Not only are our face painters, balloon twisters, and other party entertainers in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire top-notch artists, but they are also fantastic with kids! In addition, face painting is a surefire way to bring fun and excitement to any party.
Kaleidoscope began in 2013 as a Connecticut-based face painting and balloon twisting party entertainment agency. Since then, we have grown into New England’s largest creative entertainment company. Today, we proudly offer face painters, balloon twisters, caricature artists, magicians, and more throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire, with additional services available in Vermont and Maine.
Didi joined the Kaleido-crew as a face painter and balloon twister in 2023, and is available for events in and around Springfield MA.
Didi is not only a trained actress, but had been working as a daycare teacher since 2019. She joined Kaleidoscope with the goal of combining her love for arts and working with children, and is currently finishing her Associate’s in Early Childhood Development from Holyoke Community College.
You can invite Didi to your next event for any of the following packages:
Didi is also bilingual in English or Spanish, and can entertain in both languages!
Interview with Didi: Springfield MA Face Painter and Balloon Twister
When and why did you start working at Kaleidoscope?
I started working at Kaleidoscope in 2023 and My mom and dad did theater together when they were younger, and my dad’s side of the family are musicians. So, I have always had a special place for the arts in my heart and I just wanted to do something I love. I was searching online for arts-related jobs when I found this one. I’ve loved it here ever since I started!
What’s your favorite art form (or performance etc) to do here?
I absolutely love balloon twisting. It’s so creative and the kids’ reactions are priceless. Also, dressing up as a mermaid or a fairy, I love making my own characters and bringing them to life.
What is your favorite part of balloon twisting?
My favorite part of balloon twisting is the moment when I finish a creation and hand it over to a child. It’s really fulfilling to do make something out of thin air, but then the look of wonder and excitement on their face is amazing. It really brings me a lot of joy.
If you could only pick one, would you rather do face painting or balloon twisting forever and why?
That’s a tough one, but I think I would choose being a balloon twister. I love the creativity it involves and I’m just so much better at it because of how much I love it. When you like what you do, it comes easily!
What is one surprising fact about you?
I can speak three languages, including Spanish and some American Sign Language.
What do you think your superpower as a Balloon Twister or Face Painter is?
My ability to connect with children and bring their imagination to life. To me this isn’t just a job, but a passion. I genuinely love what I do and I think the kids can sense that when I’m creating something for them.
What was the most memorable party you ever entertained at?
A party where I dressed up as a mermaid for a little girl’s birthday party, who was obsessed with mermaids and the ocean. The joy on her face was unforgettable.
What is the hardest thing about being an event entertainer?
Keeping up with the energy levels of the kids. Especially for our toddler games packages, it takes a lot of energy keeping up with a group of them. But that energy is also one of the most rewarding thing because I get to feel like a kid again and play along with them.
What’s one piece of advice you give to every parent planning a birthday party?
Don’t stress about the little things. The most important thing is that the kids have fun.
What is the biggest factor in determining if a larger event will go smoothly or not?
Communication. It’s key to make sure everyone is on the same page about what to expect.
If you’re looking for end of the year school party ideas to celebrate elementary school graduation, fundraise for your PTO, or just bring your community together, we’d love to inspire you!
As New England’s most popular event entertainment company (and the highest-rated in the US, despite only servicing our 6 little states!), here are our favorite end of year school party ideas for elementary schools!
8 Amazing End of Year School Party Ideas for Elementary Schools
Face Painting & Balloon Twisting
Number of Students Entertained Per Artist:
Full face paint designs or multi-balloon designs: 10-12 guests
At a Glance: Our artists set up at a booth or tent and move quickly through a line of kids!
Why We Love it for End of Year School Parties: These are *the* classic entertainment that kids will want to line up for. Plus, with our special speedy menus, we can get through a huge amount of them very quickly! Great for impatient younger siblings and tight budgets.
Logistical Considerations: Face painters need 1 table and 2 chairs per painter. Balloon twisters just need some table space and 1 chair per twister. Besides that, we’re pretty self-contained!
Number of Guests Entertained Per Mascot: Up to 30 per hour
Number of Mascots Available: We typically have about a dozen characters in our roster and up to 6 mascot actors available on any given day. Check out our current line up here.
At a Glance: Cartoon mascots come for a theme-park style meet-and-greet!
Why We Love it for End of Year School Parties: Younger siblings will love to meet their favorite characters while, especially ones who are too young for other activities like face painting or foam parties.
Logistical Considerations: Mascots require an adult handler from your team (or we can provide one); one 15min break per every contracted hour (so a 2hr contract from 2:00-4:00p would include two 15min breaks during that time); and a space to change/break. We are love our professional actors and it’s extremely important to us that they stay safe at events. Please read more about mascot safety here.
Number of Students Entertained Per Artist: Up to 20 per artist.
Number of Artists Available: Up to 10 artists available.
At a Glance: Kids choose between hair tinsel, hair chalk, and hair glitter to get a custom ‘do!
Special Notes: Hair chalk is popular for all hair lengths and genders! Often parents worry that this activity won’t be for boys, but we promise they love the hair chalk as much as anyone else.
Why We Love it for End of Year School Parties: Hair art is a fast alternative to face painting, and great for kids who aren’t interested in face painting. (Especially the ones who think they’re “too old” for little kid stuff!)
Logistical Considerations: If your event is indoors, please make sure it’s ok with the school or venue to use glitter.
1 cannon at a time: Up to 25 kids per “wave” of dancing
2 cannons at a time: Up to 50 kids per “wave” of dancing
Kids typically want to spend 15-30min in the foam before moving onto the next activity
Number of Artists Available: While we have up to 3 cannons available, we recommend only hiring a maximum of 2 cannons at a time to keep groups of kids smaller (and safer) at any one time.
At a Glance: Our trained foam techs will blast music and bunches of bubbles to create a soapy, over-the-top dance party!
Special Notes: Safety is the #1 priority for foam! Parent volunteers or staff must be present at all times. Children will be instructed on how to act safetly in the foam, but our techs are not baby sitters or life guards.
Why We Love it for End of Year School Parties:
Logistical Considerations: Foam should be sprayed in a 50 ‘ x 50′ flat area (black top or lawn) with adequate drainage and not hidden tripping hazards (sprinklers, rocks, stumps, toys, playground materials, curbs, drains). Foam techs must be placed within 100′ of water spigots and 100’ of grounded electricity. The electrical must be 3-pronged, grounded, and on a unique breaker (breaker cannot be combined with other rentals or utilities). Read more about foam requirements on our foam site.
At a Glance: Mix and match any temporary tattoos you want! Guests will line up, pick a tattoo from our built-for-speed menus, and have it quickly applied to them. Tattoos last anywhere from a few days (glitter, flash) up to a week (airbrush, henna) but most can be easily removed with rubbing alcohol (except henna).
Special Notes: We do not recommend henna tattoos for this age group since it can be very messy. So you’ll see it listed on our site, but not on this page 🙂
Why We Love it for End of Year School Parties: Temporary tattoos are value-friendly line-busters for when you need a ton of kids entertained on a tight budget!
Logistical Considerations: Temporary tattoo artists need 1 table and 2 chairs per artist. Airbrush tattoos additionally *require* a 3-prong electrical outlet near their station. (Glitter, flash, and henna are self-contained.)
Number of Students Entertained Per Magician: About 6-7 tricks per hour, up-close with groups of up to 10 people per trick
Number of Magicians Available: Our magicians are one of a kind, but on any given day, we have up to 4 available.
At a Glance: Our magicians walk through your party performing up-close tricks for event-goers. It’s a special, intimate touch on large events!
Special Notes: Some of our magicians are able to dress up in costumed characters for your event. Ask our office while booking!
Why We Love it for End of Year School Parties: In our decade+ of experience, your end of year school event is likey not booking enough entertainment for the amount of kids you have and the lines will be long. (We get it, you had to fundraise and the budget is tight!) Strolling magic is a great way to make your lines more interesting while kids wait in them and double the fun kids have.
Logistical Considerations: Our magicians need a small spot to stash extra items, but if they can park close to where they’re strolling, they can always leave things in their car. This is one of our most flexible types of entertainment!
Number of Students Entertained Per Artist: Our DJ can bring speakers for up to your entire elementary school! Just make sure you speak with us about the number of kids you expect while booking 🙂
Number of Artists Available: You’ll only need one DJ for your event, but if you want things like structured games or a photobooth, we can send assistants.
At a Glance: Our DJ will come with huge speakers and a library of family-friendly music for your event. We can also MC announcements or graduating speeches–just ask!
Special Notes: If you want upgrades like lighting, monitors, photobooths, or games ask us at the time of booking.
Why We Love it for End of Year School Parties: Music is one of those details that MAKES a party!
Logistical Considerations: Our DJ will need access to power very close by to their station. Please give ou office as many details about your party’s size and venue when booking so we can make sure we bring the right equipment. You MUST specify if the event is outdoors at the time of booking so that our DJ can provide a tent rental to keep equipment from overheating.
Number of Students Entertained Per Artist: For kids, one tie-dye artist can assist up to 6 kids at a time and up to 25 kids per hour. (For teens and adults, this number is higher as they need less assistance.)
Number of Artists Available: Up to 8 tie-dye artists available
At a Glance: Our tie-dye artists help kids band, spray, and bag tie-dye apparel! This low-mess solution is the perfect make-and-take station that, if there’s no line, takes guests about 6 minutes to move through and complete.
Special Notes:Want to turn tie-dye into a great keepsake? Pre-order shirts with your class year, school logo, or mascot on it for students to grab and custom-dye!
Why We Love it for End of Year School Parties: We love any activity that emphasizes hands-on play as an alternative to screens. And this is our favorite make-and-take station!
Logistical Considerations: Tie-Dye needs at least 2-3 long folding tables (we will provide drop cloths). Students should either plan to take their tie-dye with them in a bag, or you should prepare another 1 long folding table per 15 guests as a drying station. (We will provide gallon bags with name tags.)
If you’re looking for Project Graduation event entertainment ideas, here are our top ones! From night-club-inspired parties to nostalgic throwbacks, our Safe Grad party ideas will be a hit with your high school students.
Safe Grads are an amazing alternative party to keep high school students safe on their graduation night, but did you know they originated in New England? Launched for the first time in Oxford Hills, Maine in the 1980s, it’s since become a national movement to keep kids safe after graduating high school while celebrating their accomplishments.
As a proudly New England local event entertainment company that services CT, MA, RI, NH, and parts of ME and VT, these are some of our favorite events to do of the year.
Here’s our definitive list of our favorite project graduation ideas!
8 Perfect Project Graduation Entertainment Ideas
UV & LED Face Painting & Balloon Twisting
Number of Students Entertained Per Artist:
UV face painting: 10-12 faces per hour
LED simple balloon twisting: 15-20 designs per hour
Number of Artists Available: Up to 10 per type of entertainment
At a Glance: Make your safe grad glow with a “night club” inspired remix on these childhood favorites! The perfect blend of silly fun and eye-catching interest for tweens and teens.
Special Notes: UV face and body painting does require ultraviolet / blacklights. You can provide them for your event or rent them for the duration that our artists are at your event.
Why We Love it for Safe Grad / Project Graduation: If it feels like your teens are growing up too fast, this is the perfect entertainment that mixes little-kid-nostalgia with something more “grown up” that feels like it should be at a nightclub.
Logistical Considerations: UV paint and LED balloons work best in dark places. If an area of your event is dark except for ultraviolet / blacklights or decorative lights, that’s the perfect spot. If you’re using our light rental services, just make sure we have access to 3-pronged outlets. (And just note that artists will need tables and chairs.)
Number of Students Entertained Per Artist: Up to 10 guests drawn per hour
Number of Artists Available: Up to 8 per event
At a Glance: Our caricature artists will draw fun cartoons of your students. To maximize speed (a constant consideration since we specialize in large events), we limit our caricatures to black and white busts to get more heads drawn per hour.
Special Notes: Want to add a pre-printed design with your school’s logo, mascot, or graduating class? Ask our office about adding custom printed paper to your order!
Why We Love it for Safe Grad / Project Graduation: Caricatures are the PERFECT keepsake for your students’ once-in-a-lifetime event. They’re perfect for this age range and one of the most popular things we provide at graduation parties.
Logistical Considerations: Each caricature artist needs 1 table at dining-height (no high tops or children’s tables) with 3 chairs for them and guests.
At a Glance: Mix and match any temporary tattoos you want! Students will line up, pick a tattoo from our menus, and have it applied to them. Tattoos last anywhere from a few days (glitter, flash) up to a week (airbrush, henna) but most can be easily removed with rubbing alcohol (except henna).
Why We Love it for Safe Grad / Project Graduation: Students can lay on the tattoos as few or as many as they want. Temporary tattoo stations are the perfect quick-drop-by activity, or students can get a full sleeve from one of our artists. They’re a fun mix of nostalgia and feeling grown-up!
Logistical Considerations: Temporary tattoo artists need 1 table and 2 chairs per artist. Airbrush tattoos additionally *require* a 3-prong electrical outlet near their station. (Glitter, flash, and henna are self-contained.)
Number of Students Entertained Per Artist: Up to 15 students per hour
Number of Artists Available: Up to 20 artists available
At a Glance: Like with face painting, students line up to get a custom look. Great for all genders!
Special Notes: Can’t decide between face paint and glitter looks? Talk to our office about how you can combine them for your event.
Why We Love it for Safe Grad / Project Graduation: Teens and young adults who often feel too old for face painting love our glitter looks! They’re fun for all genders and an “adult” spin on something classic as your students see off their childhood at your Project Safe Grad!
Logistical Considerations: Glitter looks artists need 1 table and 2 chairs per artist. For indoor events, you should check with your school or venue to make sure they allow glitter in their venue.
Number of Students Entertained Per Mentalist: About 6-7 tricks per hour, up-close with groups of up to 10 people per trick
Number of Artists Available: We have 1-2 mentalists available at any given time, and they can work in pairs for your event
At a Glance: Our mentalists will walk throughout your event to perform up-close mind-reading using mystical objects like tarot cards, crystals, essential oils, and jewelry.
Special Notes: Mentalists use psychology, not any magic or witchcraft, and will work to keep your event feeling positive and uplifting.
Why We Love it for Safe Grad / Project Graduation: While students are waiting in lines for other types of entertainment, we love mentalism as a strolling experience that can make every part of your Project Graduation fun–even the lines!
Logistical Considerations: Our mentalists need a small spot to stash extra items, but if they can park close to where they’re strolling, they can always leave things in their car. This is one of our most flexible types of entertainment!
Number of Students Entertained Per Artist: Up to 10 per hour
Number of Artists Available: Up to 6 psychics available per event
At a Glance: Students drop by our psychic station for tarot or palm reading. They’re invited to ask any questions and bring their personal beliefs to the experience. Our psychics will do quick 3-card or 4-line readings if there is a line, or can do longer readings if there is time.
Special Notes: Students of any religion or skepticism are invited to this experience! Our tarot and palm readers want to create a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone and will not challenge any students’ beliefs; predict the future; talk to the dead; or give advice. Our readings are open-ended and optimistic with the belief that we all have the ability to shape our lives and futures 🙂
Why We Love it for Safe Grad / Project Graduation: Tarot and palm reading are extremely popular with teens and young adults. It’s one of our most sought-after experiences for Project Graduations, but sells out very quickly in June every year because of this.
Logistical Considerations: Tarot and palm readers need 1 table and 2 chairs placed far away from the loud chaos of the rest of the event so we can have a quiet conversation with your students.
Karaoke station: up to 20 songs per hour with up to 4 microphones per song
Party DJ: we can bring speakers for up to 600 students
Number of DJs Available: For your event we will only need 1 DJ, but if you want to add things like games with prizes, photo booths, or other DJ services our DJ can bring assistants.
At a Glance:
Karaoke station: Put aside a separate room or area. Our DJ will provide playlists, screens/projectors (as appropriate) and up to 4 wireless mics so students can sing their hearts out!
Party DJ: Our DJ will set up with speakers for your entire event! From playlists to requests, our DJs can make sure your students hear the music they love at their Safe Grad night!
Special Notes: Party DJs and karaoke stations are separate packages. If you want both, please specify with our office while booking. We will either need to create a schedule of set up / break downs to run one station after the other, or provide 2 DJs for your event.
Why We Love it for Safe Grad / Project Graduation: Karaoke is another great example of an “adult” feeling entertainment that’s just as fun for high school students as when they were in elementary school.
Logistical Considerations: Our DJ will need access to power very close by to their station. Please give ou office as many details about your party’s size and venue when booking so we can make sure we bring the right equipment.
Number of Guests Entertained Per Artist: For teens and young adults, one tie-dye artist can assist up to 10 at a time and up to 40 high school age per hour. (For younger children, this number is much lower as they need more help.)
At a Glance: Our tie-dye artists help guests band, spray, and bag tie-dye apparel! This low-mess solution is the perfect make-and-take station that, if there’s no line, takes guests about 6 minutes to move through and complete.
Special Notes: Want to turn tie-dye into a great keepsake? Pre-order shirts with your class year, school logo, or mascot on it for students to grab and custom-dye!
Why We Love it for Safe Grad / Project Graduation: We love any activity that emphasizes hands-on play as an alternative to screens. And this is our favorite make-and-take station!
Logistical Considerations: Tie-Dye needs at least 2-3 long folding tables (we will provide drop cloths). Students should either plan to take their tie-dye with them in a bag, or you should prepare another 1 long folding table per 15 guests as a drying station. (We will provide gallon bags with name tags.)
Sarah S is a henna artist and face painter New Haven CT.
A former elementary and middle school art teacher with decades of experience in fine art, she’s based in Southern Connecticut and travels throughout New England for events. She began with Kaleidoscope in 2023 as a face painter, balloon twister, UV face/body painter, henna artist, and paint night instructor.
In her personal art, Sarah explores and plays in many artistic mediums and modalities, from painting to sculpture, photography, gardening, metalsmithing, installation art, and teaching. Forever a student of the creative process, her style reflects her deep connection to intuitive art creation.
Also a yoga instructor and former art teacher, Sarah finds harmony between her yoga & meditation practice and her art practice. Sarah is inspired by the beauty of this amazing planet, the wisdom and resiliency of the human body and spirit, ecofeminism, and the mysteries of the Cosmos.
Interview with Sarah: Henna Artist & Face Painter New Haven
When did you know you wanted to be a professional artist? How did you become a professional face painter and henna artist?
I’ve always wanted to be an artist. I was encouraged from a young age to follow my heart and pursue it as a path, which I’m really thankful for.
In 2023 I saw an opportunity to learn face painting which I was really excited about, and from there I began expanding my skills in party entertainment to include henna, balloon twisting, and a few other things.
You also do balloon twisting. What do you like more: balloon twisting or face painting New Haven? Why?
Painting is one of my favorite things to do. I loooove anything paint-related, and face painting helps me build my painting skills in a new way since it’s so technically distinct from other types of painting. It’s also an amazing feeling to bring joy to the faces of our clients!
What do you like most being a CT henna artist?
There are history and mystique around henna which I like feeling connected to. It also feels like serendipity because, as a fine artist, I’ve enjoyed drawing henna-inspired designs for years before I was trained as a henna artist for parties. I think it’s amazing how these designs can be applied to skin and look beautiful!
I’m also a plant and nature enthusiast, and since henna paste is made from the henna plant, I delight in the intersection of art and nature. A lot of my personal art work incorporates nature, so it feels very personal to gift party guests henna tattoos as part of my work here.
What is your favorite part of the job?
It’s important to me to feel empowered and energized in a job, and with Kaleidoscope I do! It feels amazing and fulfilling to share with people something I love doing!
What is the hardest part of the job?
I love to travel, but sometimes driving long distances in one day can be challenging.
Also, I’m consistently learning new skills outside of my comfort zone— sometimes it takes time for the confidence to show up in the learning process.
What is one party you’ll never forget?
A glitter looks face painting event in NYC at the Plaza Hotel for a private museum gala 🙂 it was a really elegant event and it was fun to entertain guests in such a beautiful and glamorous party!
Our face painters and balloon twisters love entertaining at Memorial Day cookouts, 4th of July fireworks shows, Labor Day block parties, or any other patriotic holiday event you might have!
If you’re booking an event that you want themed red white and blue, please ask us about our seasonal face painting and balloon twisting menus.
These special patriotic menus have a variety of options, including both seasonal motifs (like fireworks, bandanas, lightning bolts, and the Statue of liberty) as well as red white and blue versions of some of our most popular kids’ designs (tigers, dogs, butterflies, and rainbows).
Just make sure to specify if you’d like our normal year-round menus or special holiday menus at the time of booking.
(Please note, that we are not currently able to customize any of our tattoo products to the season.)
Jenni W is one of Kaleidoscope’s most seasoned artists! Jenni began with Kaleidoscope in 2016 as a face painter and balloon twister. With an eclectic creative background (she’s done everything from illustration and costuming to building actual airplanes), Jenni quickly picked a huge variety of art at Kaleidoscope including:
Interview with Jenni: West Hartford CT Caricature Artist and Balloon Twister
When and why did you start working at Kaleidoscope?
I was seventeen and looking for a side job I could do on the weekends. I found the listing randomly and since I was already a digital artist, a job in the arts sounded fun – plus, I’d previously had a summer job as a wedding florist which gave me an idea of what to expect in the event industry.
What’s your favorite art form (or performance etc) to do here? What is your favorite part of it?
I find caricatures to be really challenging in a satisfying way – I’m always looking to improve and there’s real, measurable ways to improve. I enjoy comparing my old caricatures to my more recent work and seeing how I’ve grown!
If you could only pick one, would you rather do face painting or balloon twisting forever and why?
I think balloon twisting has more room for improvement: meaning, after years and years of experience, I could still be getting better and making more and more impressive designs. I feel like face painting has a definite skill ceiling, although there’s tons of ways to branch out into body painting and UV that I’m interested.
What are people’s reactions when you tell them You’re a professional Balloon Twister or Caricature Artist?
It takes a bit of explaining for most people to understand what it is I actually do, but they tend to find it unique and kind of funny. I think they look at me and go, ‘yeah, I can see it.’ (Not sure what about me looks like a balloon twister, but I’ll take it!)
What is one surprising fact about you?
My dad is a recreational pilot with a homebuilt P-36 Hawk scale replica, and I’ve been flying in GA aircraft since I was a baby. I’ve always wanted my own Curtiss Jenny biplane!
What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about what you do?
I think people don’t expect the amount of discipline it requires to work in the event industry. They hear you’re a balloon twister and think you must not be that serious, but really it requires a lot of organization and flexibility.
Your schedule is completely random and you often have very long days, even if the event itself is relatively short. There is a lot of driving. It’s not just fun and games– it can be easy to burn out.
What do you think your superpower as an artist is?
I have a lot of versatility, in that I have a wide variety of different skills from dabbling in different art forms. I’ve always preferred to be a jack of all trades and a master of none, and the opportunities to learn new art forms to add to my arsenal is one of my favorite parts of this job.
What was the most memorable party you ever entertained at?
I have a lot of stories, but I’ll never forget the birthday party for a thirteen year old girl and a few of her friends in her basement. I was there as a balloon twister and face painter doing a combo package. It was so chill, I got to hang out at their slumber party for a bit, and after I was done, someone came with various insect and reptile animal ambassadors and I got to hold a stick bug! How cool is that for a birthday party!
What’s your favorite part of Entertaining at Kids Parties?
I honestly love just never knowing what to expect. I’ve had a lot of fun, crazy, weird, unique experiences. Every day is a little different, and that suits me.
What’s your favorite part of being an artist?
This question feels a bit like ‘what’s your favorite part of being a human.’ As in, what else would I be? It’s just a part of who I am and it always has been. Doing art professionally, it’s fulfilling in a way that validates that experience; I am meant for this, I am capable of this, and it’s me.
What’s your favorite part of working with kids?
They always surprise you. Sometimes kids will have such big personalities or say such wild things that I can’t help but laugh. I also feel like it helps me connect with my own inner child a bit to be able to spend time with them, relate with them, and get on their level.
What is the hardest thing about being an event entertainer?
The hardest part for me is being busy when most everyone else is free, from the very nature of the job. Weekends, holidays, summers, they’re often the only time I can spend time with my friends, and I’m usually working.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to every parent planning a birthday party?
A wider variety of entertainment options (faces + balloons + glitter) will keep a small number of kids entertained for much longer, since they can quickly get bored of one thing. I like to start with faces, since everyone only has one face, and then move on to balloons so they can keep getting more and more.
What’s one thing you want every corporate event planner to know?
More artists will always help a large event go much more smoothly. Not only will having several artists speed up the line, but they can communicate and work together to both keep you in the loop and manage lots of guests.
What is the biggest factor in determining if a college event will go smoothly or not?
In my experience at college events, the event planner should be a single person in a leadership role with others to help them, even if that person is also a student. If the event planning team doesn’t have a single leader to direct things, communicate with vendors and basically call the shots, the event can quickly become chaotic.
What is your favorite activity for summer camp event entertainment and why?
I think foam parties would be an absolute blast for a summer camp, since kids can come in waves but also since nothing will get smudged (face painting, henna) or lost (balloons, caricatures.) With summer camps, kids are running around doing activities all day long, so anything they don’t have to carry or protect is best. Glitter and flash tattoos also fit this bill nicely.
Our CT MA RI NH balloon twisters are talented artists who are amazing with kids. Since 2013, Kaleidoscope has been New England’s most popular creative entertainment company–let us show you why!
If you’re booking an event this fall, please ask us about our seasonal face painting and balloon twisting menus.
These special autumn menus have a variety of options including both seasonal motifs (like pumpkins, leaves, scarecrows, and foxes) as well as Halloween designs (like ghosts, bats, monsters, candy corn, and jack-o’-lanterns).
Just make sure to specify if you’d like our normal year-round menus or special holiday menus at the time of booking.
(Please note, that we are not currently able to customize any of our tattoo products to the season.)
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Fall Festivals & Gatherings
If you’re looking for a fall-festival that isn’t specific to any holiday tradition, our standard fall menus include starry nights, crisp leaves, and even cute turkeys!
Halloween Parties
For Halloween parties, our artists can come equipt with our standard fall menu that has plenty of spooky designs on it–from creepy jack-o-lantern to friendly ghosts–plus classic fall designs for children whose families don’t celebrate Halloween.
Additionally, our artists can create unique face painting designs that compliment guests’s costumes. We love to get creative!
Day of the Dead Face Painting
If you’re looking for sugar skulls, ask for one of our sugar skull artists who can come by and create original designs for guests ranging from teeny highlights around their eyes to full-coverage amazing faces!
Please note that this is unique to our fall menu, and should be specified at the time of booking.
Allie B is a colorful caricature artist, face painter, and balloon twister located in Providence, Rhode Island.
After graduating with her Associate’s in Fine Art, Allie spent several years working at Disney World before combining her loves for art and all things animated at Kaleidoscope.
Allie began working with our team in 2019 and specializes in small events looking for combination packages with just one artist who can show off their skills in a range of art mediums.
Interview with Providence RI Caricature Artist and Face Painter: Allie!
When and why did you start working at Kaleidoscope?
2019. I was working at Disney World and broke my foot while working. I had to come back home due to lack of accommodations for my injury and having my hours cut while I was unable to work. I ended up finding a job ad for Kaleidoscope, and here we are.
What is your favorite part of being a caricature artist or face painter?
Actually using my degree, as well as the skills I’ve developed from childhood to now. Most people think there’s no work in the arts, and that’s not true–although most people who go into visual art ultimately don’t work in it.
If you could only pick one, would you rather do face painting or balloon twisting forever and why?
Face painting. You really are only limited by your imagination and skill level, rather than those AND physics.
What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about what you do?
Mostly people get surprised I actually get paid to do this lol I’ve had a lot of people who see me working as a face painter or caricature artist assume I’m a friend of the family/a volunteer/etc.
What do you think your superpower as an artist is?
Being flexible and adaptable with designs to fit each kid, and figuring out some special requests that only a kid could think of. Also knowing a lot about like, Pokémon and cartoons and Disney.
What was the most memorable party you ever entertained at?
I mean, working a gig at a multimillionaire’s under construction brownstone was pretty memorable. I also worked a gig at the Berklee Student Showcase, and got to listen to a bunch of upcoming musical acts while working.
What’s your favorite part of your Being a Face Painter or Caricature Artist?
Besides getting to use my skills? When kids remember you from other events or previous years and get really excited to see you again. They’re so much fun!
One of my most favorite things about working with kids, especially younger ones is how honest, open, and enthusiastic most of them are. Like they just say whatever comes to mind a lot of the times, and often it’s really funny and sweet. Also they really love glitter.
What is the hardest thing about being an event entertainer?
When you have to end the event and tell kids no, or cut a line. I don’t like disappointing the kids. Also all the driving; especially inside Boston proper. That’s a killer.
What’s one piece of advice you give to every parent planning a birthday party?
I recommend having kind of a rough schedule of when things should happen, ie. when to cut the cake, when to open presents, especially if you want to maximize the time you have your face painter/balloon twister/etc; but also be a bit flexible with it bc kids are kids and don’t always wanna stop what they’re doing right away lol
What’s one thing you want every corporate event planner to know?
Keep in mind parking and the easiest/fastest way for your entertainers to get from parking to your event location/a meet up spot. Especially in city areas.
What is the biggest factor in determining if a college event will go smoothly or not?
Honestly with college kids and teens, on my end at least, just running a more relaxed chill atmosphere. They’re not children, and it’s a different vibe. They wanna be treated as peers/full adults. Also you can straight up tell them no if a design is a no-go, unlike with kids, especially small ones, who you usually kind of have to dance around the subject or be extremely gentle with the no
Allie B is a colorful caricature artist, face painter, and balloon twister located in Providence, Rhode Island.