All In The Family BACK

Along with back-to-school and post-summer planning comes the quandary of giving life to events that bring families and fun together at upcoming holiday and other corporate occasions in the months ahead.

TSEvents XS scoured the market to bring you our finds for some great customizable family entertainment ideas:

Artful Creations
“Face painting” fails to describe the theatrical transformations that Nathalie Simard and her team of Kromatik artists pull off with astounding speed. Using the one-of-a-kind canvas of child or adult, Kromatik takes face and body art into a realm far beyond Spider Man look-alikes. One-on-one extreme face and hair makeovers take 15 minutes per person.

Even more fascinating are Kromatik’s interactive Art Circles for up to 20 participants. Using freehand sponge-and-brush technique (no air brushing here) the artists begin, moving from person to person – a masterpiece assembly line – each adding a signature flourish here, a shadow there, to produce amazing, personalized designs of vivid colour and drama for each “model” in under two minutes flat! www.kromatik.ca

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Sleight of Hand
Now you see it … now you don’t. Hey, how’d he do that? Well, if it’s Dreams Revealed magician Scott Dietrich doing the entertaining, get ready for a behind-the-spell tell-all on exactly how. Born into the art of magic – dad was an illusionist, too – Dietrich’s 45-minute high-energy children’s shows reveal spellbinding tricks, slapstick and Houdini the rabbit.

Over three-quarters of the program involves audience participation with a finale that puts cards, coins and rubber bands into the kids’ hands so they can master a trick or two. Along with walk-around magic, Dietrich also offers teambuilding adult classes that can turn a room of corporate staffers into awestruck six-year-olds as they learn ice-breaking sleight of hand. www.dreamsrevealed.com

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Green Fun
Today’s best “thinking” entertainment is often grounded in stimulating, interactive, educational learning. Earth Rangers inspires children, parents and corporate friends alike with a kid-friendly spin on environmental and wildlife stewardship. The LEED Gold certified Earth Rangers Centre, located on the Kortright Conservation property in Woodbridge, Ont., provides a unique and inspiring venue for small corporate events and meetings. The centre offers room to teach and entertain up to 75, and includes a multimedia theatre, cafeteria with outdoor patio, plus nature trails near by.

As well, The Earth Rangers’ education team travels to schools, community events and festivals with a live show that delivers fun, eco-conscious messaging that encourages kids to take action to protect the planet. Highlights are the up-close-and-personal encounters with their Animal Ambassadors, ranging from birds of prey such as red-tailed hawks to mammals such as opossums. Private corporate appearances entail a donation partnership. www.earthrangers.org

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Tip Of The Icing
Where there’s fun there has to be sweets! Lollicakes serves up both eye candy and melt-in-your-mouth treats that are deliciously peanut- and tree-nut and trans-fat free safe. Luscious, lip-smacking cupcakes and chocolate lollipops sugar-shape into custom-ordered themes, characters and other works of art.

Accommodating Kosher and other dietary restrictions, from lactose- and gluten-free to no egg and wheat, the Mount Pleasant Road boutique bakery is a specialist in catering to the wide-ranging needs of pint-sized and adult crowds. Tiers of vanilla and chocolate cupcakes — the two-bite minis are perfect for tiny appetites – and lollipop trees of hand-moulded, hand-painted Belgian chocolates mesmerize as edible centrepieces. Clever wrapping for takeaway goodies. www.lollicakes.ca

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Walking Tall
Crowd-pleasing, get ‘em moving kid fun can often be a towering order. However “tall” is what SwizzleStick Theatre specializes in! This non-profit stilt-dancing troupe animates events and audiences with dazzling daring, wild costuming and parade panache providing everything from strolling entertainers to customized choreography.

For hands-on fun, the company’s Kids On Stilts program offers a special condensed primer session that puts kids heads and shoulders above all, both in building confidence and physical creativity. Using mini stilts, and with a parent by their side, the children are shown to stand, walk and, for those ready to really cruise, a few simple dance moves. Adult teambuilding workshops available, too. www.swizzlesticktheatre.com

 

 

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