? Raising prices? Cutting back expenses?
3. WORK on your goals - ok, is that too obvious? Then why does everyone sit back with their business and wonder why it's not going anywhere? A really important quote that everyone should keep in mind with their goals, "If you keep on doing what you've always done, you'll keep on getting what you've always got." ~ W. L. Bateman
4. Share your goals - well, some of them at least. If there's something that you want to be held accountable for working on, then tell someone about it. Once you've said to someone, "hey, I'm going to learn to ride a unicycle!" ... the next time they see you, they're bound to ask how it's going! And won't you be happier to say that you've come a long way with it rather than embarrassed to say that you haven't gotten on it since you fell three months ago? You don't have to tell your customers your annual income and income goals for next year (unless you have investors and such), but let a few friends know what you're working on so that they can encourage you to get it done too!
Happy New Year everyone!!!
Make 2012 your best year yet :oD
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown
Setting goals for the upcoming year is often a daunting task. You don't want to set your goals so high that they are unattainable, but you also don't want to set them so low that you don't feel like you really accomplished much by reaching them. There are often one or two on my list that go onto the list the next year or two as well... There are sometimes one or two that have been there for a couple of years already and need to be removed so that I can move on to other things (juggling was one of those for me).
I thought I'd take this post to talk about setting those goals so that they can be meaningful and helpful. I'm no expert (as usual), but I hope that some people find my thoughts helpful in setting their own goals.
1. Write them down - put them in a place where you can look at them, often. Studies have shown (ok so I don't have exact references to the studies, but trust me they are out there) that having your goals visually in front of you every day makes it far more likely that you will accomplish them. Keep them at the front of your mind and push for them.
2. Be Specific - REALLY specific. Not, "make more money." Look at your income for the last few years, is there a trend in the amount that you are increasing each year? So take the next number you would expect and bump it up (just a little) for your goal. Make it a little harder than coasting along, but not so far out there that it is a ridiculous expectation. Then, be even MORE specific... HOW are you going to make more money? Are you adding to your offered services? Advertising more? Raising prices? Cutting back expenses?
3. WORK on your goals - ok, is that too obvious? Then why does everyone sit back with their business and wonder why it's not going anywhere? A really important quote that everyone should keep in mind with their goals, "If you keep on doing what you've always done, you'll keep on getting what you've always got." ~ W. L. Bateman
4. Share your goals - well, some of them at least. If there's something that you want to be held accountable for working on, then tell someone about it. Once you've said to someone, "hey, I'm going to learn to ride a unicycle!" ... the next time they see you, they're bound to ask how it's going! And won't you be happier to say that you've come a long way with it rather than embarrassed to say that you haven't gotten on it since you fell three months ago? You don't have to tell your customers your annual income and income goals for next year (unless you have investors and such), but let a few friends know what you're working on so that they can encourage you to get it done too!
Happy New Year everyone!!!
Make 2012 your best year yet :oD
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown
Monday 28 November 2011
Happy Holidays!!
I wanted to be sure and put this out there early enough that I wouldn't miss any of the wonderful holidays that stream their way throughout December! There are so many great things that all happen around the time of the winter solstice and however you celebrate, I hope that everyone stays happy, safe and well fed in the company of friends and family!
Merry Everything!!
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown :oD
Merry Everything!!
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown :oD
Saturday 29 October 2011
Ongoing Training as an Entertainer
As a trained teacher, I have always been a firm believer in lifelong learning. I will NEVER stop learning. There are many sources of education for children's entertainers, and this list is only a FEW.
1. Mooseburger Clown Arts Education - I cannot say enough good things about this. The fact that I've been there twice and I'm going back again this summer, should say a fair amount though. ALL levels of clowns are welcome and everyone has more to learn. There are special guest instructors every year as well as an extensive regular staff including Pricilla Mooseburger (Tricia Manuel), Fred Baisch, Karen Bell, Greg and Karen DeSanto, Christopher Hudert, Connie Kennedy, Dan Langwell, Brenda Marshall, Marcella Murad, Rex Nolen, and Terry Ricketts.... there are many other fantastic staff members as well. Instructors are all around you the whole week, eating meals with you, sleeping in the same facilities... they are just completely available to help you with just about anything. It's a whole week of full days of classes, culminating in the presentation of a huge stage show. The cost is frightening to look at first off, BUT when you consider that there are no other costs for hotels or food (except for the fact that I need to be gluten and dairy free, so I bring some special stuff for myself), the amount you pay for this is a steal!! 5 nights in a hotel type room, all your meals and snacks provided, 4 full days of classes with the best in the biz, being part of a stage production and making friends for life... it is totally worth every penny.
2. Face Painting workshops and conventions - Thus far, I have mainly invested in full day face painting workshops rather than conventions. You can occasionally find something within a day trip to do workshops with people like Nick and Brian Wolfe (of Evil Twin FX), Mark Reid, Marcella Murad or many other fantastic painters. If you can afford to travel and spend a little more, there are conventions like FABA in Florida where you'll find many more instructors in one place and multiple classes and competitions. You'll be paying a lot though for conventions since there is not only the admission fees but hotel and food expenses as well... not to mention travelling to Florida.
3. Balloon Twisting classes and conventions - I've found these to be a little harder to come by since so many balloon classes seem to be at the beginner level. There are a couple of conventions I believe, but I've been sticking to mostly day trips for classes so far. You can look up things like Twist & Shout or there seems to be a long list here.
4. www.Balloon-Animals.com - there are a lot of great videos on this website to get you started if you've never twisted before or if you're stuck on single balloon creations. I love his style and find his balloons to fit well with my cute style. There are many other twisters online as well, some of them more elaborate in other ways, but you need to find things that you like the looks of for your style of twisting. Sometimes just watching someone else do something a certain way will give you an idea for how to make up your own version too.
5. FABA tv - I haven't started watching it myself yet, but there are many face painting videos online too.
6. Look for classes on the skills you want! - Keep your eyes open at local community centres, colleges, etc. for classes on public speaking, music, puppetry, kid's crafts... whatever you want to learn to improve your craft. Just keep on learning everything you can, you never know where it might take you.
1. Mooseburger Clown Arts Education - I cannot say enough good things about this. The fact that I've been there twice and I'm going back again this summer, should say a fair amount though. ALL levels of clowns are welcome and everyone has more to learn. There are special guest instructors every year as well as an extensive regular staff including Pricilla Mooseburger (Tricia Manuel), Fred Baisch, Karen Bell, Greg and Karen DeSanto, Christopher Hudert, Connie Kennedy, Dan Langwell, Brenda Marshall, Marcella Murad, Rex Nolen, and Terry Ricketts.... there are many other fantastic staff members as well. Instructors are all around you the whole week, eating meals with you, sleeping in the same facilities... they are just completely available to help you with just about anything. It's a whole week of full days of classes, culminating in the presentation of a huge stage show. The cost is frightening to look at first off, BUT when you consider that there are no other costs for hotels or food (except for the fact that I need to be gluten and dairy free, so I bring some special stuff for myself), the amount you pay for this is a steal!! 5 nights in a hotel type room, all your meals and snacks provided, 4 full days of classes with the best in the biz, being part of a stage production and making friends for life... it is totally worth every penny.
2. Face Painting workshops and conventions - Thus far, I have mainly invested in full day face painting workshops rather than conventions. You can occasionally find something within a day trip to do workshops with people like Nick and Brian Wolfe (of Evil Twin FX), Mark Reid, Marcella Murad or many other fantastic painters. If you can afford to travel and spend a little more, there are conventions like FABA in Florida where you'll find many more instructors in one place and multiple classes and competitions. You'll be paying a lot though for conventions since there is not only the admission fees but hotel and food expenses as well... not to mention travelling to Florida.
3. Balloon Twisting classes and conventions - I've found these to be a little harder to come by since so many balloon classes seem to be at the beginner level. There are a couple of conventions I believe, but I've been sticking to mostly day trips for classes so far. You can look up things like Twist & Shout or there seems to be a long list here.
4. www.Balloon-Animals.com - there are a lot of great videos on this website to get you started if you've never twisted before or if you're stuck on single balloon creations. I love his style and find his balloons to fit well with my cute style. There are many other twisters online as well, some of them more elaborate in other ways, but you need to find things that you like the looks of for your style of twisting. Sometimes just watching someone else do something a certain way will give you an idea for how to make up your own version too.
5. FABA tv - I haven't started watching it myself yet, but there are many face painting videos online too.
6. Look for classes on the skills you want! - Keep your eyes open at local community centres, colleges, etc. for classes on public speaking, music, puppetry, kid's crafts... whatever you want to learn to improve your craft. Just keep on learning everything you can, you never know where it might take you.
Keep Smiling :D
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown
Sunday 16 October 2011
Cold season is coming
One thing that is a problem for every small business owner is illness. This is especially a problem as an entertainer though. What do you do when a little cold medicine isn't enough to get you back to your tip top shape?
First and foremost, don't go to a party when you cannot represent your business at its best. A runny clown nose is gross. Unless it is part of your character, a silent clown isn't much fun at a party. And if you aren't feeling well, your show is going to suck. I hate to say it, but I've learned these things the hard way.
Have a list of other people you can call. I there isn't another clown available, at least try and find another face painter, balloon twister, magician or other entertainer to fill in for you.
Call your client and clear it with them. Let them know personally that you are sick and express your sincere regrets that you won't be able to come yourself but that you have found a replacement if it's alright with them. Don't just send someone without talking to the client first.
If you cannot find a replacement, you need to at the very least offer their deposit back. You can't charge them anything if you cancel no matter how much preparations you may have made. If they cancel, you are out of work and need to be compensated but if you cancel, they are already losing out on entertainment for their party and should not be expected to pay anything. (I hope this goes without saying but you never know)
Another thing that I hope goes without saying is try not to do this often and ONLY when you are really sick. It's not a way to skip work. If you wanted the day off them you shouldn't have booked it to begin with. Once you have said you will be there, only extreme circumstances should stop you from being there. A better paying gig is no excuse either.
Take lots of vitamin C,
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown
First and foremost, don't go to a party when you cannot represent your business at its best. A runny clown nose is gross. Unless it is part of your character, a silent clown isn't much fun at a party. And if you aren't feeling well, your show is going to suck. I hate to say it, but I've learned these things the hard way.
Have a list of other people you can call. I there isn't another clown available, at least try and find another face painter, balloon twister, magician or other entertainer to fill in for you.
Call your client and clear it with them. Let them know personally that you are sick and express your sincere regrets that you won't be able to come yourself but that you have found a replacement if it's alright with them. Don't just send someone without talking to the client first.
If you cannot find a replacement, you need to at the very least offer their deposit back. You can't charge them anything if you cancel no matter how much preparations you may have made. If they cancel, you are out of work and need to be compensated but if you cancel, they are already losing out on entertainment for their party and should not be expected to pay anything. (I hope this goes without saying but you never know)
Another thing that I hope goes without saying is try not to do this often and ONLY when you are really sick. It's not a way to skip work. If you wanted the day off them you shouldn't have booked it to begin with. Once you have said you will be there, only extreme circumstances should stop you from being there. A better paying gig is no excuse either.
Take lots of vitamin C,
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown
Sunday 25 September 2011
Adding Other Services
The birthday party business has its busy periods and not so busy periods through the year. It seems odd because kids are born year round, but winter parties seem to be less in demand (at least in my area of the world). It may be a different time of year in your area, but the fact remains that there are slower periods and you may want to fill in those gaps by adding other services to your business. Here are examples of a couple of things that I've added and comments on making these things worthwhile for your pocketbook.
Costumed Singing Telegrams - I usually do this as a chicken, but I also offer a clown as an option too. I make a large balloon sculpture (like the birthday cake in the video below or a bouquet of balloon flowers) and show up to sing/cluck Happy Birthday to them in front of all their friends (usually at work). The whole thing takes about 5 to 10 minutes with pictures and stuff.
Holiday Elf - yes, I know a lot of clowns like to dress as an elf for the holidays. It's fun for holiday events to be sure, but I've also added another service. I get a copy of kids' letters to Santa and write them a customized letter back. I try to make it as personal as possible, commenting on the letter, on what they are asking for and try to find out something about their family/home life to comment on as well (like "be extra nice to your little brother, Jack" or "don't forget to feed your cat, Fluffy"). This can be for individual kids at home or a whole classroom of kids all at once. I'll sing some carols and read Santa stories as well on these visits.
Monetizing this kind of thing - Yes, these visits are a lot shorter than your average party. As a result, you can't use your regular hourly rates as a comparison for the amount to charge or you'll put yourself out of business in gas and wear yourself out running all over creation. These are not the kind of services that you will market towards cheapskates.... these are premium services for people with money for extras or corporate situations. I've had workplaces hire me directly to do a chicken-o-gram for a manager. Private schools and daycares may have the extra funds for special things to do with their class for elf deliveries where an individual family might not spend that kind of money. These are also services that can be hired during the week while we, as clowns, are usually only hired on weekends. You'll notice if you look at my prices for these services though, that I have to charge almost as much as my hourly rate for one of these visits... while the visit itself is maybe 5 or 10 minutes, when you add in my driving there, costume costs (wear and tear, makeup, etc), and material costs, the expenses are almost the same as one hour of regular work anyway.
Have fun and be creative!!
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown :D
Costumed Singing Telegrams - I usually do this as a chicken, but I also offer a clown as an option too. I make a large balloon sculpture (like the birthday cake in the video below or a bouquet of balloon flowers) and show up to sing/cluck Happy Birthday to them in front of all their friends (usually at work). The whole thing takes about 5 to 10 minutes with pictures and stuff.
Monetizing this kind of thing - Yes, these visits are a lot shorter than your average party. As a result, you can't use your regular hourly rates as a comparison for the amount to charge or you'll put yourself out of business in gas and wear yourself out running all over creation. These are not the kind of services that you will market towards cheapskates.... these are premium services for people with money for extras or corporate situations. I've had workplaces hire me directly to do a chicken-o-gram for a manager. Private schools and daycares may have the extra funds for special things to do with their class for elf deliveries where an individual family might not spend that kind of money. These are also services that can be hired during the week while we, as clowns, are usually only hired on weekends. You'll notice if you look at my prices for these services though, that I have to charge almost as much as my hourly rate for one of these visits... while the visit itself is maybe 5 or 10 minutes, when you add in my driving there, costume costs (wear and tear, makeup, etc), and material costs, the expenses are almost the same as one hour of regular work anyway.
Have fun and be creative!!
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown :D
Wednesday 14 September 2011
My NEW YouTube Channel
I needed to change things around a bit with email addresses and such... as a result, I've had to move my YouTube channel to a different spot. The old one will stay up there for now so you can still watch all that stuff, but new stuff from now on will be posted to the new channel.
Thanks!!
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown :oD
Thanks!!
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown :oD
Sunday 4 September 2011
Putting out feelers about classes in Windsor
I am thinking about offering to share some of the things that I have learned through my experiences as a clown the past few years. But before I start trying to pick a date and book somewhere to do it, I need to know if anyone would even think about coming.
The subjects that I feel confident that I could offer are:
Intermediate Balloons (Monkey in a tree, Super Hero/Ninja, Birthday Cake, Penguin...)
Approaching Uneasy Children
Beginner/Intermediate Face Painting (I'm certainly not the Wolfe Bros. but maybe some feel intimidated or financially unable to attend those?)
Applying Clown Makeup
Marketing your clown on a shoestring budget
If any of these would interest you, please comment below with which one you think you might like and what days are easiest for you. If you want to see the kind of balloons and face painting that I can do and hope to share, you can look on my website at www.perrynoia.ca
The subjects that I feel confident that I could offer are:
Intermediate Balloons (Monkey in a tree, Super Hero/Ninja, Birthday Cake, Penguin...)
Approaching Uneasy Children
Beginner/Intermediate Face Painting (I'm certainly not the Wolfe Bros. but maybe some feel intimidated or financially unable to attend those?)
Applying Clown Makeup
Marketing your clown on a shoestring budget
If any of these would interest you, please comment below with which one you think you might like and what days are easiest for you. If you want to see the kind of balloons and face painting that I can do and hope to share, you can look on my website at www.perrynoia.ca
Wednesday 24 August 2011
Approaching Children that are Uneasy
Let's start this post with a definition of a phobia because it is often an overused term with respect to clowns.
(from Wikipedia) A phobia (from the Greek: φόβος, Phóbos, meaning "fear" or "morbid fear") is a type of anxiety disorder, usually defined as a persistent fear of an object or situation in which the sufferer commits to great lengths in avoiding, typically disproportional to the actual danger posed, often being recognized as irrational. In the event the phobia cannot be avoided entirely the sufferer will endure the situation or object with marked distress and significant interference in social or occupational activities.
The official term for a phobia of clowns is Coulrophobia. It does exist, but it is far more rare than most people may think. The people with this phobia will not come anywhere near you as a clown. They will be on the other side of the road, park, or house. They will not stand next to you and say, "you're freaking me out, man!" Those people are playing the game that is for some reason "cool" right now to say that they are "afraid" of clowns. As someone who has many phobias, I can tell the difference. They would respond to me the same way that I respond to dogs, cats, bees, the dark, etc.
Moving on, you will occasionally find that some people are uncomfortable or shy around you upon first seeing you. There are ways to respond to this behaviour that will also help people with real fears to feel less anxious as well. In my personal experience, if given at least half an hour, I have been able to win over every child to be comfortable with me at this point. There may come a time when there is one or two that don't come around, but I'm ok with that too. There was ONE instance where I had won over the child to play with me, only to find that he had an extreme balloon phobia and had to leave the room at that point since I had been hired to twist balloons for all the children... he went to another room with a colouring book and crayons and was happy there, however, so all went well.
On to how to do this. This lesson could be taught more easily in person, but if even this amount helps you in your work, I'm happy.
1. Be Aware - of everyone around you. And I mean EVERYONE. You should know they are there before they know you are there. This is hard, especially when you are also trying to entertain and interact with the people that are already there, but it is important that you notice their initial reaction to you immediately. It greatly affects how you will interact with them.
2. Eye Contact - make eye contact with everyone, but with the people who seem uncomfortable, make it out of the corner of your eyes or with your head down. You want to look shy towards them. You cannot look confidently towards someone who is uneasy with you or they will feel intimidated by your confidence. With little ones you can play a peek-a-boo kind of game with this, but I'll get into that more later.
3. Body Language - if you can, you want to make them taller than you. You want to make them feel completely in control of the situation. I will get down on my knees usually for these children or (hopefully) their parents will be holding them and they'll already be taller than me (I'm short). Your body language should indicate shyness or slight submissiveness, but not be unfriendly or unwelcoming. Pretend you are a shy 3 year old yourself, that's something they are familiar with even if your makeup and appearance is not familiar.
4. Voice - don't be Binky the Clown from Garfield. We all have a tone of voice that we use with babies and young children. Let's be clear that I don't mean that you should change your vocabulary or grammar (I speak with children using the same word choices and grammar that I would use with adults because that is what I want them to learn), but use your soft tone of voice.
5. Breaking the Ice - This is where you need to draw them in. You could do all those other things and just let them walk on by, but that isn't going to help your cause. Here is where you can play peek-a-boo, little "hiding" games that always let them see where you are and allow them to control how close they get to you (hide behind a narrow pole and cover your face like you are hiding), etc. Let them know that it is ok for them to stay 'over there.' I always have stickers in my pockets.... stickers are both a gift for children whose parents don't want to buy them a balloon or face painting and a peace offering for children who are uneasy. Your peace offering can be given at arms length or given to a parent to pass along, it will have the same effect. At a party, invite them to come and play whenever they are ready, but don't push and invite them to watch from the safety of their parent's arms if they are not ready yet. Every once in a while, check in with them and invite them again, but remember that as long as they are happy watching from where they are, they are enjoying you and your performance in their own way. The one that was climbing their mother's leg when they first saw you, just might be posing for pictures with you by the end of the party.
I really do hope that this helps you to be comfortable with all the "fearful children." Really, they are just not sure what to expect from you. They have been trained to avoid strangers and you are about as strange a thing as they have ever seen, but everyone just expects them to jump for joy at your mere presence. You need to show them that you are safe, you need to earn their trust, not just expect it.
(from Wikipedia) A phobia (from the Greek: φόβος, Phóbos, meaning "fear" or "morbid fear") is a type of anxiety disorder, usually defined as a persistent fear of an object or situation in which the sufferer commits to great lengths in avoiding, typically disproportional to the actual danger posed, often being recognized as irrational. In the event the phobia cannot be avoided entirely the sufferer will endure the situation or object with marked distress and significant interference in social or occupational activities.
The official term for a phobia of clowns is Coulrophobia. It does exist, but it is far more rare than most people may think. The people with this phobia will not come anywhere near you as a clown. They will be on the other side of the road, park, or house. They will not stand next to you and say, "you're freaking me out, man!" Those people are playing the game that is for some reason "cool" right now to say that they are "afraid" of clowns. As someone who has many phobias, I can tell the difference. They would respond to me the same way that I respond to dogs, cats, bees, the dark, etc.
Moving on, you will occasionally find that some people are uncomfortable or shy around you upon first seeing you. There are ways to respond to this behaviour that will also help people with real fears to feel less anxious as well. In my personal experience, if given at least half an hour, I have been able to win over every child to be comfortable with me at this point. There may come a time when there is one or two that don't come around, but I'm ok with that too. There was ONE instance where I had won over the child to play with me, only to find that he had an extreme balloon phobia and had to leave the room at that point since I had been hired to twist balloons for all the children... he went to another room with a colouring book and crayons and was happy there, however, so all went well.
On to how to do this. This lesson could be taught more easily in person, but if even this amount helps you in your work, I'm happy.
1. Be Aware - of everyone around you. And I mean EVERYONE. You should know they are there before they know you are there. This is hard, especially when you are also trying to entertain and interact with the people that are already there, but it is important that you notice their initial reaction to you immediately. It greatly affects how you will interact with them.
2. Eye Contact - make eye contact with everyone, but with the people who seem uncomfortable, make it out of the corner of your eyes or with your head down. You want to look shy towards them. You cannot look confidently towards someone who is uneasy with you or they will feel intimidated by your confidence. With little ones you can play a peek-a-boo kind of game with this, but I'll get into that more later.
3. Body Language - if you can, you want to make them taller than you. You want to make them feel completely in control of the situation. I will get down on my knees usually for these children or (hopefully) their parents will be holding them and they'll already be taller than me (I'm short). Your body language should indicate shyness or slight submissiveness, but not be unfriendly or unwelcoming. Pretend you are a shy 3 year old yourself, that's something they are familiar with even if your makeup and appearance is not familiar.
4. Voice - don't be Binky the Clown from Garfield. We all have a tone of voice that we use with babies and young children. Let's be clear that I don't mean that you should change your vocabulary or grammar (I speak with children using the same word choices and grammar that I would use with adults because that is what I want them to learn), but use your soft tone of voice.
5. Breaking the Ice - This is where you need to draw them in. You could do all those other things and just let them walk on by, but that isn't going to help your cause. Here is where you can play peek-a-boo, little "hiding" games that always let them see where you are and allow them to control how close they get to you (hide behind a narrow pole and cover your face like you are hiding), etc. Let them know that it is ok for them to stay 'over there.' I always have stickers in my pockets.... stickers are both a gift for children whose parents don't want to buy them a balloon or face painting and a peace offering for children who are uneasy. Your peace offering can be given at arms length or given to a parent to pass along, it will have the same effect. At a party, invite them to come and play whenever they are ready, but don't push and invite them to watch from the safety of their parent's arms if they are not ready yet. Every once in a while, check in with them and invite them again, but remember that as long as they are happy watching from where they are, they are enjoying you and your performance in their own way. The one that was climbing their mother's leg when they first saw you, just might be posing for pictures with you by the end of the party.
I really do hope that this helps you to be comfortable with all the "fearful children." Really, they are just not sure what to expect from you. They have been trained to avoid strangers and you are about as strange a thing as they have ever seen, but everyone just expects them to jump for joy at your mere presence. You need to show them that you are safe, you need to earn their trust, not just expect it.
Keep Smiling!! :D
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown
Tuesday 2 August 2011
Customer Management
As a clown, I have a new client for pretty much every event that I do. Not to say that repeat customers are unheard of, but it IS usually a once a year or less kind of situation for most people. This means that I have a LOT of different customer information to organize. So, I thought I'd take a blog post to talk about some of the ways that a clown can keep it all straight. I'll try not to make this sound like a commercial for all my little gadgets by mentioning some "low tech" methods that I've used in the past too.
When I first got started with all these parties, I had a paper binder that I sorted this stuff in. There were two sections to it:
1. Calendar - a day timer type page with things divided into morning, afternoon and evening because I'm not comfortable booking things too close together. I'm obsessed with being early for everything, so I need lots of time between things. ;)
2. Booking Sheets - pages that I fill out for every event with blanks for all the information that I need to get on my phone calls.
This worked well for me for quite a while and I kept all the past event forms in a duotang.
If however, you happen to have an ipad and/or iphone...
Cozi has been a fantastic calendar app for my family. It updates everything between the Cozi website and all connected mobile devices. It has a calendar (sorted by family member), shopping lists, to-do lists... it's just a really good app.
As far as sorting customer information by events, what you need is a database. There are a few different apps that do those, but the one I'm using is pretty easy to use and customize. It also exports files to a spreadsheet so you can keep a backup of all your information periodically. My choice is called TapForms. I use the one for ipad rather than iphone because I like to have more room on the screen while I'm doing it and I can do it while I'm on my iphone without switching to speakerphone.
What information do I collect?
Date
Time
Customer Name
Guest of Honour
Phone
email
location of event
mailing address (if different from event)
type of event (select from: party, greeting, hourly event, fundraiser, stage show, pay per face/balloon)
character (select from: Perry Noia, Cadenza, Freddie Farensquair, Chicken) ... probably adding an elf soon
estimated number of children
length of time
price quoted
deposit paid (check box) (although you could do an amount if your deposit amount varies)
party show (check box)
balloon twisting (check box)
face painting (check box)
stage show (check box)
greeting (check box)
large balloon sculpture (check box)
contact source
notes
I can edit fields, add fields, etc as needed and it goes really fast to take information down on a call.
The most important thing when taking customer information though is to keep it very well organized and up to date with ALL of the information that you have. It's a good idea to keep as much of your old info as possible as well. You never know when you'll want to look back at that information and if it's as simple as keeping a few spreadsheet files, it's not as hard as some very full duotangs.
Keep Smiling! :oD
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown
When I first got started with all these parties, I had a paper binder that I sorted this stuff in. There were two sections to it:
1. Calendar - a day timer type page with things divided into morning, afternoon and evening because I'm not comfortable booking things too close together. I'm obsessed with being early for everything, so I need lots of time between things. ;)
2. Booking Sheets - pages that I fill out for every event with blanks for all the information that I need to get on my phone calls.
This worked well for me for quite a while and I kept all the past event forms in a duotang.
If however, you happen to have an ipad and/or iphone...
Cozi has been a fantastic calendar app for my family. It updates everything between the Cozi website and all connected mobile devices. It has a calendar (sorted by family member), shopping lists, to-do lists... it's just a really good app.
As far as sorting customer information by events, what you need is a database. There are a few different apps that do those, but the one I'm using is pretty easy to use and customize. It also exports files to a spreadsheet so you can keep a backup of all your information periodically. My choice is called TapForms. I use the one for ipad rather than iphone because I like to have more room on the screen while I'm doing it and I can do it while I'm on my iphone without switching to speakerphone.
What information do I collect?
Date
Time
Customer Name
Guest of Honour
Phone
location of event
mailing address (if different from event)
type of event (select from: party, greeting, hourly event, fundraiser, stage show, pay per face/balloon)
character (select from: Perry Noia, Cadenza, Freddie Farensquair, Chicken) ... probably adding an elf soon
estimated number of children
length of time
price quoted
deposit paid (check box) (although you could do an amount if your deposit amount varies)
party show (check box)
balloon twisting (check box)
face painting (check box)
stage show (check box)
greeting (check box)
large balloon sculpture (check box)
contact source
notes
I can edit fields, add fields, etc as needed and it goes really fast to take information down on a call.
The most important thing when taking customer information though is to keep it very well organized and up to date with ALL of the information that you have. It's a good idea to keep as much of your old info as possible as well. You never know when you'll want to look back at that information and if it's as simple as keeping a few spreadsheet files, it's not as hard as some very full duotangs.
Keep Smiling! :oD
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown
Wednesday 15 June 2011
Helping Your Search Results ... freely or cheaply
I'm not an expert, but I've done some research on my own and it seems to be working alright so far. We all want our websites to show up at the top of the google search results for our area. As clowns, most of us couldn't care less how we show up in a global search, so a lot of professional SEO type things are really unnecessary for us. These are a few things that I've done and have discovered that are bumping my page ever upward without spending more than I'm making.
1. Links - if you read anything about your google rating, you'll see that links to your site are the biggest thing. You need QUALITY links from related sites to your site. To be at the VERY top of the list, you generally have to pay a fortune for the biggest sites (like yellowpages) to link to you. But if you show up on the first page, you're doing pretty well and some of the other things might bump you to the top anyway. Find all the free directory sites for your area, province/state, country, type of service and put your listing on there. Prioritize the sites that will post your link and not just your phone number... those are ok too but most people probably don't look at the directories and it won't help your search results. Get as many as you can find without paying for them, I've paid for a couple in the past and it doesn't accomplish anything.. the only people who look at the actual pages are you and your competition. You can also do a link exchange with local businesses that you think your customers might like as well... you post their link on your site and they'll post your link on theirs.
2. Keywords - if you want to and can figure out how to do it on your site yourself, you can add keyword meta tags, but it's not a big deal. What you really need to focus on is that the keywords that people will use to search for you are ON your pages! I can't tell you how many clowns/face painters have websites that don't list the area they serve on their site.... anywhere! It needs to be at least on your index page and it doesn't need to be listed in a weird way, just somewhere on there. For me: clown, windsor, ontario, face painting, balloons, party, etc. If they are not on your site somewhere, then how will google know to show you for those search words?
3. URL - pay for a custom one or not, I personally don't think it's that big a deal... the free ones that come with free hosting are not all that bad. I did recently start paying for one, because I wanted it. The biggest issue with the URL is to do with time... your site will automatically move up in importance in searches once it has been around for at least a year. A whole year??? Yes, a year. This is where a little patience comes into play, but keep in mind that most small businesses take a good 2 or 3 years before they really start to do well. You can do it!
4. Google Places - sign up... get a google places page. It's as simple as that, it's free and it puts you at the TOP of the search page. Yes, it is slightly separated from the "regular search results," but you're at the top so whatever. A few extra clicks here and there and it's worth the few minutes that it takes to set it up. I think you can even set it for an intersection rather than your home address if you don't want to be so specific as to where you live.
5. Google AdWords - ok, so here you have to pay a little bit. But, you get to pick just how much you want to spend. You sign up and fill in all your info, then you can set a daily budget... when your ads reach that budget, they stop showing up for the day and start again the next day. The nice thing with adwords is that it not only shows on google searches, but in all those little sponsored ads on other websites. A friend of mine told me she was watching YouTube with her kids and my ad showed up! The other great thing about adwords is that you can set who sees your ads based on where they are searching from. The only people that see my ads are searching from my area. Because I'm in a border town, it means that a few people from Detroit occasionally click it, but it's pretty good anyway... I don't have to advertise across Ontario or across Canada, just where I tell it. I can type in actually cities and towns or pick a point on the map and tell it how many km radius from there.
So, there are my main tips on bumping yourself up the search results line. There are many more. If you'd like to share a couple of your tips in the comments, I'd love to hear them!!
Keep Smiling!! :oD
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown
1. Links - if you read anything about your google rating, you'll see that links to your site are the biggest thing. You need QUALITY links from related sites to your site. To be at the VERY top of the list, you generally have to pay a fortune for the biggest sites (like yellowpages) to link to you. But if you show up on the first page, you're doing pretty well and some of the other things might bump you to the top anyway. Find all the free directory sites for your area, province/state, country, type of service and put your listing on there. Prioritize the sites that will post your link and not just your phone number... those are ok too but most people probably don't look at the directories and it won't help your search results. Get as many as you can find without paying for them, I've paid for a couple in the past and it doesn't accomplish anything.. the only people who look at the actual pages are you and your competition. You can also do a link exchange with local businesses that you think your customers might like as well... you post their link on your site and they'll post your link on theirs.
2. Keywords - if you want to and can figure out how to do it on your site yourself, you can add keyword meta tags, but it's not a big deal. What you really need to focus on is that the keywords that people will use to search for you are ON your pages! I can't tell you how many clowns/face painters have websites that don't list the area they serve on their site.... anywhere! It needs to be at least on your index page and it doesn't need to be listed in a weird way, just somewhere on there. For me: clown, windsor, ontario, face painting, balloons, party, etc. If they are not on your site somewhere, then how will google know to show you for those search words?
3. URL - pay for a custom one or not, I personally don't think it's that big a deal... the free ones that come with free hosting are not all that bad. I did recently start paying for one, because I wanted it. The biggest issue with the URL is to do with time... your site will automatically move up in importance in searches once it has been around for at least a year. A whole year??? Yes, a year. This is where a little patience comes into play, but keep in mind that most small businesses take a good 2 or 3 years before they really start to do well. You can do it!
4. Google Places - sign up... get a google places page. It's as simple as that, it's free and it puts you at the TOP of the search page. Yes, it is slightly separated from the "regular search results," but you're at the top so whatever. A few extra clicks here and there and it's worth the few minutes that it takes to set it up. I think you can even set it for an intersection rather than your home address if you don't want to be so specific as to where you live.
5. Google AdWords - ok, so here you have to pay a little bit. But, you get to pick just how much you want to spend. You sign up and fill in all your info, then you can set a daily budget... when your ads reach that budget, they stop showing up for the day and start again the next day. The nice thing with adwords is that it not only shows on google searches, but in all those little sponsored ads on other websites. A friend of mine told me she was watching YouTube with her kids and my ad showed up! The other great thing about adwords is that you can set who sees your ads based on where they are searching from. The only people that see my ads are searching from my area. Because I'm in a border town, it means that a few people from Detroit occasionally click it, but it's pretty good anyway... I don't have to advertise across Ontario or across Canada, just where I tell it. I can type in actually cities and towns or pick a point on the map and tell it how many km radius from there.
So, there are my main tips on bumping yourself up the search results line. There are many more. If you'd like to share a couple of your tips in the comments, I'd love to hear them!!
Keep Smiling!! :oD
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown
Thursday 26 May 2011
Twisting your way to happiness
When I started clowning, I asked my mentor clown if she'd get me started with face painting. She told me, "Well, I have a lot of face painters. What I really need are balloon twisters." So, I started with balloons! I went to face painting within a few months of that, but that's for another entry.
To start with balloons, you need a pump and a bag of balloons. Don't go to the dollar store for this or you won't get past a 3 twist poodle. Get yourself a good pump and some good balloons. You will start with what are called 260 balloons either by Qualatex or Betalatex most likely. Both are good brands with little poppage which will help. The good starter hand pumps are from Qualatex. You'll want either a single action (the red one) or a double action (the pink and purple one). I like the red one because it only pumps in one direction and the air does not come back out when you stop pumping. The double action pumps in both directions but if you stop, the air starts coming back out of the balloon... to me it isn't as precise. I like to count my pumps for sculptures rather than looking at the length of the pumped section or length of the tail, so the red fits my style best.
Once you have your pump and your bag of balloons (any bag of 100 assorted colours will start you off with learning to do it), then take yourself over to http://www.balloon-animals.com and try all of the single balloon sculptures on there. Once you can confidently do all of the single balloon things on there from memory, you can get away with calling yourself a twister and doing it at a party or event. You won't be the best in the biz with just those, but it will get your feet wet with doing it faster... if you can get through 12 kids before any of them have managed to pop their balloons, you're doing OK ;) That's why I always do balloons at the end of the party... make them and RUN!!
In all seriousness, I will usually do one or two repairs before I leave, but I'll give you a one liner that will save you from having your one hour party turn into two hours of fixing balloons:
Happy Twisting!!
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown :oD
To start with balloons, you need a pump and a bag of balloons. Don't go to the dollar store for this or you won't get past a 3 twist poodle. Get yourself a good pump and some good balloons. You will start with what are called 260 balloons either by Qualatex or Betalatex most likely. Both are good brands with little poppage which will help. The good starter hand pumps are from Qualatex. You'll want either a single action (the red one) or a double action (the pink and purple one). I like the red one because it only pumps in one direction and the air does not come back out when you stop pumping. The double action pumps in both directions but if you stop, the air starts coming back out of the balloon... to me it isn't as precise. I like to count my pumps for sculptures rather than looking at the length of the pumped section or length of the tail, so the red fits my style best.
Once you have your pump and your bag of balloons (any bag of 100 assorted colours will start you off with learning to do it), then take yourself over to http://www.balloon-animals.com and try all of the single balloon sculptures on there. Once you can confidently do all of the single balloon things on there from memory, you can get away with calling yourself a twister and doing it at a party or event. You won't be the best in the biz with just those, but it will get your feet wet with doing it faster... if you can get through 12 kids before any of them have managed to pop their balloons, you're doing OK ;) That's why I always do balloons at the end of the party... make them and RUN!!
In all seriousness, I will usually do one or two repairs before I leave, but I'll give you a one liner that will save you from having your one hour party turn into two hours of fixing balloons:
"Balloons are like vitamins, you only get ONE a day."
Happy Twisting!!
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown :oD
Wednesday 11 May 2011
Videos
A few people asked me, when I first started doing a monthly video on youtube, if it helped me get bookings... how would I know? I had just started!
After having done it for a while now, I can definitely say, yes. It gives people a chance to "meet" my character before hiring me if they haven't seen me perform before. It gives a snippet of what my show is like. It has made a difference, without a doubt. The month that I had posted little clips from my "stage" shows at Colasanti's Tropical Gardens, I got calls/emails from 4 separate companies booking stage shows. That's just the most obvious result, it's hard to measure other months.
How to do it? It depends a little bit on what kind of video camera you have available and what kind of computer software you use. I had a better video camera when I first started, but it was stolen when someone broke into our house last fall... But you don't need a fantastic camera for something like this, youtube compresses it for streaming so much that the super quality is kind of lost anyway. You need good audio and pretty good video, but most importantly, you need content. That's actually the hardest part when you do it regularly. Finding something interesting and new to record every month can be hard, especially in the winter months when you don't have as many public appearances going on. But it is important that your videos be relatively consistent or you may fall off of making them at all. Give yourself a deadline for each of them. I really try to get mine done before the 15th, no later than the 20th of each month and I apologize profusely if it ever gets published later than that.
Editing is the next part and depends a lot on what kind of computer and/or software you have available to you. I have a mac, so the obvious and easiest choice is iMovie because it comes with the computer. It is a great program for an amateur videographer because it is easy to use but makes very effective transitions, titles and will upload the movie directly to youtube or make a quicktime video or whatever format you are looking for. If you are using Windows, you may need to search a little bit to find easy and affordable video editing software. It's been a long time since I've done any video stuff on Windows and I don't even know if "movie maker" still exists. LOL
Once you have your video up on youtube, you can try to get people subscribing to your channel, but your best bet is probably to embed it into your website. I have mine in the same spot on my index page all the time. It is easier to edit the code that way and it keeps my site consistent. The embed code is easy to find on youtube and once you find the right spot to insert it into your html code, it's a simple matter of pasting the code in the same place every time.
Feel free to subscribe to my youtube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/PerryNoiatheClown?feature=mhum
Keep Smiling! :oD
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown
After having done it for a while now, I can definitely say, yes. It gives people a chance to "meet" my character before hiring me if they haven't seen me perform before. It gives a snippet of what my show is like. It has made a difference, without a doubt. The month that I had posted little clips from my "stage" shows at Colasanti's Tropical Gardens, I got calls/emails from 4 separate companies booking stage shows. That's just the most obvious result, it's hard to measure other months.
How to do it? It depends a little bit on what kind of video camera you have available and what kind of computer software you use. I had a better video camera when I first started, but it was stolen when someone broke into our house last fall... But you don't need a fantastic camera for something like this, youtube compresses it for streaming so much that the super quality is kind of lost anyway. You need good audio and pretty good video, but most importantly, you need content. That's actually the hardest part when you do it regularly. Finding something interesting and new to record every month can be hard, especially in the winter months when you don't have as many public appearances going on. But it is important that your videos be relatively consistent or you may fall off of making them at all. Give yourself a deadline for each of them. I really try to get mine done before the 15th, no later than the 20th of each month and I apologize profusely if it ever gets published later than that.
Editing is the next part and depends a lot on what kind of computer and/or software you have available to you. I have a mac, so the obvious and easiest choice is iMovie because it comes with the computer. It is a great program for an amateur videographer because it is easy to use but makes very effective transitions, titles and will upload the movie directly to youtube or make a quicktime video or whatever format you are looking for. If you are using Windows, you may need to search a little bit to find easy and affordable video editing software. It's been a long time since I've done any video stuff on Windows and I don't even know if "movie maker" still exists. LOL
Once you have your video up on youtube, you can try to get people subscribing to your channel, but your best bet is probably to embed it into your website. I have mine in the same spot on my index page all the time. It is easier to edit the code that way and it keeps my site consistent. The embed code is easy to find on youtube and once you find the right spot to insert it into your html code, it's a simple matter of pasting the code in the same place every time.
Feel free to subscribe to my youtube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/PerryNoiatheClown?feature=mhum
Keep Smiling! :oD
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown
Monday 2 May 2011
Festival Set-ups
I do several festivals each year as well as setting up weekly at the Downtown Windsor Farmers' Market. These outdoor events require more equipment than just doing birthday parties, so I thought I would cover some of those things to help anyone who might be thinking about getting into those kinds of events.
Tent/Canopy - most of these events will require you to bring your own shelter. Don't risk going without it by just getting shade under a tree or something. If you will be there for most of a day (or over several days), it is definitely worth putting up a tent. There are cheap and easy ones for occasional use like the FirstUp ones from Walmart. I had one of those, but in a high wind and being left overnight, this will not be sufficient. Once I came the next day to find it rather warped and had to kind of untwist it to get it up properly again, the second time though (while I will grant there were tornadoes in the area that night) it was completely uprooted and in a tangled mess when I showed up the next morning. My current tent is one that I bought at Costco, made by a company called Caravan. It was about $200 and well worth the money. Go for white rather than green or something. It is cooler and as a face painter, I don't want funny colours being cast onto my clients' faces.
Tables - you need to decide how much room you will need for all your stuff. Some people bring everything including the kitchen sink, those people might need a couple of tables. Or if you will have more than one person working in the space, you will probably want one table for each person. When working on my own, I find that a 4 foot table is enough for me. Many different sizes and shapes are available at Staples, I got mine for about $50.
Chairs - There are many different ways of setting yourself up at a festival. I have a tall director's chair for the customers to sit in while I stand and paint them. This is easiest on my back and for me to be able to move around them as needed while painting. My chair is from EZ Up, I have my name printed on the inside back of the chair and it cost me about $200. It came with a large black bag to carry it in and it has been well worth the money spent. I believe that if you live in the US there are some cheaper options on Amazon, but none of them would ship to Canada when I was looking. You will also want to bring a chair for yourself. I use it when making balloons sometimes so that I'm not kneeling on the ground to get closer to the kids and in between customers or when taking a break for lunch. The chair I use for myself is a little folding one with a back on it from Canadian Tire. They sell for $10 or $15.
Signage - You will need to post your prices, your name/contact info, and some photos to draw people into your booth. For my face painting, I have two "small" outdoor banners from vistaprint. I made image files to match the dimensions they specify for the whole banner, one banner for each price point. I hang these from the front of my tent using shower curtain hooks or the plastic baby toy links (those are nice because they are colourful, but sometimes the shower curtain hooks are easier to find). I recently got a third small banner with by balloon sculptures listed and grouped by price. I don't post pictures of these because there are just too many of them. I have one more banner, it is a LARGE one... I put it at the back of my tent because I have not found a way of attaching it in the front without it hanging down too low, but it is easily seen and has my name and website proudly displayed on it along with the words "face painting & balloons" because it is very important that everyone knows right away WHAT you are doing there! I have one more little a-frame folding sign... I found it at Staples and it works out well for facing the direction of traffic walking by (as some will have their blinders on to everything beside them). On this sign, I usually post the prices and my name again.
What to bring - This depends on what you are doing somewhat, but there are some things that are consistent. If you are face painting, bring your entire kit (you never know what you will need/want, so don't upset yourself with "I wish I had brought my..."). Make sure you have as many sponges as possible. Even if you are the kind of painter that uses one per colour instead of one per child, you may find that one ends up on the ground or covered in boogers or whatever and you'll need to replace it, so bring a lot of them. Bring your own water, you never know how far away the nearest supply will be and you want to be able to change your water as often and quickly as necessary. For balloons, bring as many as you can carry, your cutter or scissors, markers, etc. And now for the everybody-needs-these extras: food and drinks for yourself (you could go broke buying it all there), garbage bags, scissors, several different kinds of tape, markers, pens, string or twine, a construction/shop style lamp that you can hang from the top of your tent if you will be there later in the evening and will have access to power (and extension cords?), and a cash box with LOTS of change (I usually go through 5s faster than anything else).
How to bring it - As you can see, you have a lot to bring and you don't want to make 50 trips to your car, even if you can get it pretty close to your spot to unload (you can't always, you don't want to leave everything there overnight and you won't be able to get your car back in there in the evening in between a multiple day event). You want something with wheels for most of your stuff. Rolling suitcases, scrapbooking cases, or (as I have) a rolling tool box. Mine is a FatMax rolling toolbox made by Stanley. Prices vary depending on where you live and sales going on, but it's usually around the $100 mark. It's kind of heavy, so some people only use them for festivals where they have a lot to bring... I use mine for parties too though because, as a clown, I have a lot to bring with me everywhere and can fit everything in it. You'll need a cooler for your food and drinks. There really isn't any way to get around carrying your table and chairs, but hopefully your canopy case has wheels on it like mine. I couldn't move my canopy without wheels since it is taller than me even when folded in the case. My signage and little folding chair fit into my director's chair bag pretty well. While each trip from the car will be heavy, you can probably get away with only 3 or 4 trips to unload it all.
You'll put in a lot of hours at a festival, but unless you can book 4 or 5 hourly gigs in the same weekend, you'll probably make some pretty good money working pay per face and pay per balloon. It depends on the number of people that come to the festival of course and somewhat on the weather, but it is a chance that I often take as long as the booth fees aren't ridiculous.
Happy Fest-ing! :oD
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown
Tent/Canopy - most of these events will require you to bring your own shelter. Don't risk going without it by just getting shade under a tree or something. If you will be there for most of a day (or over several days), it is definitely worth putting up a tent. There are cheap and easy ones for occasional use like the FirstUp ones from Walmart. I had one of those, but in a high wind and being left overnight, this will not be sufficient. Once I came the next day to find it rather warped and had to kind of untwist it to get it up properly again, the second time though (while I will grant there were tornadoes in the area that night) it was completely uprooted and in a tangled mess when I showed up the next morning. My current tent is one that I bought at Costco, made by a company called Caravan. It was about $200 and well worth the money. Go for white rather than green or something. It is cooler and as a face painter, I don't want funny colours being cast onto my clients' faces.
Chairs - There are many different ways of setting yourself up at a festival. I have a tall director's chair for the customers to sit in while I stand and paint them. This is easiest on my back and for me to be able to move around them as needed while painting. My chair is from EZ Up, I have my name printed on the inside back of the chair and it cost me about $200. It came with a large black bag to carry it in and it has been well worth the money spent. I believe that if you live in the US there are some cheaper options on Amazon, but none of them would ship to Canada when I was looking. You will also want to bring a chair for yourself. I use it when making balloons sometimes so that I'm not kneeling on the ground to get closer to the kids and in between customers or when taking a break for lunch. The chair I use for myself is a little folding one with a back on it from Canadian Tire. They sell for $10 or $15.
Signage - You will need to post your prices, your name/contact info, and some photos to draw people into your booth. For my face painting, I have two "small" outdoor banners from vistaprint. I made image files to match the dimensions they specify for the whole banner, one banner for each price point. I hang these from the front of my tent using shower curtain hooks or the plastic baby toy links (those are nice because they are colourful, but sometimes the shower curtain hooks are easier to find). I recently got a third small banner with by balloon sculptures listed and grouped by price. I don't post pictures of these because there are just too many of them. I have one more banner, it is a LARGE one... I put it at the back of my tent because I have not found a way of attaching it in the front without it hanging down too low, but it is easily seen and has my name and website proudly displayed on it along with the words "face painting & balloons" because it is very important that everyone knows right away WHAT you are doing there! I have one more little a-frame folding sign... I found it at Staples and it works out well for facing the direction of traffic walking by (as some will have their blinders on to everything beside them). On this sign, I usually post the prices and my name again.
What to bring - This depends on what you are doing somewhat, but there are some things that are consistent. If you are face painting, bring your entire kit (you never know what you will need/want, so don't upset yourself with "I wish I had brought my..."). Make sure you have as many sponges as possible. Even if you are the kind of painter that uses one per colour instead of one per child, you may find that one ends up on the ground or covered in boogers or whatever and you'll need to replace it, so bring a lot of them. Bring your own water, you never know how far away the nearest supply will be and you want to be able to change your water as often and quickly as necessary. For balloons, bring as many as you can carry, your cutter or scissors, markers, etc. And now for the everybody-needs-these extras: food and drinks for yourself (you could go broke buying it all there), garbage bags, scissors, several different kinds of tape, markers, pens, string or twine, a construction/shop style lamp that you can hang from the top of your tent if you will be there later in the evening and will have access to power (and extension cords?), and a cash box with LOTS of change (I usually go through 5s faster than anything else).
How to bring it - As you can see, you have a lot to bring and you don't want to make 50 trips to your car, even if you can get it pretty close to your spot to unload (you can't always, you don't want to leave everything there overnight and you won't be able to get your car back in there in the evening in between a multiple day event). You want something with wheels for most of your stuff. Rolling suitcases, scrapbooking cases, or (as I have) a rolling tool box. Mine is a FatMax rolling toolbox made by Stanley. Prices vary depending on where you live and sales going on, but it's usually around the $100 mark. It's kind of heavy, so some people only use them for festivals where they have a lot to bring... I use mine for parties too though because, as a clown, I have a lot to bring with me everywhere and can fit everything in it. You'll need a cooler for your food and drinks. There really isn't any way to get around carrying your table and chairs, but hopefully your canopy case has wheels on it like mine. I couldn't move my canopy without wheels since it is taller than me even when folded in the case. My signage and little folding chair fit into my director's chair bag pretty well. While each trip from the car will be heavy, you can probably get away with only 3 or 4 trips to unload it all.
You'll put in a lot of hours at a festival, but unless you can book 4 or 5 hourly gigs in the same weekend, you'll probably make some pretty good money working pay per face and pay per balloon. It depends on the number of people that come to the festival of course and somewhat on the weather, but it is a chance that I often take as long as the booth fees aren't ridiculous.
Happy Fest-ing! :oD
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown
Sunday 24 April 2011
On Working With Charities
As anyone who is a small business owner knows, you could book yourself solid with "donations of your time" .... this is not to say that we don't want to support charities. Quite the opposite in fact, we love helping charities. Charity work IS great exposure... potential customers LOVE to see that you support their preferred charity and would rather hire you based on that. HOWEVER, you have a business to run! You aren't just "donating your time" as you well know. You are booking yourself during time when you could be doing paid work, you are probably using supplies (balloons, face painting, etc) that cost you money, you are definitely using up gas in your car, wear and tear on your costume and/or props, and using up your own makeup. You can of course choose to donate all of these costs if you would like to a charity of your choice, but you can't do it for everyone that asks.
So, do you just choose one or two to make those donations to or do you find some other way to help out the charities without bankrupting yourself? Not all charities will take you up on these offers, but some will and you can feel good that you are helping out their events, getting some visibility (while not devaluing your services), and still making a little money for your work. Don't feel bad charging them something, they have to pay for other things too... halls will usually give them free rent, but only if they sell a certain number of plates of food at the event... that kind of thing.
I offer my services to ONE charity free every year. My husband is involved with the Returns for Leukemia bottle drive at Ontario locations of The Beer Store and I help out with those events.
For all other charities, these are the options:
- Donate a Gift Certificate to their auctions - I often donate a $50 gift certificate to charity events that are not looking for me to be present during their event. Since my smallest party packages are $75, it means that I will still be making some money from any bookings that result from this. To be completely honest, I've given out at least 20 of these and have only ever redeemed ONE of them. But it gets your name out there and someone probably gave the charity some money in exchange for it.
- Discounted Hourly Rates - Take off a percentage of your usual hourly rate to accommodate their reduced available funds. You decide how much you are willing to take off, it really is up to you and it doesn't have to be a huge amount. They can charge for tickets at their own rates, but many charities want your services to be free so that their patrons will donate all the money they brought.
- Charge the public and give some back - I often do face painting and charge the public at fundraiser events, then give the charity a percentage of the money. They don't have to put anything out of their budget (you are raising money for them instead), but you are getting compensated for materials used. There is a bit of risk involved with this as you are still using up time, gas and costume wear and tear at the chance that you won't make any money (or at least not very much), but many charities prefer this option because it makes them money instead of costing them money. Be sure to put out a sign that says "X% will be donated to XYZ today!" Again, the amount of the percentage is up to you and what you feel you can afford. I recently changed mine because I have gotten so busy that I'm turning down multiple paid events because I already agreed to appear at charity events (it is now costing me money, so I needed to be making a little more from the charity events than I was).
I hope this has been a helpful and informative article for you. Don't feel bad charging something, you need to eat too. Here's an amusing video: Donating Clown Services
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown :oD
So, do you just choose one or two to make those donations to or do you find some other way to help out the charities without bankrupting yourself? Not all charities will take you up on these offers, but some will and you can feel good that you are helping out their events, getting some visibility (while not devaluing your services), and still making a little money for your work. Don't feel bad charging them something, they have to pay for other things too... halls will usually give them free rent, but only if they sell a certain number of plates of food at the event... that kind of thing.
I offer my services to ONE charity free every year. My husband is involved with the Returns for Leukemia bottle drive at Ontario locations of The Beer Store and I help out with those events.
For all other charities, these are the options:
- Donate a Gift Certificate to their auctions - I often donate a $50 gift certificate to charity events that are not looking for me to be present during their event. Since my smallest party packages are $75, it means that I will still be making some money from any bookings that result from this. To be completely honest, I've given out at least 20 of these and have only ever redeemed ONE of them. But it gets your name out there and someone probably gave the charity some money in exchange for it.
- Discounted Hourly Rates - Take off a percentage of your usual hourly rate to accommodate their reduced available funds. You decide how much you are willing to take off, it really is up to you and it doesn't have to be a huge amount. They can charge for tickets at their own rates, but many charities want your services to be free so that their patrons will donate all the money they brought.
- Charge the public and give some back - I often do face painting and charge the public at fundraiser events, then give the charity a percentage of the money. They don't have to put anything out of their budget (you are raising money for them instead), but you are getting compensated for materials used. There is a bit of risk involved with this as you are still using up time, gas and costume wear and tear at the chance that you won't make any money (or at least not very much), but many charities prefer this option because it makes them money instead of costing them money. Be sure to put out a sign that says "X% will be donated to XYZ today!" Again, the amount of the percentage is up to you and what you feel you can afford. I recently changed mine because I have gotten so busy that I'm turning down multiple paid events because I already agreed to appear at charity events (it is now costing me money, so I needed to be making a little more from the charity events than I was).
I hope this has been a helpful and informative article for you. Don't feel bad charging something, you need to eat too. Here's an amusing video: Donating Clown Services
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown :oD
Thursday 21 April 2011
Title and Topic change....
Hey everyone, I will be leaving the old entries on here (because I still think they are interesting) but I will be changing gears from where I was to a more business side of what I'm doing, what I'm learning and perhaps what mistakes I make in the hopes that you may avoid making the same ones.
It will probably be a little easier for me to "find material to blog about" and won't be just rehashing material and links that can already be found all over the web.
I already gave a bit of background into how I became a clown in my first blog entry, but a question that I have seen posted now and then from new children's entertainers is how to come up with a name for your character. I can't speak for everyone, but I can share how I came up with my own name...
Back in university (long before I had ever even met a clown let alone thought of becoming one) I frequented a little place called "the U of Moo" .... no, it isn't a real university. It was a unix based, virtual community on a server at the University of Windsor. To my knowledge the server is still running in some forgotten closet somewhere and may still be accessible if you feel like playing with unix for a bit. In any case, in this little moo community, I developed a few online personae. One of those, happened to be called "paranoia" and was an exaggerated extension of a strong personality trait of mine... yes, I am afraid of almost everything. The character was described something along the lines of "a small figure cowering in the corner with a flashlight and a can of bug spray."
Fast forward to post-university days... As a mother of two who has not had a steady job in 4 years because it was cheaper to stay home than work for minimum wage and pay sitters, we needed more income. I met Trixie the Clown, who is now a good friend and while I mean no disrespect to her skills and hard work (it IS harder than it looks), I watched her birthday party show and thought.... 'I can do that...' So, skipping the whole story of deciding to be a clown and what not, let's keep going with the name thing...
So you want to be a clown?
What's your name? Who are you? What are you like?
Oh my gosh.... hmmm.... ok.
What will be the hardest thing for me to do as a birthday party clown?
Go to someone's house where there is an enormous, horse-sized dog and have them expect me to be OK with that.
Well..... if my character is SUPPOSED to be afraid, then..... hey, this could work!
So, a friend of mine in university had shortened my "paranoia" handle to 'noia at some point. I decided that Noia would be an ok name for a clown... but nobody got it, nobody knew how to pronounce it, the joke was completely lost.
Oy.
Para Noia? no, that's not a name...
Peri? ew, that sounds gross... wait, Perry is a name!
It's a boy's name :S .... hmmm ... does it matter?
So, Perry Noia was born! And since she is simply an extension of my own personality traits, it makes it much easier to stay in character.
Take a word, take a couple of words... change their spelling or pronunciation a little to make them sound like a real person's name. I hope my little story can inspire a few new entertainers in their search for their own character.
PS - I added "the Scaredy Clown" because some people still missed the joke... and even with that added, some still do.
It will probably be a little easier for me to "find material to blog about" and won't be just rehashing material and links that can already be found all over the web.
I already gave a bit of background into how I became a clown in my first blog entry, but a question that I have seen posted now and then from new children's entertainers is how to come up with a name for your character. I can't speak for everyone, but I can share how I came up with my own name...
Back in university (long before I had ever even met a clown let alone thought of becoming one) I frequented a little place called "the U of Moo" .... no, it isn't a real university. It was a unix based, virtual community on a server at the University of Windsor. To my knowledge the server is still running in some forgotten closet somewhere and may still be accessible if you feel like playing with unix for a bit. In any case, in this little moo community, I developed a few online personae. One of those, happened to be called "paranoia" and was an exaggerated extension of a strong personality trait of mine... yes, I am afraid of almost everything. The character was described something along the lines of "a small figure cowering in the corner with a flashlight and a can of bug spray."
Fast forward to post-university days... As a mother of two who has not had a steady job in 4 years because it was cheaper to stay home than work for minimum wage and pay sitters, we needed more income. I met Trixie the Clown, who is now a good friend and while I mean no disrespect to her skills and hard work (it IS harder than it looks), I watched her birthday party show and thought.... 'I can do that...' So, skipping the whole story of deciding to be a clown and what not, let's keep going with the name thing...
So you want to be a clown?
What's your name? Who are you? What are you like?
Oh my gosh.... hmmm.... ok.
What will be the hardest thing for me to do as a birthday party clown?
Go to someone's house where there is an enormous, horse-sized dog and have them expect me to be OK with that.
Well..... if my character is SUPPOSED to be afraid, then..... hey, this could work!
So, a friend of mine in university had shortened my "paranoia" handle to 'noia at some point. I decided that Noia would be an ok name for a clown... but nobody got it, nobody knew how to pronounce it, the joke was completely lost.
Oy.
Para Noia? no, that's not a name...
Peri? ew, that sounds gross... wait, Perry is a name!
It's a boy's name :S .... hmmm ... does it matter?
So, Perry Noia was born! And since she is simply an extension of my own personality traits, it makes it much easier to stay in character.
Take a word, take a couple of words... change their spelling or pronunciation a little to make them sound like a real person's name. I hope my little story can inspire a few new entertainers in their search for their own character.
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown :D
PS - I added "the Scaredy Clown" because some people still missed the joke... and even with that added, some still do.
Wednesday 20 April 2011
To blog or not to blog? Or just change topics?
So, I'm just wondering if these posts are actually of interest to anyone? I could keep going on these topics, but no one is commenting or anything. Just shy?
If anyone is actually reading my ramblings here, feel free to comment whether you'd like me to continue to post about the healing powers of laughter and humour, learning through play, and child development.... or ??
My thoughts at this point are that if these things are not interesting (or there are just too many other sites talking about the same thing), maybe I ought to do something more "personal experience" -ish? I could certainly change gears towards my fellow entertainers and talk about the things that I have learned working as a professional clown.... things about face painting and balloons that I have learned. I'm certainly not about to proclaim myself THE expert on the topic, there are plenty of people that I know who are more qualified for that title, BUT more of a log of mistakes and don't do what I just did kind of thing. Opinions?
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown :oD
If anyone is actually reading my ramblings here, feel free to comment whether you'd like me to continue to post about the healing powers of laughter and humour, learning through play, and child development.... or ??
My thoughts at this point are that if these things are not interesting (or there are just too many other sites talking about the same thing), maybe I ought to do something more "personal experience" -ish? I could certainly change gears towards my fellow entertainers and talk about the things that I have learned working as a professional clown.... things about face painting and balloons that I have learned. I'm certainly not about to proclaim myself THE expert on the topic, there are plenty of people that I know who are more qualified for that title, BUT more of a log of mistakes and don't do what I just did kind of thing. Opinions?
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown :oD
Monday 18 April 2011
Learning Styles
Something that has been extensively studied (and many of us have found in our own lives) is the idea of catering teaching activities to different learning styles. Teachers in most elementary schools know that their classes will perform better if they make sure to include many different learning modalities into their lesson plans.
It took me until AFTER finishing my university days that I learned best with auditory stimulus. If we can help our children find their easiest ways to learn things, we can help them study better throughout their school careers.
Check out this link!
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown :D
It took me until AFTER finishing my university days that I learned best with auditory stimulus. If we can help our children find their easiest ways to learn things, we can help them study better throughout their school careers.
Check out this link!
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown :D
Thursday 14 April 2011
Tuesday 12 April 2011
Healing through Laughter
It's been a little while since I've posted on my blog here, so I thought I'd throw in a little something about the healing power of laughter. There are of course many healing and pain relieving benefits to laughter. Here in Windsor, there is a clown-doctoring program in our hospitals known as Fools 4 Health where a friend of mine, Charmaine Miron, is one of the clown doctors. The work they do is wonderful. Openings for new clowns are hard to come by, unfortunately for me, but I am so happy that they are there.
Here is another link from Web MD about the medical benefits of Humour Therapy ... ok, they don't spell humour like that, but I'm Canadian. http://www.webmd.com/balance/tc/humor-therapy-topic-overview
Happy Laughing :oD
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown
Here is another link from Web MD about the medical benefits of Humour Therapy ... ok, they don't spell humour like that, but I'm Canadian. http://www.webmd.com/balance/tc/humor-therapy-topic-overview
Happy Laughing :oD
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown
Friday 1 April 2011
Educational Websites for your Kids
If your kids are anything like mine, they spend a lot of time playing on the computer and I like to have an idea of what sites they are looking at to be sure that they are appropriate and educational at the same time. My kids have several sites in their bookmarks, but here are some of the real favourites:
www.tfo.org/jeux/mini/ (French games)
www.tfo.org/jeux/
www.tvokids.com
www.barbie.com (yes, believe it or not there is some educational value to some of their games)
www.starfall.com (pronunciations and spellings are American though)
www.playhousedisney.ca
www.treehousetv.com
www.sesamestreet.org
The important thing for MY kids with those sites is that they recognize the characters from what they see on TV (with the exception of starfall). That's not to say that there aren't plenty of other educational sites that I expose them to, they just prefer to PLAY the ones with the characters that they know.
Here are a few other places that you can look for more educational websites:
http://www.bestedsites.com/
http://www.kidsknowit.com/
http://kids.discovery.com/
I hope you find this post helpful with your kids!
www.tfo.org/jeux/mini/ (French games)
www.tfo.org/jeux/
www.tvokids.com
www.barbie.com (yes, believe it or not there is some educational value to some of their games)
www.starfall.com (pronunciations and spellings are American though)
www.playhousedisney.ca
www.treehousetv.com
www.sesamestreet.org
The important thing for MY kids with those sites is that they recognize the characters from what they see on TV (with the exception of starfall). That's not to say that there aren't plenty of other educational sites that I expose them to, they just prefer to PLAY the ones with the characters that they know.
Here are a few other places that you can look for more educational websites:
http://www.bestedsites.com/
http://www.kidsknowit.com/
http://kids.discovery.com/
I hope you find this post helpful with your kids!
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown :oD
(AKA Erin)
Tuesday 29 March 2011
Slightly off topic
Ok, this isn't about learning, unless it's about educating yourself.... I have just become a contributor to a local news website here in Windsor. Here is my first article about face painting safety, I hope you like it. Feel free to comment on that website.
http://www.ourwindsor.ca/2011/03/quick-tips-about-face-painting-for-parents/
http://www.ourwindsor.ca/2011/03/quick-tips-about-face-painting-for-parents/
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown :oD
(AKA Erin)
Friday 25 March 2011
The power of laughter
Let's take a minute to bow to the wonderful power of laughter! As a clown, I am exhilarated by being able to share laughter with everyone that I reach out to.... even putting a smile on someone's face just by walking by them in clown is such a joy. My four year old said something truly marvelous the other day.... "If we could make everyone in the world happy, then we could have a big party and everybody could do the things they like." .... although she was a little worried about how they would all find our house for the party. ;)
Take a minute or two today and watch some Bugs Bunny, Three Stooges or well, whatever makes you laugh and just enjoy the wonderful power that laughter can bring into your life. Like what? Check out these links...
http://www.helpguide.org/life/humor_laughter_health.htm
http://www.holisticonline.com/humor_therapy/humor_therapy_benefits.htm
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/8-health-benefits-of-laughter.html#
http://www.personal-development.com/chuck/laughter.htm
Laugh like you just don't care!
Take a minute or two today and watch some Bugs Bunny, Three Stooges or well, whatever makes you laugh and just enjoy the wonderful power that laughter can bring into your life. Like what? Check out these links...
http://www.helpguide.org/life/humor_laughter_health.htm
http://www.holisticonline.com/humor_therapy/humor_therapy_benefits.htm
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/8-health-benefits-of-laughter.html#
http://www.personal-development.com/chuck/laughter.htm
Laugh like you just don't care!
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown :oD
(AKA Erin)
Tuesday 22 March 2011
Circle Games
Playing games in a circle is great for all ages. No one feels terribly centered out (except for the occasional time that someone goes in the middle, but that's usually either taking turns or they'll be joined by everyone else shortly), there aren't usually winners or losers in circle games, everyone can see and everyone can participate. It's not that there's a problem with occasionally losing a game or race, but it's really important (especially in a learning environment) that everyone has a chance to participate and feel comfortable. Even when there doesn't seem to be a "teaching" aspect to the game, they are still learning to participate in a group, take turns, follow directions and behave politely.
One of my favourite circle games is called Purple Stew. I can't think of another song with the same melody at the moment, but there are a few versions on youtube (with variations on the lyrics). You only need to start with one person in the middle (I usually pick the birthday child when at a party) and with each repeat of the song, the number of people in the middle grows exponentially, so it never takes too long for everyone to be right in the middle of it all.
Here are the lyrics that I use:
We're making a purple stew, (stir in the circle with an imaginary spoon)
Whip! Whip! Whip! Whip! (shake your hips)
Making a purple stew, (stirring)
Scooby-Dooby-Doo (shimmy down and up)
With purple potatoes and purple tomatoes (pretend to throw them into the circle)
And YOU! (people in the centre pick someone on the outside)
Fancy meeting YOU in a purple stew! (Shaking hands with the person they picked and pull them into the stew)
REPEAT until everyone is in the stew.
If the kids aren't too little to worry about them getting hurt, you can make the people in the middle getting stirred spin around as you sing. Sometimes I only do this for the last one or two singings so we aren't all falling on the floor.
Here are some more circle games you can play:
http://www.ultimatecampresource.com/site/camp-activities/circle-games.page-1.html
http://www.youthwork-practice.com/games/circle-games.html
http://www.games4youthgroups.com/circle-games.html
Have Fun!!
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown
(AKA Erin)
One of my favourite circle games is called Purple Stew. I can't think of another song with the same melody at the moment, but there are a few versions on youtube (with variations on the lyrics). You only need to start with one person in the middle (I usually pick the birthday child when at a party) and with each repeat of the song, the number of people in the middle grows exponentially, so it never takes too long for everyone to be right in the middle of it all.
Here are the lyrics that I use:
We're making a purple stew, (stir in the circle with an imaginary spoon)
Whip! Whip! Whip! Whip! (shake your hips)
Making a purple stew, (stirring)
Scooby-Dooby-Doo (shimmy down and up)
With purple potatoes and purple tomatoes (pretend to throw them into the circle)
And YOU! (people in the centre pick someone on the outside)
Fancy meeting YOU in a purple stew! (Shaking hands with the person they picked and pull them into the stew)
REPEAT until everyone is in the stew.
If the kids aren't too little to worry about them getting hurt, you can make the people in the middle getting stirred spin around as you sing. Sometimes I only do this for the last one or two singings so we aren't all falling on the floor.
Here are some more circle games you can play:
http://www.ultimatecampresource.com/site/camp-activities/circle-games.page-1.html
http://www.youthwork-practice.com/games/circle-games.html
http://www.games4youthgroups.com/circle-games.html
Have Fun!!
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown
(AKA Erin)
Friday 18 March 2011
Parachute Play
Parachutes are something that people of all ages can have fun with. They are bright, colourful, flowing, and dramatic. It is best to try to match the number of handles on your parachute to the number of people participating. You can put a few people in between handles here and there, but you don't really want twice as many people as you have handles for and if you have a lot less people than the number of handles, you won't get a nice even "mushroom" shape to your billows. I have both a 6 ft. and a 12 ft parachute. The 6 ft. is best for small groups of little children as it won't carry them away or be so big that it frightens the timid ones. The 12 ft. one is good for groups of 10 to 15 kids (I have used it with up to 20, but it gets crowded) of pretty much all ages. You'll want to have a few extra feet on all sides so that no one bumps into anything or crashes into any walls during some of the games.
There are a lot of games out there for parachutes, but here are a couple that I like to do:
1. Popcorn - You'll need ping pong balls or similarly sized balls (I like to use the nerf balls for the guns, they are the same size as ping pong balls, but they don't hurt when they hit you and they are florescent so they're easy to find). Throw them all into the middle of the parachute and start shaking! Variation: half the kids shake the parachute while the other half gather the balls and throw them back on the parachute... just be sure to switch jobs at some point. Some kids actually prefer to chase the balls all over.
2. Flying Duck - You'll need a rubber duck, stuffed animal or beach ball. This puts just one item into the middle of the parachute at a time. The goal is to try and keep it in the parachute while getting it flying as high as you can and bouncing as many times in a row as possible.
3. Calling Colours - As the parachute is moved up and down slowly, call one of the colours on the parachute and anyone holding onto that colour lets go of the parachute and runs underneath it to find a handle on the other side.
You can find more parachute games here:
http://www.funandgames.org/games/GameParachute.htm
http://www.youthwork-practice.com/games/parachute-games.html
http://www.preschooleducation.com/gparachute.shtml
Have FUN!!!
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown :oD
(AKA Erin Hawkins)
Wednesday 16 March 2011
Benefits of Play
I'm sure all parents realize that children play. But not all may realize just how important play is to their child's development. It's not just a useful teaching tool, but it creates better learners. It encourages brain development and growth, improves language and problem solving abilities and so much more. I've collected a short list of links that you might find interesting on this subject.
http://www.parentingscience.com/benefits-of-play.html
http://www.child-development-guide.com/child-development-play.html
http://www.anxiety-and-depression-solutions.com/articles/health_and_wellness/010605_benefitsofplay.php
For my next blog entry, I'll collect some fun and educational games that you can play with your kids, your class or with a group of kids that you play with. Don't forget, play is important for grown-ups too.
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown
(AKA Erin Hawkins) :oD
http://www.parentingscience.com/benefits-of-play.html
http://www.child-development-guide.com/child-development-play.html
http://www.anxiety-and-depression-solutions.com/articles/health_and_wellness/010605_benefitsofplay.php
For my next blog entry, I'll collect some fun and educational games that you can play with your kids, your class or with a group of kids that you play with. Don't forget, play is important for grown-ups too.
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown
(AKA Erin Hawkins) :oD
Tuesday 15 March 2011
Monday 14 March 2011
Music and Movement
Something that I have experience with, is of course music. Music is a fantastic teaching tool for so many reasons, I can't even scratch the surface by saying that it helps with memory, thinking, mathematics, movement and the list just goes on and on. Check out this article for more information http://www.suite101.com/content/preschool-music-and-movement-a29893
Some of my favourite songs come from musicians like Raffi or Sharon, Lois & Bram, but you can also find some great stuff from the Wiggles, Imagination Movers and other more recent artists. You can sing these with the kids yourself or play recordings and sing and dance together. Don't just put the music on and ignore it, play with your kids. It's fun, it's good exercise and it engages them in the music.
If you're looking for some music activities that are more directly teaching skills, there are those a plenty as well. I own a couple of these books http://www.amazon.ca/Music-Movement-Prek-K-Steven-Traugh/dp/1574717456 They are nice books. They come with written instructions as well as a CD with music. The activities teach everything from music skills to mathematics and are simple enough for everyone to learn the games quickly. Another source for some ideas is here http://fun.familyeducation.com/toddler/music/37371.html
As a clown, I like to use action songs or songs that play a game. I'm Being Eaten by a Boaconstrictor is always a favourite at my parties and stage shows (I think the parents just like seeing all of us wiggling around on the ground). I also like playing Purple Stew because it is a game, but it involves everyone without naming winners and losers.
Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown
AKA Erin :oD
Sunday 13 March 2011
An introduction to me and my blog
Welcome to my blog! I am Perry Noia the Scaredy Clown, but I'm also known as Erin Hawkins (nee Goodchild). I plan to focus on topics related to learning through play, but I should probably start with a bit of my own background story.
I was born and still live in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. At the age of 5, I saw a man named Itzhak Perlman on Sesame Street playing violin with a little girl. I asked my mom if I could learn to play the violin and so began my musical journey. I had several regular private violin students in high school and when it came to University, I eventually finished a Bachelor of Musical Arts in Vocal Music (how I ended up in voice is a long story) and a Bachelor of Education in Junior/Intermediate Vocal Music.
During my time at the University of Windsor, I was a member of the University Singers and the University of Windsor Chamber Choir (the more elite group) and even joined them on a trip to New York where we performed as part of a collaborative choir at Carnegie Hall.
After completing all of these studies, I found myself working as a substitute teacher. I discovered rather quickly that it takes a very special kind of teacher to be a supply... And I'm not one of them. I'm not an intimidating figure in any way and the kids were walking all over me. Since I was pregnant at the end of that school year, it seemed a good time to leave that behind.
As a stay at home mom of two beautiful girls, I went through several home business attempts. I taught baby sign language classes, made chocolates, tried a few network marketing sales things... And as the children got a little older, I tried to get myself a "real job." After four years though of being out of the normal workforce, most employers looked at my resume and laughed or due to my degrees claimed that I was "over qualified." However, with two kids at home, my husband's income alone was not quite covering all the bills.
After having hired the marvellous Trixie the Clown for both of my girls' second birthdays, I started to think...... I could do that. With a little help from Trixie and a lot of online self-study, I got myself started on the path to being a professional clown. I have since continued my clowning education, but this at least gives you a bit of a background on me and my love of educating children. I use a lot of the activities and techniques learned in teaching music when I am clowning and in that way, try to bring value to my interactions with children.
It is my sincere hope that you will find the discussions and information shared in this blog interesting and valuable in your life. Please share your feedback with me and pass on links to others so that we can all continue our lifelong learning.
Perry Noia
AKA Erin :oD
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