Birthday PartiesWhen to start your party entertainment, and what order to run it in
Taylor Wasserman · Owner and Founder|October 21, 2026|5 min read
How many guests you have, which services you booked, and how long your party runs all change when each artist should start.
There is no single right answer to when the entertainment should start. It depends on how many guests are coming, which services you booked, and how long your party runs. Here is how we work it out with our clients.
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What works well at birthday parties
What decides when each artist starts
Start from your guest count, not just the clock
How many guests are going to take part in the service decides how much of your party the entertainment will actually take, and that decides when it needs to begin. Count every child for the children’s services since we never want a child to feel left out, and about two-thirds of your whole guest list for adult-friendly services like caricatures, because the adults will insist on sitting for that one.
A longer party gives you more wiggle room
A five-hour window leaves plenty of time to bring your services in one at a time or stagger them. A two-hour window does not. Twenty children for face painting is about an hour, so if you have a 2-hour window or longer, you have room to wait a little longer for the late arrivals. There seems to always be guests coming over an hour into the party, and if your artists start at the beginning, those guests will walk in right as the artist is leaving and lead to upset guests, or the need to extend their time (if the artist is even available to stay). So we still suggest starting around 15 minutes into your start time if that timing makes sense for your guest count and length of the event.
Each service draws a different part of your guest list
Depending on the service you are hiring, you may need to wait for a crowd or begin straight away.
- Face painting. Nearly every child wants one, and your artist finishes 20 an hour, guaranteed. Give it a crowd. About a third of the kiddos is plenty to get a line going.
- Balloon twisting. The same: 20 an hour, guaranteed, and every child comes over. Worth waiting for a small group. But they can make designs while waiting for the arrivals, so it is the least risky to start early, because designs can be set aside for the late arrivals, or the extra time can be used to make that extra-special design for the birthday kid.
- Caricatures. The adults want one too, so a family of four doubles the participating guest count, whereas for face painting, we would count that same family as just the two littles. We say at least two-thirds of your guests will want one. Also note the amount of detail per drawing you want, as that affects the timing and, therefore, the number of guests that can be served.
- Glitter tattoos. 15 to 20 an hour, and guests often want a second. The big kids join in unexpectedly as well, so wait for a small crowd but not too late into the party.
- Handprint painting. 10 to 12 an hour, about 4 to 5 minutes for a simple one and 7 to 10 for a detailed one. One child at a time, so it can begin right away.
- Henna. Least appropriate for children. Mostly the teens and the adult women, at 10 to 15 an hour. Full hand or arm takes 10 to 15 minutes. A narrower group, so there is no need to wait for the room to fill. A small design takes about 2-3 minutes, though, so if you want to maximize the number of guests in a short window, wait a little bit extra.
- Kids fancy nails. Ages 2 to 9, ten nails per child, 6 to 8 minutes a set including dry time. Less than a handful of children is enough to get started.
- Wash away color hair spray. 20 to 25 guests an hour, about 2 minutes for one or two colors. Quick, but not just for the children (Grandma wants those blue tips), so give it a small crowd.
Stagger them rather than starting everything at once
When your window allows it, this is the order we usually suggest.
- At your start time: caricatures and handprint paintings. They serve the adults as well as the children, so they do not need a full room to get going. Fancy nails, though just for the children, take a bit longer and set the tone for relaxation, so they start with the birthday girl.
- Once more guests have arrived: face painting, balloon twisting, glitter tattoos and color hair spray. These are quick and mostly for the children, so they want a little more of a crowd.
Get yourself drawn before your guests arrive
We suggest having your caricature artist ready right at your start time so the hosts can sit first. Once your guests are there, you will be pulled in every direction, and the chance is gone. That quiet window at the beginning is the only one you get. Not getting a drawing for your family is the worst risk of all.
Not sure how long you need? Open “Not sure how long to book?” under the services on our pricing page, put in how many guests you would like serviced, and we will suggest a length for each service you have chosen.
Questions we get asked
When should the entertainment start?
It depends which service you have booked, and on your guests. You know them better than we do: some families are extremely punctual, others are more the fashionably late type, so think about when people will actually start arriving rather than the start time you gave them.
It also depends on which service it is, because each one draws a different part of your guest list. Nearly every child wants face painting, so that one is worth a crowd: about a third of your guests is plenty to get a line going. Caricatures draw the adults as well, so a family of four can be four caricature guests. Henna is mostly for the teens and the adult women.
There seems to always be guests coming over an hour into the party, and if your artists start at the beginning, those guests will walk in right as the artist is leaving. You never need everyone there, but you do not want to lose hired time by starting before their arrival. We go through all eight services, and what order to run them in →
How much time should I book?
On the pricing page, pick your services and open
“Not sure how long to book?” underneath them. Put in how many guests you’d like serviced and we’ll suggest a length for each service you’ve chosen. As a rough guide:
- Face painters & Balloon twisters can do 20 designs an hour, guaranteed.
- Glitter tattoos range from 15–20 an hour depending on the number of colors the kids choose.Tip: Kids often like to get two, and the “Big kids” can unexpectedly like to join in, so we suggest rounding up with 15–30 min extra buffer time.
- Hair spray ranges from 20–25 guests.
- Fancy nails range from 8–10 sets of nails.Tip: Removing nail polish before the party will speed up the process.
- Handprint Painting ranges from 10–12 an hour. The more details requested, the more that number could be affected.
- Henna tattoos range from 10–15 depending on the size of the design.
- Caricature drawings offer a wider range of options (b/w vs. color, face-only vs. full-body). Depending more on whether the guests are seated promptly and on the chosen details, they range from 3 min to 15 min per person.Tip: Since it is not just for the kids, you’ll want to consider your whole guest count and base it on the majority. We say at least 2/3rds of your guests will want one.
If you’d rather we worked it out, put your guest count on the booking/inquiry form and give us your party goals.
Do the artists come at the same time, or back to back?
Whether you want your services scheduled back-to-back, overlapping, or at the same time, we will do our best to accommodate your preferences.
How many artists will be coming?
It depends on what you’ve booked and who’s available — it may be one artist covering multiple services, or several artists, each with their own specialty. We’ll confirm this with you before your event.
Every price on this site is a real price you can see without filling anything out. When you are ready, send in a booking/inquiry form and we will confirm your date and your pricing by email.
Confirm pricing or check availability →
Handprint Painting10-12 keepsakes an hour, each with your child’s name and age.More →
Kids Fancy Nails8-10 sets an hour. Quick-dry, glitter and stickers.More →
Wash Away Color Hair Spray20-25 guests an hour. Sprays in, rinses out.More →