Although we love art entertainment like face painting and balloon twisting, we recognize that “art stations” aren’t right for every party.
Kaleidoscope is proud to offer a huge selection of shows and experiences for your upcoming event, no matter what your venue, guests’ age range, or entertainment goal.
Take a look at what we have to offer, and follow the links to learn more!
Magic Shows
Kaleidoscope is New England’s only creative entertainment agency that hosts it’s own variety of magic shows. You can take a look at all of our magicians here, and the shows that we currently have for you to choose from are:
1h Kids Comedy Extravaganza with Kenny (ages 2-tween)
If magic isn’t your style, our Silly Science Show with Kenny is an amazing alternative!
Created for elementary schoolers, the science show features just as many laughs and cool tricks as Kenny’s famous comedy magic shows, but uses the scientific method to inspire curiosity about how the world works.
For kids who want to get more hands’ on, the Silly Science Show also comes with a slime lab, perfect for ages 4-14!
Can’t decide between magic and science? Our bubble show is a fantastic mix of both!
From the science of how bubbles are made to the magic of what they can do, our bubble show will captivate ages 2-teen with its hypnotic tricks and mystery.
Foam parties are best described as “a dance party in an outdoor bubble bath!” From pre-schools to summer camps to huge corporate events to tiny birthday parties, they are truly one of the coolest and most unique types of entertainment we offer.
Foam parties are amazing for all ages, and our office would love to work with you to customize your guests’ experiences.
Looking to show your employees, tenants, club members, students, or guests you truly appreciate them? Arty Party paint nights are one of our most elevated experiences. Ranging from 90min – 2hrs, our talented paint party instructors will come to any location in New England and host a custom paint night for you.
Guests will sit down as a group and paint together for the full duration of the class, with built-in downtime to socialize or grab a bite to eat.
Paint parties are perfect for tweens, teens, and adults! They also make a great alcohol-alternative party for your school or corporate event, or feel free to serve guests libations as they sip and paint. Either way, the event WILL sell out and be one of your most popular events of the year!
PLEASE NOTE: this is not a kids’ craft station or a babysitting alternative but is best suited for ages 12+.
Looking for a magical alternative to a seated stage-show? Our strolling magicians can wander through any crowd and entertain them one-on-one in a hands-on experience they won’t forget!
Our strolling magic options are:
Clowning-around with Kenny (magic, gags, and juggling–perfect for kids and families)
Victorian classical magic with James (cards, coins, ropes, and rings–perfect for all ages)
Enchanted magical objects with Alexis (precious metals, wooden boxes, and magical rings–perfect for all ages)
Mentalism and mind reading with Marissa (crystals, essential oils, and tarot–perfect for teens and adults)
Don’t let our artists have all the fun–let us teach your guests the arts of balloon twisting, juggling, and magic! From elementary schoolers through senior citizens, our circus camp classes will have everyone at your event clowning around.
Circus camp classes are best done in groups of 10-15 and can be done in “waves” for summer camps or libraries who want to stick to a schedule. Depending on the number of guests per wave, we may suggest longer or shorter time frames, or teach more or fewer concepts.
PLEASE NOTE: adults such as parents, camp counselors, or chaperones are welcome at all classes and should be available if needed as our creative experiences are not babysitting services.
If you’re looking for a hands-on craft station, the tie-dye station is a great option for guests of any age to drop in, create something fun, and continue with the event.
A professional artist will help guests twist, tie, and spray-dye the apparel of their choice. Then we’ll help them bag and label their creations for a low-mess experience that keeps your event moving.
Unlike our more-structured Circus Camp Classes (all ages) or Paint Parties (tweens, teens, and adults), guests can drop in, get crafty, and continue to other activities in your event at any time. For camps, we recommend bringing campers in waves; for parties and events, we recommend having the station accessible for the duration of the event.
Hire a face painter in CT, MA, RI, or NH! Not only are our face painters, balloon twisters, and other entertainers top notch, but they’re great with kids! Our face painters specialize in bring and colorful full-face designs, and our balloon twisters build sculptures you can’t believe! All of our party entertainment packages are built specially for your party and budget, but here are a few we offer!
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 college entertainment ideas in New England? Kaleidoscope is New England’s largest artistic entertainment company with artists in CT, MA, RI, NH, and additionally serving VT and ME.
We’ve compiled our Top 10 most creative college entertainment ideas in this guide full of quick tips and at-a-glance stats to help you quickly plan an amazing college party. These are all products that we provide, and if you’re interested in booking some college event entertainment we’d love to work with you!
12 College Entertainment Ideas for New England Schools:
1. Paint Parties
At-a-Glance: Students sit down with one of our professional artists and create a painting (which you, the event planner, chose) as a group. Think: Bob Ross meets Paint And Sip parties.
Number of students entertained: 20-200 per painting.
LogisticalConsiderations: For groups over 80, we encourage working with your events management department to get our paint night instructors some AV to be seen by the whole group. (Or, if that’s too much of a logistical challenge, invite our paint night instructors for smaller waves of 40-80 kids as part of your regular programming.)
You’ll also need to provide a chair and table for every student, plus tablecloths. Paint parties aren’t very messy, so consult your events management or building maintenance for any rules your campus might have.
We love it for: ResLife alternatives to alcohol or cannabis; Student Government-sponsored activities; and commuter schools trying to get students on campus for activities.
Not recommended for: family days (this is designed for teens and adults, not younger siblings); spaces with limited seating/space.
Bonus college entertainment ideas: as an alternative to popular “paint and sip” parties, create a build-your-own-sundae or -tacos bar and have students snack while they paint.
At-a-Glance: Set up a station where students can get their own henna, glitter, flash, or aibrush tattoos done.
Number of students entertained: Anywhere from 10-12 guests per hour (henna) to 25 guests per hour (airbrush) per artist with up to 10 artists available per tattoo. We love these for large-scale events where you want to get a ton of students something fun in a short amount of time.
Considerations: Temporary tattoo artists require 2 chairs and some table space per artist, and for outdoor events must be placed in the shade (over 75*F) or in a heated area (under 55*F). Airbrush tattoos require electricity.
We love it for: events over 500+ students; cultural centers; Safe Grad / Project Graduation; and carnival-themed events.
Not recommended for: Small intimate events (tattoos are generally very quick to apply).
Bonus college entertainment ideas:
Add all 4 types of tattoo stations throughout your event or campus. Have students go on a scavenger hunt and collect all 4 for a prize.
Because airbrush tattoos specifically are fast, the cost per student is significantly less than some higher-end entertainment types. Use airbrush tattoos to add some budget entertainment so you can also offer students more expensive niche experiences without breaking your budget.
At-a-Glance: Students are invited to dance in waist-high foam and bubbles.
Number of students entertained: Up to 50 at a time (2 cannons). Can be done in lined waves (like an amusement park line) or organically (typically students are done after about 10-15min in the foam).
Considerations: Foam must be done outdoors and requires a large flat area (such as black top or a quad lawn) with no obtrusive objects (sprinklers, sewers, rocks, holes, landscaping). Additionally, foam needs to be no more than 100′ from a grounded power outlet on it’s own circuit and 100′ from an outdoor water spigot. Students will get wet, so foam may be best suited for post-class activities.
We love it for: spring finals stress-busting activities; school-sponsored sporting events and tailgating; commuter schools trying to get students on campus for activities; sorority and fraternity events; and health-focused events that want to get students up and moving.
Not recommended for: indoor events; low-energy events.
Bonus college entertainment ideas:
Use foam cannons as “checkpoints” every 1k for a 5k race or at intervals throughout walking/running fundraisers on a track.
Use foam to let students cool down at an outdoor event like a BBQ or outdoor fundraiser
Throw a foam party for your wellness week to encourage movement or bust stress during finals week.
At-a-Glance: Students indulge their inner child with some fun face painting or silly balloon twisting.
Number of students entertained: 10-12 per hour (regular size) or 15-20 per hour (“speedy” selection).
Considerations: Face painters need 2 chairs and some table space; balloon twisters need 1 chair and some table space.
We love it for: carnival-themed events; family visitation weekends; and school-sponsored tailgates.
Not recommended for: formal events.
Bonus college entertainment ideas:
Use face painting for themed holiday events that typically involve costumes–like Mardi Gras, Purim, Halloween, Day of the Dead–and let our artists create something amazing in-theme!
Have our face painters or balloon twisters create Game Day sports faces or wearable balloon designs in your school colors to add some school spirit.
At-a-Glance: We provide both the light rental and the artists to create glowing UV looks.
Number of students entertained: 10-12 per hour per artist
Considerations: The area should be dark with only limited color lights (such as uplights or LED strips) as well as UV. (Ask our office about lighting packages with our DJ services.)
We love it for: Pride events; nightclub-inspired events; Safe Grad / Project Graduation; ResLife events planned as late-night alternatives to alcohol or cannabis.
Not recommended for: outdoor events; indoor spaces where lights cannot be shut out by shutters, blinds, or curtains.
Bonus college entertainment ideas:
Ask students to bring consoles to project party games like Mario Cart or Super Smash onto the walls for a glowing game night tournament.
Host a glow in the dark 5k run or fundraiser, using both glow stick jewelry and a UV-reactive face painting station
Create a nightclub-inspired event by combining UV face and body painting with DJ services.
At-a-Glance: Your students will bring a question or problem to our tarot and palm readers, who in turn will use the “grammar” of palmastry and tarot to discuss the questions the guests have. (Palm and tarot do not use any religious themes or witch craft.)
Number of students entertained: 6-8 per hour per reader.
Considerations: Each reader needs a table and 2 chairs far away from the “action” of the event (DJs, food lines, other stations) for a cozy and private chat.
We love it for: Halloween or fall events; cozy indoor events; commuter schools trying to get students on campus for activities; and Safe Grad / Project Graduation events.
Not recommended for: Loud and large events (these readings feel intimate and quiet).
Bonus college entertainment ideas:
Create a “psychic” area at your upcoming fall event.
Hire massage therapists or yoga instructors for a wellness day, and add some lighthearted fun with tarot or palm readers.
For a cozy event, pair psychic services with “craft bars” where students can build terrariums or succulent gardens for their dorm rooms.
At-a-Glance: One of our magicians or mind readers will walk throughout your event and invite guests to participate in some up-close magic. (Please note, this is not a stage show.)
Number of students entertained: Up to 40 per hour. (Ideal for large-scale events.)
Considerations: Strolling mentalism and magic is extremely flexible and require nothing from the planner except a place to stash personal belongings like a coat, water bottle, and extra props.
We love it for: Halloween or fall events; Safe Grad / Project Graduation; carnival-themed events; and any events of over 500+ students.
Not recommended for: Small events under 50 people; events looking for a sit-down show; events where this is the only entertainment.
Bonus college entertainment ideas:
Add a strolling magician to a formal seated event, like a dinner or gala, for some strolling entertainment and a fun touch to a classy event.
Throw an outdoor event inspired by vintage carnivals with carnival rides, games, tarot/palm readers, stilt walkers, and strolling magicians.
At-a-Glance: Students drop by a craft station where, with the help of one of our professional tie-dye artists, they twist, wrap, and spray their creations. They can instantly bag and take their creations with them.
Number of students entertained: 15-25 students per hour per tie-dye artist.
Considerations: Spray dye is lower mess than traditional dip-dye, but should still be done over tile floors or outdoors to facilitate clean up. All apparel must be 100% cotton and can be provided by the school (university-branded apparel) or by Kaleidoscope.
We love it for: outdoor events; sorority and fraternity event programming; school-sponsored sporting events; school spirit week; and student government-sponsored events.
Not recommended for: events where students’ clothing cannot get dirty. (Dye is washable until heat set, but students who are afraid of dye on their clothes won’t participate.)
Bonus college entertainment ideas:
Include tie-dye in a spirit week with decades-themed days for the 60’s or 70’s and include a DIY hemp jewelry station.
Create an end-of-semester Summer Camp event where students can bust finals stress with tie-dye, a foam party, and classic camp crafts that ignite their inner children.
Prepare 100% cotton university apparel and have our tie-dye artists bring only school colors before a sports game. (Just let our office know at the time of booking.)
Bring all of your school’s sorority and fraternity chapters together for Greek Week where students can dye apparel of their choosing with the colors of their house.
At-a-Glance: Our professional DJ will set up a karaoke station for students including all music, monitors with lyrics, microphones, and optional add-ons like photo booths or lighting.
Number of students entertained: Up to 14 songs per hour (up to 4 mics available for 4 students to sing together).
Considerations: Our DJ should be kept either inside or under shade outdoors to stop equipment from overheating and will need access to grounded power outlets on their own circuits.
We love it for: Evening programming as an alternative to alcohol and cannabis; cultural center post-parties; Pride and drag events; sorority events; and project graduation.
Not recommended for: outdoor events after 8pm (the local area may have sound ordinances that don’t allow loud music to be played outdoors after a certain time); events where you want to encourage dancing and have regular DJ sevices.
Bonus college entertainment ideas:
Host a karaoke event series over the course of several weeks where the crowd is able to vote for winning teams.
Have a fun spin on a Halloween costume contest where students are invited to come in costume, but then judged not on the costume itself but their character’s ability to pull off a fantastic karaoke number. (For instance: a student in a Barbie costume singing the 90’s pop hit Barbie Girl; or a group dressed up as the characters of Grease singing Grease Lightening.)
For events that are alternatives to alcohol and cannabis use, hire a DJ for an event series to host a series of activities that are reminiscent of the social parts of a bar–such as karaoke, trivia, music Bingo, board game night, or a cornhole tournament–but swap the alcohol to snack bars. We’ve seen sundae bars, cereal bars, taco bars, and brunch bars be huge hits with students!
Host a drag karaoke evening where students are encouraged to come dressed up and belt their hearts out. Add glitter looks for students who want to enjoy the fun but don’t want to come in drag themselves!
At-a-Glance: Students line up to be drawn as cartoons by one of our professional artists.
Number of students entertained: Up to 10 faces per hour per artist.
We love it for: lighthearted events; carnival-inspired events; outdoor picnics; department-wide events; events looking to use entertainment as a marketing hook to draw in large amounts of students.
Not recommended for: formal or serious events; family day events geared towards entertaining young children.
Considerations: Each caricature artist will need 1 table and 3 chairs. This should be indoors or, for outdoor events, in the shade for days over 75*F or with heat for days under 50*F.
Bonus college entertainment ideas:
Use caricatures as a fun alternative to photo booths and help students get a break from screens and cameras.
Create a “beach day” with a foam party, caricatures, a DIY sand art craft station, airbrush tattoos, ice cream trucks, and other entertainment reminiscent of boardwalks and summer sand.
At-a-Glance: A stilt walker will roam throughout your event chatting with students.
Number of students entertained: Unlimited
Considerations: Stilt walkers should only be placed on even ground such as black top, pavers, or indoor flooring. They cannot walk on sand, gravel, or grass.
We love it for: Carnival, Mardi Gras, and Purim events; circus-themed events; career or club fairs; and college-sponsored sporting events.
Not recommended for: events looking to stilt walkres as an activity for students to participate in. (We classify stilt walkers as “atmospheric entertainment” which add to the overall vibe of your event, but are not a specific activity.)
Bonus college entertainment ideas:
Station your stilt walker in front of a large event, drawing people in and explaining anything you want them to know (where certain stations are, what activities are going on, or anything else).
Buy a Polaroid camera and plenty of film. Have your stilt walker roam throughout the event and take photos of students from their point of view, handing the photos to students as they go. This is a really fun alternative to standard photobooth and gives students something tactile they can take home with them!
Have your stilt walker hand out school-branded swag at a sports game or spirit week.
There are plenty of big fans of caricatures who collect their portraits from different artists at theme parks, beaches, or events all over their state or the country–but for everyone else, check out our gallery and this handy guide to some of our most frequently asked questions!
Have you ever seen a celebrity magician read someone’s mind on TV? Or guess something about a total stranger they could have never known? Consider bringing those larger-than-life moments to your next event!
Kaleidoscope now offers jaw-dropping, impossible-for-you-to-know, and get out of my head! psychic encounters with our resident mentalist, Marissa.
Our tie dye party stations are available in CT, MA, RI, and NH and are the perfect addition to parties in looking for hands-on activities for guests!
What To Expect with a Tie Dye Party Station:
When your guests approach the station, a professional artist will help them twist and band their shirt.
Next, they’ll pick up a spray bottle and begin spraying the colors of their choice into the fabric.
Finally, they’ll either place their (still damp) creation in the sun to dry or directly into a gallon bag (whichever makes the most sense for your event) to take home.
In their bag will be a set of care instructions. At home, they can take their apparel and either iron it or throw it in the dryer on high to set the dye.
Traditional dip-dye requires tons of water, requires a long dry-time, and makes a huge mess. (None of which are ideal for a scheduled event!)
Our spray dyes can be easily applied to clothing by any age of guest without making a mess on themselves or the event venue.
The spray-dye effect on the apparel will leave more white than traditional dip-dye (as you can see from the photos in the above gallery), but also uses significantly less liquid–meaning that even large events don’t need a large drying station or long dry times.
Spray-dye stations are easier to transport and set up, saving clients unnecessary set-up fees.
Mess: while our spray-dye is low mess, some dye may find it’s way onto the ground or guests’ clothing. While the dye is washable until is set with heat, we encourage you to keep your station outside in the shade during the warmer months and remind your guests to wear comfortable clothing.
Set Up: Our artists need a few things for a successful set up. We bring everything else!
A large folding table (or two) ideally outside to control the mess
A folding chair
If outside: a spot in the shade (if outside during warm months for artist and guest safety) or with adequate lighting (if at night)
Garbage Can: Guests will be given disposable (latex-free) gloves to keep the mess to a minimum. A garbage can (or even just a garbage bag) will help control the mess.
Dry Station: While guests can instantly put their spray-dyed creations into a gallon bag (which we provide), we’ve found the best results allow shirts to dry on the ground or a folding table in the sun. A designated drying area is helpful but not required, depending on how your event is being planned.
Tie dye stations parties include one or more professional artists (depending on your event size), a canvas drop cloth to keep the station clean, and all the dye, rubber bands, gloves, gallon bags, and laminated care instructions that your event will need.
Our stations are priced by the hour for all of the above labor and supplies and take into account the number of guests at your event.
We can additionally provide 100% cotton apparel, or you can supply your own apparel at the event when the artist arrives.
Speedy face painting is just-as-impressive, three-to-four-times-as-fast face painting perfect for huge crowds. By simplifying the designs and adding multiple colors at once, our speedy faces with drop the jaws of your guests while tearing throw even the longest line!
Speedy Face Paint is way cheaper per face, but slightly more expensive per hour. It’s perfect for:
