So, you've decided to hire a village hall for your child's birthday party
Excellent choice.
You've got plenty of space, no worries about 25 children charging around your living room, and — most importantly — somebody else gets to deal with the mysterious sticky patch on the floor afterwards.
Well...
Usually.
Village halls and community centres can be absolutely brilliant venues for children's birthday parties. I've performed at hundreds of them across Exeter, Devon and the South West, and a good hall can make organising a party much easier.
However, there are a few things parents regularly forget to check when booking one.
And unfortunately, discovering them ten minutes before twenty-five excited children arrive isn't ideal.
So before paying your deposit, here are 10 things to check when booking a village hall for a children's birthday party.
1. Is There Actually Enough Parking?
It sounds obvious.
But a hall that has space for 100 people doesn't necessarily have parking for 100 people.
Some beautiful little village halls have approximately four parking spaces.
One belongs to the caretaker.
One contains a skip.
And somebody has parked diagonally across the other two.
If you're inviting 20–30 children, remember that many parents will arrive at roughly the same time. Even if they're only dropping children off, you could suddenly have a lot of cars trying to get into a very small area.
When looking at a venue, check:
How many parking spaces are available?
Is there nearby street parking?
Is parking free?
Is there safe pedestrian access from the car park?
Is there somewhere sensible for entertainers and suppliers to unload equipment?
That last one is particularly useful.
As a children's magician, I normally arrive with rather more equipment than you might expect from someone whose job apparently involves making things disappear.
Easy access makes setting everything up considerably easier.
2. How Much Setup Time Do You Actually Get?
This catches parents out surprisingly often.
Your party might be booked from 2pm until 4pm, but that doesn't necessarily mean you can arrive at midday and start decorating.
Some venues give you plenty of setup time.
Others give you fifteen minutes.
Fifteen minutes sounds fine until you're simultaneously:
inflating balloons,
putting tablecloths on,
arranging food,
hanging a birthday banner,
finding the light switches,
answering the phone because Grandma can't find the hall,
and wondering where you've put the birthday cake.
Before booking, ask exactly when you can get into the venue.
If you're booking a professional children's entertainer, it's also worth asking when they need access.
For my Sicro Magic parties, I arrive before the children so I can get everything set up properly and be ready to welcome them when they arrive.
A relaxed setup normally leads to a much more relaxed party.
3. Are Tables and Chairs Included?
Never assume that because you can see tables and chairs in the photographs, you're allowed to use them.
Ask the venue:
Are tables and chairs included in the hire price?
Then ask the slightly more important question:
Do we have to put them away afterwards?
Some halls will have everything ready.
Others will show you a cupboard containing 87 chairs and leave you to solve the world's least exciting puzzle.
Also think about how many tables you genuinely need.
For most children's parties, you usually don't want the hall packed with furniture.
You'll need enough room for:
Children's food
Birthday cake
Presents
Drinks
Adults
Entertainment
But you'll also want a big clear area where the children can play games, watch the magic show and dance.
For a magic party, open floor space is much more valuable than twenty unnecessary tables.
4. What Kitchen Facilities Are Available?
The phrase “kitchen facilities” can mean very different things.
At one venue it might mean:
Oven
Fridge
Freezer
Microwave
Kettle
Sink
Crockery
At another it might mean:
There is a tap.
If you're serving party food, find out exactly what's available.
I'd particularly check:
Is there a fridge for the birthday cake?
Is there a freezer if you're bringing ice cream?
Is there a kettle for the adults?
Can you heat food?
Are cups, plates or cutlery supplied?
Do you need to bring tea towels and washing-up liquid?
And perhaps the most important question...
Can parents make themselves a cup of tea while I entertain the children?
I highly recommend this feature.
5. Can You Put Decorations on the Walls?
You've bought the giant personalised birthday banner.
You've got the bunting.
You've got balloons.
You've possibly spent several evenings constructing something from Pinterest that seemed like a much better idea when you started.
Then you arrive at the hall and find a sign saying:
NO SELLOTAPE, BLU TACK, PINS OR DECORATIONS ON WALLS.
Oops.
Many village halls have restrictions on how decorations can be attached.
This is perfectly understandable — nobody wants the freshly painted community hall covered in little blue marks — but it's worth checking beforehand.
Ask what you're allowed to use and whether there are:
Hooks
Noticeboards
Curtain rails
Freestanding decoration areas
Suitable places for banners
And remember...
Children generally don't care whether you've created an Instagram-perfect balloon arch.
They care whether they're having fun.
So don't feel you have to transform the village hall into Disneyland before they'll enjoy themselves.
6. Are There Restrictions on Music or Disco Equipment?
This one is particularly important if you're planning a disco party.
Some halls have restrictions on:
Amplified music
Volume levels
Disco lighting
Smoke or haze machines
Strobe effects
Finishing times
If you're booking my Sicro Magic Gold Party, for example, the party includes games, magic, music and a children's disco.
My Neon Party goes even further with UV disco entertainment, so choosing the right venue becomes even more important.
It's always worth telling the venue exactly what entertainment you're planning.
Don't simply ask:
“Can we have a children's party?”
Instead ask:
“We're having a children's entertainer with music and disco lighting — is that permitted?”
Much better to discover any restrictions before the day.
7. Does the Hall Have Smoke Alarms That Could Be Triggered?
This deserves its own section because it has caused many an entertainer a headache over the years.
If your party entertainment includes a smoke, haze or fog effect, you need to know what type of fire detection system the venue has.
Some halls are absolutely fine with theatrical effects.
Some allow them if alarms are temporarily isolated by an authorised person.
Some don't allow them at all.
And setting off a village hall fire alarm halfway through “Baby Shark” is certainly memorable...
Just possibly not for the reason you were hoping.
Never cover, disable or interfere with a fire alarm yourself.
If any effect might trigger the system, discuss it with the venue and your entertainer beforehand.
8. Can You Make the Room Dark Enough?
Here's one almost nobody thinks about.
Windows.
Lovely when you're hiring a hall for an afternoon tea.
Less useful when you're trying to create a children's disco at 2pm on a sunny Saturday.
If you're planning a disco or UV party, check whether the hall has:
Curtains
Blinds
Blackout blinds
Skylights
My Gold Party includes colourful disco lighting, while the Neon Party relies much more heavily on UV lighting to create the full glow-in-the-dark effect.
A huge hall with floor-to-ceiling windows and skylights might therefore be wonderful for a magic show but completely unsuitable for a UV disco.
I've performed in enough halls over the years to know that the best venue isn't always the biggest venue.
It's the venue that works best for the party you're actually planning.
9. Who Is Responsible for Cleaning Up?
Four words every parent should ask:
“What happens after the party?”
Some venues include cleaning.
Many don't.
You may be expected to:
Sweep the floor
Wipe tables
Stack chairs
Put tables away
Empty bins
Remove decorations
Mop spills
Take rubbish home
And you may have to do all of that before the end of your booked hire period.
Suddenly that 4pm party finish doesn't look quite so relaxing.
My suggestion is simple:
Recruit helpers before the party.
Grandparents are excellent.
Friends are excellent.
Other parents can occasionally be persuaded with cake.
When the entertainment finishes, having three or four adults who know they're helping clear up makes an enormous difference.
Otherwise you'll find yourself sweeping crisps off the floor at 4:27pm while your child runs around wearing six party hats.
10. Have You Booked the Hall for Long Enough?
This is probably the biggest one.
Parents often think:
“It's a two-hour party, so I'll hire the hall for two hours.”
Don't.
You need to consider:
Setup + party + cleanup.
For example, if your child's party runs from 2pm–4pm, you might want the venue considerably earlier for setup and some time afterwards for clearing away.
Check with your entertainer how much setup time they require too.
My goal with a Sicro Magic children's party is to take as much pressure off parents as possible. During the entertainment, I want you enjoying your child's birthday rather than constantly watching the clock and organising the next activity.
Giving everybody enough time at the venue makes that much easier.
Bonus Tip: Don't Book a Hall That's Too Big
This might sound slightly strange coming from a children's entertainer.
Surely bigger is better?
Not always.
Put 15 five-year-olds into an enormous sports hall and they'll immediately discover a fascinating new game called:
RUN AS FAR AWAY FROM THE ADULTS AS POSSIBLE.
Very large rooms can also lose atmosphere.
A slightly smaller hall where the children can sit together for the magic, gather easily for games and move into a disco area often works much better.
Similarly, a tiny room packed with tables, chairs, adults, presents and food can be difficult.
The perfect venue has enough space for everyone...
without needing binoculars to find the birthday child.
The Village Hall Children's Party Checklist
Before paying your deposit, check:
Parking
Access and unloading
Setup time
Tables and chairs
Kitchen facilities
Decoration rules
Music restrictions
Disco and lighting restrictions
Smoke/haze restrictions
Curtains or blinds
Cleaning requirements
Rubbish disposal
Party finishing time
Cleanup time
Space for your entertainer
Get those things sorted and you're already halfway towards a brilliant birthday party.
Looking for a Children's Party Entertainer in Devon?
A village hall can be one of the best places to hold a children's birthday party — especially when you've got plenty of energetic children coming.
And once you've found the venue, I can help with the entertaining part.
I'm Simon from Sicro Magic, and I've been entertaining children at birthday parties across Exeter, Devon and the South West since 2008.
My children's party packages are designed to take the pressure off parents and keep the children involved from beginning to end.
Depending on your child's age, number of guests and venue, you can choose from:
Bronze Party – a smaller, calmer magic and balloon party particularly suited to younger children and smaller groups.
Silver Party – magic and balloon modelling, ideal when you want a fun indoor party without a full disco.
Gold Party – my complete two-hour party featuring interactive magic, non-elimination games, prizes, music and children's disco.
Neon Party – the ultimate UV party experience with magic, games, neon balloons and disco fun.
Not sure which package will work best in the village hall you're considering?
Send me the venue details before you book and I'm always happy to advise.
You can explore the children's party packages at www.sicromagic.co.uk or get in touch to check availability for your child's birthday.
Then you can concentrate on the really important decisions.
Like whether ordering 48 sausage rolls for 15 children is enough.
(It is.)
Probably.
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