by kscope -

Hair Art!

Looking for a creative and colorful face painting alternative? Hair art is just as fun for kids (and adults), and comes with three different products to help every kid build their custom look:

  1. Hair tinsel – add shimmering extensions to your hair! Perfect for every hair type, but best for long hair.
  2. Glitter gel – decorate your roots, ponytail, or bangs! And for short hair, you can cover the whole head.
  3. Hair chalk – add a touch of color to your look. Hair chalk goes on dry and comes out quickly in the shower, perfect for short hair looking for a ton of color (and works great with long-hair looking for a streaky highlight).
Hair tinsel
Glitter gel
Hair chalk

For faster parties, guests can pick their favorite hair product and it’ll come out like the photos above.

But for parties with more time, our artists will apply 1-3 of the products to make a custom look! (And we can even include glitter beards for adults!)

Hair art is perfect for all hair types, with a few notes.

For blonde hair, hair chalk comes out brighter and more colorful. However, if a guest’s hair is dyed blonde (and has suffered damage from bleach or box dye) then hair chalk color may stain for up to a week. Natural blondes or salon-treated blondes have nothing to worry about.

For types 3 and 4 hair, glitter gel will be harder to wash out. Hair tinsel and hair chalk are both much easier to get out and won’t damage extensions.

by kscope -

Foam Parties

Foam parties in CT, MA, and RI are exploding in popularity! Pop Art is excited to help our clients start hosting foam parties in their backyards or venues, and are bringing our 10+ years of event entertainment experience to your upcoming party.

Tweens dancing at a foam party in CT

What to expect at foam parties in CT

Photos don’t accurately describe what a foam dance party is. From the point of view of the host, a Pop Art Foam Party is:

  • A sensory-filled, larger-than-life experience for guests at any age that has to be seen to be believed
  • You book the experience with us, and we provide everything from equipment to talent to music
  • You can focus on other aspects of your event before and during your party. Our trained technicians take care of everything else!
  • You get to dance and have fun with your guests (which you deserve!) while our talent run everything.
  • We break down and the foam takes care of itself, so there’s nothing else to worry about once the party is over!

From your guests’ perspective, a foam party is:

  • Something they’ve seen on TV or social media (or have never heard of before)
  • An amazing sensory experience where foam piles up to their chests and flies through the sky!
  • An all-in-one memory maker, dance party, and selfie station.
  • The experience of a lifetime
Three girls posing for the camera, covered in foam

How to throw a foam party for a large group

For large groups, we suggest that guests either come in on a staggered schedule or that there are additional activities happening in your event.

Each foam cannon rental has the capacity to create foam for up to 25 guests at once, so some options look like:

  • Rent multiple foam cannons (up to 3 available, with full set-ups and techs) for larger groups at once
  • Add more time with just 1 cannon for schools, camps, or daycares with different groups scheduled to go at different times (so for example, a camp of 100 kids could schedule 4 waves of 30 minutes for each group of 25 kids, for a total of 2hrs of foam cannon rental).
  • Adult and college events can use wristbands with designated party times to stagger waves of partygoers
  • Have a larger experience with multiple stations at the same time. Like an amusement park, guests can wait in line for a 20-minute session in the foam pit. (Just make sure to include your own ropes and staff for the line. Our techs are busy running the foam machine rentals!)

If you’re in doubt, just ask our office for some ideas!

Two young kids in the woods wearing summer camp tshirts and playing in bubbles

How to throw foam kids’ birthday parties

The foam rental industry standard is to schedule a maximum of 1-hour sessions per group, largely because after that… kids are tired!

Our foam kids’ party includes:

  1. Foam cannon rental
  2. Foam party technician
  3. All other equipment… and endless foam solution!
  4. A large speaker and aux cord, plus our favorite mix of today’s hits and 80s-90s throwbacks for parents (all family-friendly, of course!)

If you want to run multiple stations, we recommend adding balloon twisting to your foam party. We love face paint and tattoos, but nothing says POP like balloons and bubbles! (Plus, balloons won’t wash out like face painting, and our balloon twisters won’t have to compete with our loudspeakers like a magic show.)

A young girl with foam on her head laughing - foam parties CT, MA, RI

Kids’ party safety

We know that the best memories are made only when kids are 100% safe. At the beginning of any party, our foam techs will announce the rule:

  1. No hitting or pushing in the foam. Kind hands only, and only if someone says it’s ok!
  2. No sitting or lying down under the foam. If you’re covered, no one can see you and they could trip on you!
  3. No eating the foam or putting it in your mouth. You’ll probably barf!

And speaking of eating the foam (trust us, there’s always one kid who manages it), here are some additional safety notes for parents:

  1. Kids can come dressed in anything that’s ok to get wet, including athletic clothes or swimwear. Just know it’ll get wet, so bring a towel and something dry to change into.
  2. Kids can be barefoot or wear any shoes that are ok to get wet. They might lose a flip-flop or two in the foam, so if it’s important to the parent that the child wears their shoes the whole time, opt for sandals made for sports, water shoes, or sneakers that are ok to get drenched.
  3. Goggles are encouraged, but the foam won’t irritate your eyes.
  4. Don’t forget the sunscreen! Foam doesn’t protect from sunburn.

And if you want to know more about our professional foam liquid, here’s what the manufacturer says:

Our foam is made up of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Glycerol and water. These are also the main ingredient used in things like shampoo, dish soap and even tooth paste but without the additional chemicals and perfumes.

Source
An adult woman blowing bubbles at a foam party

Teen and adult foam events

But it’s not all kids’ events here! Here are some other types of events where we’ve entertained at with foam parties, and what makes them different.

  • College Events – If you’ve done every inflatable rental under the sun, try something new! Just make sure to work with our office so we can safely stagger the number of students (and faculty) that will show up.
  • Bar / Bat Mitzvahs – If you’re renting out a nightclub, we can likely make a foam party work! Foam parties are an over-the-top experience that will have all the kids feeling like grown-ups, and we can coordinate with the DJ of your choice.
  • Project Graduations – If your event has an outdoor space, have us at the beginning of the night before the newly-graduated students doze off. Just note, gyms and cafeterias likely won’t meet the requirements we have for safety because of floor material and drainage.
  • Nightclubs – Say less. Have a ticketed event on your slow night and watch it sell out!
  • Corporate Events – Whether it’s your adults-only bash or a family event, we can create a unique experience that your guests won’t forget. We’re also happy to answer any questions your HR or legal departments have, and have a decade of experience working with companies in finance, tech, and manufacturing.
  • Weddings – If you’re looking for something to get everyone on the dance floor, foam parties are a totally unique memory for outdoor weddings. Just make sure the bride has a costume change!
  • Events for mixed ages – ask us about our Adult Swim packages, perfect for having the kids leave the dance floor and turning on the throwbacks!
Teens dancing at a foam party

How to rent a foam cannon

Want to move forward and rent a foam cannon? Submit a quote and we’ll let you know our foam technicians’ availability and pricing for your event!

Get A Quote!
by kscope -

2020 Cancelation Policy

Hi everybody –

Since no one in CT is having any events soon, here is my current policy for all deposits I already took in for parties on the books. I know it’s not perfect, believe me, but right now this is the best I can. The long and the short of it is that, even though you don’t see it, the deposit money goes to things like this website, the business phone, and many other things that have already been paid for. I’m going to be suspending all of my business services until I can operate again to keep costs low, but for right now here is my unperfect plan:

  1. The money which was paid, whether it was a deposit or a party paid in full, can be used any time between now and December 31, 2021. This should be well over a year and a half of opportunities.
  2. This can be for your party or given as a gift to someone else, like a family member or school. Just let me know.
  3. If you’re not sure about entertainment at any events going forward, I will be working with local magicians so that their services (which do not involve children touching anything, or anyone handing anything to children) can be booked through my company. (A big thank you to Mike, Meg, Kenny, and Jim for this.)

And for any future events in 2020:

  1. I will not be offering any face painting services until January 1, 2021. While this might seem extreme, I love my kids and won’t want anyone to touch their faces with anything for a long time. I’m sure you feel the same.
  2. I am still requiring deposits for future parties, but will be very very flexible with our cancelation policy. If you put a deposit down for anything in 2021 and your party is canceled for any reason, please just give me 48hrs notice. You can move your deposit to any party within 365 days of the original party.

Please let me know if you have any questions. I’m doing my best to do the right thing while making sure my company can continue making kids smile into the future when this is all behind us.

by kscope -

How I Became A Balloon Twister

“My parents sent me to clown school because I didn’t clean my room.”

“I was raised by a wild band of clowns roaming the woods of Transylvania, twisting our shelter and food from balloons.”

“Well I tried to be a Vegas show girl but when that failed I needed a fall back career.”

I try to keep it light at parties, so those are normally the answers I give to everyone’s favorite question: “How did you become a balloon twister?”

But the real story is much more bizarre and tragic. I don’t like to tell it often at parties because it tends to bring down the mood of any birthday party I do.

I started as a CIA analyst out of college back in 1986. I was stationed with a group of US Naval officers to take possession of a cutting-edge nuclear submarine. It was touch-and-go, but the CIA had me there to help the Navy sub we were riding on avoid any violent confrontation.

But, as we closed in on the sub, we realized that was no longer an option. A Soviet Ambassador had learned of our plans via the Soviet Sub’s reconnosence and the US government declared us renegades, although we were fully functioning on their orders. We had been abandoned by our own government.

Thinking quickly, we staged a nuclear reactor emergency and ordered our crew to abandon ship. This would send the Soviets flying in the other direction. But miles under water, how would we rise to the surfaced fast enough?

Luck for us, there had been a clown stowaway on board. With his help, I thought quickly once again and began to twist balloon life-rafts with enough air to float our crew safety up to the surface.

“Twist faster Pockets!” I shouted at the nervous clown. “The entire fate of the free world is in your over-sized hands!”

“Get a grip,” growled Pockets, slapping me with a rubber chicken. “We need to do this right if we’re ever going to survive this.”

But after the longest 45 minutes of my life, we had created a balloon large enough for our entire crew to climb into, rose to the surface, and sailed straight to Maine.

……

Just kidding.

Thats (mostly) the plot to The Hunt for Red October.

I tried balloon twisting once for my son’s PTA fundraiser and just really liked it.

Now it’s my part-time job.

by kscope -

BACK TO SCHOOL: Balloon Hacks

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! (For teachers, anyway. Right?) The back-to-school season is in full swing. Whether you’re a teacher looking for fun classroom decorations and activities, or a sorority looking for fun rush ideas, Pop Art Balloon Twisting is here to help with these fun back-to-school ideas!

Balloon Welcome Gift

If you’re a teacher looking to make your classroom more fun, try attaching a balloon to each student’s desk to help them find their spot more easily. It will not only serve as a sort of welcome gift for your students, but give your classroom a much more colorful and approachable look (which is especially helpful for younger students).

Balloon Art

Maybe you’re an art teacher, or need an activity to keep kids occupied for arts and crafts. Try filling balloons with paint and having kids pop them over a canvas to make abstract art – this isn’t just for Mia Thermopolis and her mom in the Princess Diaries!

Or, for a Greek twist…

Tape the letters of your sorority onto a board, and fill the balloon with paint specifically in your sorority’s colors! You could incorporate the activity into rush week as a fun way to not only make art for your house, but get to know potential new members!

Balloon Countdown

20130513_134018

Although the end of the school is incredibly far away, you can still use balloons as a fun way of counting down any special event – a holiday, and special day at school, a carnival, whatever! Simply blow up the balloons, write the numbers for each day on them, and hang them up anywhere in your classroom. Make it incentive for your kids to behave well – their reward is getting to pop a balloon at the end of the day.

Balloon Science Experiment

61359027

You can use balloons as part of a fun science experiment with students! Have students fill a water bottle about 1/3 of the way with vinegar, and and fill a balloon with baking soda. Then attach the opening of the balloon to the top of the bottle, being careful not to spill any baking soda into the bottle. When your students are ready, lift the balloon, allowing the baking soda to mix with the vinegar, and watch the balloon expand as the gas fills it. You can discuss with students how the combination of baking soda and vinegar creates carbon dioxide, which blows up the balloon!

by kscope -

CUSTOMER REVIEW: Matt from Westport

Matt brought us to his last-minute Westport birthday party after meeting us the weekend before. Was he just as happy with his party?

Happy Monday! Thanks again for helping us so last-minute. I was soooo disappointed when our original clown canceled, but everything worked out great! I’m actually glad we didn’t end up with the clown! I’ve never seen balloons like this before!

You should know that Krissy still has her dolphin from Amber’s birthday [the weekend before] and her octopus has joined the dolphin in her pile of stuffed animals. WE WILL see you at our Christmas party this year!

by kscope -

SUMMERTIME SADNESS: How to Keep Your Kids Entertained This Summer (In Any Weather, No Technology Required)

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for kids (well, besides Christmas). School’s out, the sun is shining, and they’re free from teachers and homework for a good three or so months. Everything is perfect.

Until that inevitable day when your child, sick of sitting on the couch watching TV or playing video games, proclaims, “I’m bored!” So without further ado, here are some fun ideas to keep your children entertained this summer, no matter what the weather, no technology needed.

The Forecast: Sunny and Hot with a Chance of Melting

Water Piñata 

Fill up a bunch of water balloons and use them like you would a piñata. Instead of candy, your kids will be showered with refreshing water!

Walk the Plank Game 

For a fun twist on simply sitting in a wading pool, lay a board across the pool and have your kids “walk the plank,” trying not to fall in (or maybe trying to fall in and cool off!)

Water limbo 

Instead of playing limbo with a traditional meter stick, use a hose! Your kids will enjoy this simple competition and definitely cool off in the process.

The Forecast: It’s Raining, It’s Pouring

Life Size Jenga 

The bigger the better, right? All you need for this is a bunch of cheap blocks of wood from a hardware store, and, if you’re feeling crafty, some bright colored paint to paint the ends of the wood. Let the fun begin!

Indoor Fort

Give your kids some old blankets, pillows, and flashlight — their imaginations should do the rest.

Mission Impossible

Tie a bunch of string across the room, obstacle course style, and have your kids try to climb through it without touching any of the string. They’ll feel like they’re starring in their own action movie!

The Forecast: Windy Enough to Get Blown Away

Blow Giant Bubbles

Kids love bubbles, so why not make GIANT bubbles? To make the bubble solution, mix 1 liter of hot water, 1 cup of soap, and a few tablespoons of glycerin. You just need straws and string to actually form the bubbles (see how here). This will provide your kids with hours of entertainment.

Fly a Kite

You don’t have to be Michael and Jane from Mary Poppins — either make your own kite out of just paper, 2 wooden sticks, and streamers, or buy one from the store. Kites are a great traditional activity to get kids outside even on a windy day.

Make Parachutes for Toys

This one’s easy. Have your kids use plastic bags and tie them to the hands of some stuffed animals. Stand from a high point, such as a deck or jungle gym at a park — but be careful! Then they can let the stuffed animals go and see how far they fly.

by kscope -

6 Birthday Party Problems (and Solutions!) As Told By Internet Memes

It’s that time of the year. No, not Christmas — your kid’s birthday! And chances are, expectations are high for some sort of birthday party or event to be held. So, you start asking your child for party ideas: who he wants to invite, what sort of theme he wants, what kind of food, what sort of entertainment, etc. No problem. Or is it?? Read below for some common problems that may occur when planning a birthday party, and how to solve them. (And be sure to make Pop Art Balloon Twisting a part of your birthday party plans!)

1. When your kid wants to invite everyone to the party…

Solution: Try to constrain the list to a specific friend group (for example, your child’s playground group or classroom friends). If someone important is left out, try arranging a play date for special outing with that friend instead, so they still get to spend some time together without creating an overwhelming or unmanageable party size.

2. When partiers get too wild…

Brace-yourselves-the-6qqk09

Solution: If the birthday party is at your house, lock the doors (if possible) to rooms you want to be off-limits. However, if this isn’t an option, create a fun way to direct traffic into the rooms you do want kids in. For example, use streamers, balloons (or even caution tape if, say, your boys are into Bob the Builder) to cover doorways and guide guests into the party zone. Also try to enlist some other parents to hold down the fort with you — one mom vs. twenty kids can get out of hand pretty fast!

3. When your kid is “the shy kid”…

ill

Solution: Give your kid a sort of pre-party pep-talk before the party. Let her know that intermingling with other kids isn’t scary, and it can actually be fun! She doesn’t have to be the loudest, or BFFs with everyone, but it shouldn’t feel like the birthday party is being forced upon her either.

4. When goodie bags feel like just a bag of junk…

images

Solution: instead of filling the birthday goodie bags with cheapo plastic toys that kids will most likely never use, try investing in just one quality gift that fits in well with the theme of the party, and is equal to the price of all those useless gizmos and gadgets. If your boy is having a Lego-themed party, give each kid a small set of Legos. If your girl is having a tropical themed party, maybe use tropical-print bucket hats (those are so in right now anyway) as a favor.

5. When unexpected guests show up…

4 letters: R-S-V-P. Make sure to make it very clear in your invitations that guests must RSVP to the party — you don’t want to plan for cake for 10 kids and then have 20 show up. If some children or their parents never respond, don’t assume it’s a no — contact them a few days before the party to confirm whether or not their child is coming. Another rule of thumb is err on the side of more, just in case. Though this may be more difficult if your party is in a space where you must pay a certain fee per child, try to find an accommodating venue or entertainment company (not to toot our own horn here at Pop Art or anything) that can offer group rates.

6. When one of your guests has a food allergy…

noxks

Solution: Before you even begin planning what food to serve at the party, ask your guest to mention any food allergies when they RSVP, and make sure to read all food labels accordingly. If your kid has his heart set on peanut butter cookies, but his best friend has a peanut allergy, offer to make peanut butter cookies for him another time. Your guests’ safety is just as important as having fun at the party.

sugar skull child
by kscope -

Face Paint History Lesson: Calaveras de Azucar (Sugar Skulls)

This past Halloween, there was a huge rise in the number of trick-or-treaters with painted faces instead of wearing a traditional costume or mask — in particular, many chose to adorn themselves with face paint resembling that of calaveras de azucar, or, as they are more commonly known, sugar skulls. But where did this trend come from? Read on for a brief history lesson on this up-and-coming face painting trend! (And, of course, feel free to ask your Pop Art artist about being painted with a sugar skull at your next party or event!)

sugar skull

In past years, skulls for Halloween have been usually viewed as a rather dark and gruesome costume, usually reserved for older or more mature children. (Who remembers those awful screaming skulls with dripping blood? )

screaming skull

Today though, children of all ages are displaying face painted sugar skulls left and right. They are a very easy last-minute costume idea, as they only require, at minimum, two colors of face paint and a bit of practice, depending on how intricate your design is. Check out this sugar skull tutorial here: http://happythought.co.uk/day-of-the-dead/skull-face-paint-tutorial. They give your costume a very fun and mysterious feeling — it’s not exactly easy to identify someone in several layers of full face paint, after all.

sugar skull child

The origination of the sugar skull comes from the Mexican holiday, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), which is celebrated a total of 3 days on and following Halloween: on October 31sth, All Hallows Eve, children make alters for angelitos, or spirits of dead children, to visit. November 1st, or All Saints Day, is when adult spirits come to visit. Finally, on November 2nd, All Soul’s Day, families decorate gravestones of their relatives at cemeteries. This is meant to be a joyous holiday celebrating the lives of deceased relatives, and the skulls are used to decorate gravestones to help guide spirits back to earth. Sugar was actually used to make skulls originally because the churches could not afford to make decorations with other more expensive metals. 

traditional sugar skull

Rather than symbolizing the end of one’s life, the skulls serve as a symbol of a “higher level of consciousness.” For Dia de los Muertos, the skulls are meant to be very whimsical and decorated with various colorful dyes. (Some are even made of chocolate — yum!)

chocolate skulls

Sugar skulls are a great face painting idea for kids who like to go all out with their costumes — they can be as intricate and colorful as you want! They are also an easier alternative to buying a full costume, because all you need is a little bit of face paint or makeup, and one size fits all!

colorful sugar skull

by kscope -

BALLOON HACKS: Easy Ideas for Your Next Party

Here at Balloon Twisting CT, our goal is to make your next party or event as fun and entertaining possible. While balloon twisting by Dave and our team is great way to keep guests occupied, there also are plenty of things you can do with balloons that don’t require any skills or balloon twisting experience. Check out these simple balloon hacks that will have your party popping (no pun intended) in no time!

 

Finding your house: sometimes when headed to a party it is difficult to find the venue or entrance — not anymore! A pathway clearly marked by balloons will get rid of your guest’s worries about which house is the right one, or which door to enter, and is very simple to make.

balloon pathway

Are you on the hunt for a perfect table centerpiece? Don’t waste your money on fancy flower arrangements or vases — just use balloons instead! It will add a much more festive feel to your decor, and kids will love it.

balloon centerpiece

Keeping a large number of drinks cold for a long period of time requires a bit of planning (and also a towel when ice starts to melt!) Instead, fill several small balloons up with water and stick them in the freezer for balloon ice cubes! No more digging through a pool of half melted ice for a drink, not to mention it looks more fun than plain old ice.

balloon ice

Kids love lollipops right? So why not make GIANT ones out of balloons? Just throw some plastic wrap around a balloon and attach it to a white stick or pole, and your giant sucker is done. (How long would it take to get the center of these lollipops?)

balloon lollipops

And why stop at just lollipops? You can also make giant ice cream cones by simply attaching some extra party hats to your balloons.

balloon ice cream

Or, if you’re not so into candy and ice cream, try making a balloon fruit bowl instead! Just blow up some balloons of various sizes and colors and attach green construction paper to them — a much healthier balloon-food alternative.

balloon fruit

If you’re throwing a New Year’s Eve party (or are just really attracted to shiny objects) try getting clear balloons and filling them with glitter and confetti. It gives you all the fun of glitter poppers with none of the clean up!

balloon glitter confetti

But say you don’t mind getting your hands a little (or really) dirty: fill some balloons with paint and let your kids have a paint fight! Just make sure to tell your guests to wear old clothes that they won’t mind getting messy. And take lots of pictures!

balloon paint

Last but certainly not least, if you’re throwing a Halloween party, you’re gonna wanna check this out. Put a glow stick in your balloons and fill them with water. Then stick them inside stockings and hang them from the ceiling. Turn off all the lights for super cool and spooky vibe.

Glowing Balloons