If you’re looking for more educational programming this year at your school, library, or camp, we offer not only educational shows (such as our science and bubble shows) but hands-on circus camps!
Circus camps with Kaleidoscope are 3 distinct classes that teach kids ages 7-teen some of our favorite types of entertainment here. All 3 are designed to get kids thinking, problem-solving, and moving during short waves of learning.
Our classes are taught primarily by Kenny the Clown, a public school educator and life-long circus entertainer. Kenny will help break down simple concepts into step-by-step instructions that will leave kids with practical skills after the class is over.
Here are some tips for making your circus camp classes a success:
Involve adults! Our entertainers and instructors aren’t able to take responsibility for watching the kids they’re teaching, although many of them are educators and parents themselves. The best run classes always happen when adults (whether they’re counselors, teachers, or parents) learn and play along with the class.
Budget less time and earlier tasks with younger kids. This will set them up to succeed with both their motor skills and attention spans. When you book one of our circus instructors, you’ll pay by the hour and can budget that time with different lengths of “waves” for different age levels or groups.
Consider take-home supplies. Our classes have a fixed hourly price no matter how you divide up the time. But if you have the budget, you can opt to give kids take-home bags of supplies to show their parents and continue the magic at home.
Add a show. If you’re familiar with the classroom “I do, we do, you do”, you’ll know how fundamental it is to give kids context and goals in learning. Before the kids jump into learning, we highly recommend booking Kenny for his hour-long variety show which includes juggling, magic, puppetry, and clowning. The stage show can be done once for your entire camp or school, and then Kenny can accommodate waves of kids in circus camp classes after.
Meet Concord NH balloon twister, face painter, caricature artist, and children’s party entertainer, Kaleb!
Kaleb began with Kaleidoscope in Spring 2023, shortly before graduating high school at Pinkerton Academy with a focus in Fine Arts and World Language. In high school he took several AP art classes, was part of the National Art Honors Society, and President of his high school chess club.
Now a student at the University of New Hampshire, Kaleb is studying American Sign Language with the goal to become an interpreter who helps deaf and hard-of-hearing children. His minor is fine art.
In 2024, Kaleb completed his internship with Northeast Region Special Touch Summer Get Away, a camp for children with disabilities, where he worked with kids and teens who are deaf, hard of hearing, and on the autism spectrum.
When not working with children, Kaleb enjoys working on illustration commissions, anime, and animation.
FAQ with Concord NH Face Painter & Balloon Twister Kaleb
Why did you want to become a face painter & balloon twister?
I needed a job to help me pay for school and I love art. I’m study ASL because I love to work with kids, but I’m passionate about illustration, so working at Kaleidoscope seemed the best of both worlds.
What areas do you service?
I work all throughout New Hampshire, southern Maine, and northern Massachusetts.
What do you like most about being a children’s party entertainer?
I like that every single party is different. I like traveling to new parts of New England. It’s never boring, and a lot of the kids are really fun.
What is one thing you wish every client knew?
The more information we have when you’re booking, the easier our arrival and set up are. I love when clients include maps or extra parking instructions.
When you book with us, we’ll explain our grab-and-go products designed to be impressive at large events. Generally speaking, we can get up to around 30 designs done per hour per artist (2 minutes per design).
We’ll also quote you for how many artists we suggest at your event and include all bulk nonprofit discounts.
Upon booking, we’ll give you any and all marketing materials you want (from high-res images you can put on billboards to mini sharable social media tidbits).
We’ll also boost your event with our thousands of active clients via email newsletter and social media.
Finally, we’ll help you determine the right system to recoup all costs. For some clients, this might be charging $3-15 per design depending on your audience. For others, this may be an optional tips/donations jar. Either way, all money will go back to your organization.
Stage Shows
If having stations at your event doesn’t make sense, we also have a variety of stage shows. While they cost more per hour than our visual artists, they can entertain much bigger audiences at once and help break up the schedule of your event.
Our magician James has a classical Victorian magic show for all ages that is done with the same materials, tricks, and techniques that would have been done in an 1800’s parlor. Our non-profit clients love that his show is truly a great fit for all ages, as well as that he looks so much like a classic magician that he naturally draws attention.
Our resident clown Kenny can likewise provide a variety show with magic, puppets, juggling, and comedy. While Kenny’s show is built for kids, he includes plenty of jokes and gags for adults and comes in a huge variety of costumes to fit every event’s theme.
But if your mission is grounded more in science than magic, our bubble show invites guests to build a hypothesis and test it as they watch mesmerizing bubble tricks from one of our resident bubble scientists! Each bubble show comes with an optional bubble photo booth which can be used to recoup costs, just like ay of our visual artists.
We also have a science show in development, but if you’re looking to book that now you can ask our office for more details!
Add to The Ambiance
Finally, if your goal is to impress and entertain donors or organizational VIPs, some of our nonprofit clients look for entertainment that adds life to the party.
Stilt walkers are a fan favorite for walks and runs. Our non-profit clients love that they can greet guests at finish lines or help kick off a 5k!
Costumed characters are wildly popular for theme park-style meet-and-greets. They add to the event and can be placed in a booth, on a stage, or left to walk around your event.
Finally, we offer DJs and foam cannons for outdoor summer events. Invite your guests to dance, run, and play through mountains of endless bubbles in the sunshine. Foam events are something that they’ve likely seen on reality TV or social media, and make amazing compliments for 5k events, charity walks, and outdoor carnivals.
Looking for country club entertainment ideas? Kaleidoscope has been helping private clubs create perfect parties since 2013, and with our extensive list of entertainers for hire, your club can boost membership value and engagement all year long.
Here are some of our favorite ways to captivate your members and help you create events unlike anywhere else.
Looking for a strolling magician for hire in CT, MA, RI, or NH? Kaleidoscope is New England’s most popular and most versatile magician entertainment agency with several strolling magicians on our team!
Here are the magicians for hire we currently represent for strolling magic:
Kenny’s Circus Strolling Magic
Kenny’s circus strolling magic is goofy, colorful, and comes with tons of jokes and juggling! Expect a portable, one-man circus.
Tricks you can expect: Chattering teeth, disappearing scarves, a magic coloring book, rings, and juggling balls.
What you WON’T see: Classic card tricks, coins, complex slight of hand, or a black top hat.
We love his magic for: festive, outdoor events that either want to entertain all ages with a carnival vibe or want to entertain kids.
We don’t think his strolling magic is suited for: formal events looking for a classic magician.
Oasis’s potions magic is straight out of your favorite fantasy game, show, or book! Her magic potions bring her tricks to life.
Tricks you can expect: Changing jewelry, disappearing coins, magic fabrics, and lots of colorful potions!
What you WON’T see: A goofy clown, a serious magician in a dinner jacket, or anything too scary.
We love her magic for: all-ages events that appreciate her bohemian, festival, storybook vibe! Perfect for outdoor festivals, colleges and schools, or events that have had magicians in the past but want a fresh vibe.
We don’t think her strolling magic is suited for: small kids parties (although she has a different show for that).
Marissa will stroll through your event performing mind reading done through a mix of beautiful objects, psychology, and conversation.
Magic you can expect: mind reading using crystals, tarot cards, ESP symbols, and essential oils.
What you WON’T see: sleight of hand, gimmicky objects, appearing/disappearing items, or magic tricks.
We love her magic for: outdoor festivals, large adult corporate events, college events, project graduation, festivals, and dinner parties.
We don’t think her strolling magic is suited for: children or tweens who may not understand psychology, metaphor, or illusion and think an adult can read their thoughts. (There are no scary themes in mentalism, but we love kids and don’t want to accidentally scare them!)
Looking for entertainers to move through your crowd? Not only do we have multiple strolling magician for hire, but here are some additional strolling entertainers popular with our clients!
Stilt Walkers
We have stilt walkers available for a variety of costumes to make your event dreams come true! Some of the most creative things we’ve seen clients do with stilt walkers are:
Butterflies blowing bubbles at a conservation festival in West Hartford, CT (pictured above)
Taking polaroid photos of guests and handing them out (for RedBull in Boston, MA)
Handing out sports merchandise (Ballpark at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, CT)
Passing out glow sticks at nighttime festivals (for a private corporate event in Burlington, MA)
Greeting guests at the front gate of a carnival-themed event (for a private corporate event in Westport, CT)
Costume Servers
Looking to hand out materials at your event?
Our strolling costume servers can hand out:
Wristbands or entry tickets to help your guests enter
Glow sticks or costume pieces to get your guests into the party spirit
Merchandise or samples of your product
Gift bags or parking vouchers as guests leave
Please note: we are not a catering company, so they cannot hand out food or alcohol.
Strolling Mime
Our famous clown Kenny would love to come to your event as a silent mime!
Kenny loves to act out mime scenes as a traditional mime, but can also couple your strolling mime experience with bubble blowing, juggling, magic, or balloon twisting. Just talk to our office at the time of booking!
Don’t settle for any old magician for hire–contact New England’s most popular creative event entertainment agency today!
Kaleidoscope is hiring for character actors, face painters, and balloon twisters in all of CT, MA, NH, and RI! Positions pay a high hourly rate and travel–get paid to be the life of a party!
No experience is required since we train for everything. Just make sure you meet the requirements and want to learn some new fun skills.
Our hour-long shows are available as stand-alone packages or with additional activities, depending on your event size, budget, and time restraints.
Here are the hour-long shows we currently have!
Kenny’s Extravaganza
What it is: An hour-long comedy show for kids with magic, puppets, and juggling. Comes with your choice of character played by Kenny.
What it isn’t: The Extravaganza is not a pure magic show–it has magic tricks, but is really more a comedy show for kids featuring fun visual gags.
Recommended for: high-energy kids ages 4-10 who love bright colors. All group sizes work, but for events over 50 kids we recommend booking several back-to-back performances for waves of children.
Not recommended for: middle school, high school, or specific to adults, or clients who specifically want just puppets or just magic. (If you want specifically magic, we suggest Oasis’s potion’s class show below.)
Favorite add-on’s: Add simple balloon twisting with Kenny after the show so each child can meet him and receive a small balloon animal (about 30 kids per hour).
About the performer: Kenny is a full time teacher and has been performing as a children’s party with Kaleidoscope since 2013. Read more about him here.
What it is: An hour-long magic show structured to feel like a “potion’s class”, straight out of your favorite fantasy book, movie, or video game. Featuring Oasis, our popular original character created by Alexis.
What it isn’t: A structured class (like our circus camp classes) or hands-on craft activity (like our make-your-own-slime-lab). This is a magic show, but the plot is inspired by fantasy world potions classes.
Recommended for: curious 6-11 year olds who want to see some real magic. Enjoyable by the whole family, especially groups that are interested in puzzles or fantasy media (books, movies, video games, etc).
Not recommended for: kids under 6 years old (we recommend toddler parties or bubble entertainment for younger kids) or groups looking for wacky kids comedy. (If you want something sillier and more colorful, we suggest Kenny’s Extravaganza above.)
Favorite add-on’s: Have Oasis stay after her show to meet each child and give them a glitter tattoo (about 30 kids per hour).
About the performer: Oasis is an original character created by Alexis, a professional actress who has been with Kaleidoscope since 2021. Read more about Alexis here.
Alexis is a Farmington CT magician and face painter who is rated as one of Kaleidoscope’s most popular party entertainers. She would love to come to your next event for magic, games, and tons of fun!
December is one of the busiest months in the events industry, and every year our artists entertain at dozens of Hannukah events in synagogues, homes, daycares, and Hebrew / Jewish day schools.
We’ve compiled some of our favorite entertainment ideas that we’ve helped clients dream up for their Hannukah party, and we hope this list can inspire you to come up with a truly unique event this holiday season!
Lean into the Festival of Lights
Our normal holiday menus for face painting and balloon twisting have Hanukkah, Christmas, and secular winter designs that they bring to large events all December long–so if you hire any of our artists they’ll have special designs for Hanukkah.
But for parties that are specifically for Jewish families, we love bringing in UV face painting and LED balloon twisting! Our artists can create all sorts of things that kids will love at your event that will literally glow throughout the night! (And you can either provide your own blacklights or rent them from us at a discounted rate whenever you order a UV or LED package.)
If you’re looking for something a little more elegant (and for all ages), glitter looks also add a special sparkle to any nighttime event. We’ve seen these paired with disco ball-like mirror decorations to transform an entire recreational room into a sea of glimmering magic!
Winter Holiday Face Painting & Balloon Twisting
If you want classic face painting and balloon twisting, all of our holiday menus (which we bring to every event) come with designs for Hanukkah, Christmas, and secular winter. Our goal is to make sure no one feels left out during the winter holiday season, no matter what event they’re attending!
When you invite us to your Hanukkah event (or see us out in public), we look forward to celebrating Hanukkah with Jewish guests!
Try our Fan Favorites
And if you want some classic party entertainment, we have plenty of other ideas that are great for any type of family event!
Caricatures are perfect for organizations that want to commemorate an occasion. Our artists can draw any couple or family and include “Hanukkah 2028” (or whichever year) right on the drawing.
If you’re on a budget, temporary tattoos are also really fun! Artists can get through around double the guests than they can with face painting or balloon twisting, so if you’re looking for something special that doesn’t break the bank, it’s a great budget entertainment idea. (Glitter tattoos and flash tattoos are especially fitting for The Holiday of Lights!)
Want to create Something Custom?
Just ask our office for a quote and check any boxes you want pricing for. We’d love to put together something special for you!
And if you’re looking for additional holiday entertainment, check out our line of holiday entertainment!
Purim is a joyous holiday celebrated worldwide to commemorate the Jewish people’s salvation from extermination in ancient Persia. It’s a day of celebration, feasting, and merriment, with festivities including costume parties, parades, and carnivals. To add more fun to the celebration, why not consider incorporating face painting and balloon twisting into your Purim activities?
Face painting is a great way to get into the Purim spirit. Children and adults alike can enjoy having their faces painted with bright colors and festive designs.
With our full face painting packages (10-12 kids an hour), you can transform yourself into a favorite character from the Purim story, like Queen Esther or King Ahasuerus, just by adding a festive mask or crown. Want something unexpected? Ask for a hamantaschen!
Balloon twisting is another classic form of entertainment for kids and can be tailored to fit the theme of Purim.
When you order our full balloon twisting package (10-12 kids an hour) balloon artists can create various Purim-themed items such as masks, swords, and crowns!
And of course, with both face painting and balloon twisting, kids who come in their own unique costumes can get something that matches what they’re wearing–whether that’s an animal, superhero, mermaid, or anything else they can dream up.
On a budget for a large event? Our artists also offer Speedy Faces and Simple Balloons, which include simple designs outside of a Purim theme but can entertain 20-25 kids per hour per artist.
Here are some examples of the differences in our full design packages and speedy/simple design packages:
Our face painters and balloon twisters come dressed as regular people to entertain at your Purim. But if you want to add that extra level of excitement, ask our office about pricing to have them dressed as costumed characters. If your Purim has a theme, our artists can dress to match! And if you just want some extra costumes, we have pirates, mermaids, clowns, fairies, and more that can come not only provide your guests with amazing art, but make your event feel more festive!
And finally, we love caricatures for Purim because not only are they great for all ages (including teens who might be too cool to dress up) but our artists can draw everyone in their costumes for the year!
We’d love to come make your next Purim event one to remember!
(And if you’re going to be looking for Hanukkah or Bar/Bat Mitzvah ideas, we have you covered too!)
And if you’re looking for additional holiday entertainment, check out our line of holiday entertainment!
