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.
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.
Library-use models are changing, and we’re excited to help our amazing library clients create more interactive days and activities as their place in their town’s social life changes too.
Here are a few of our most popular library options, and why our librarian clients choose them.
Many parents booking face painters or balloon twisters in CT, MA, and RI are booking party entertainment for the first time, and aren’t sure what questions they should be asking! We’ve done over a thousand birthday parties, so we know exactly what questions to ask any company–no matter who is doing your entertainment.
Kaleidoscope’s Bubble Show is now available for parties all of CT, MA, RI, NH, VT, and ME! Our performers will combine real science and plenty of fun magic tricks to entertain guests of all ages.
Silly science shows are now booking in CT, MA, and RI for kids and families of all ages!
Kaleidoscope’s science show packages come in two parts: a show full of colorful experiments (with tons of jokes and clowning around) and a slime lab where kids get hands-on in their own creations.
Kaleidoscope’s Silly Science Show
Our Silly Science Show was first conceptualized by Olivia and Kenny, two professional entertainers and educators with combined decades of experience in both.
The goal of the show is not only to entertain ages 4-14, but to get kids curious and encourage them to ask questions.
Every “experiment” featured in our science show is bright, colorful, and safe for all ages so it’s not only built on real principles of chemistry or physics, but is pure eye candy for the audience.
The science show can be enjoyed by all ages, and can be performed for groups any size from small birthday parties to larger professional events. (For best viewing, suggest an audience no larger than 50 kids and adults. However, if you’re booking for a long and large event, the science show can be performed in waves throughout the day so guests can have multiple opportunities to view it up close.)
Party Slime Lab
After the show, invite guests to get hands-on with our slime lab!
Kids are invited to mix non-toxic, household ingredients and create their very own slime! Kids will take home their slimy creations in to-go cups, which can act as both entertainment and party favors.
Our slime lab is priced per guest and can be done in a group (perfect for birthday parties) or in waves (great for larger and longer events).
