Why Kids Love Characters (And a New One They'll Really Love!)

Let’s lead off with exciting news from Kids Party Characters. As you may have already guessed, we’ve added a new costume to our collection of over 200 of your kids’ favorites, and it’s none other than the Black Panther.

While many kids see Black Panther as the “new guy,” he’s anything but new in the world of superheroes, having first appeared in the comic books 52 years ago.

Now that he’s made it to the big screen, he’s clearly a favorite. The movie Black Panther brought in over $1 billion in its first month, making it the highest-grossing solo superhero movie ever.

Because it’s our goal at Kids Party Characters to have every character your child would ever want to invite to his party, adding Black Panther to our collection was a no-brainer.

Head over to KidsPartyCharacters.com and book Black Panther today, or someone else will!

Why You Should Encourage Your Child’s Love of Characters

Chances are, characters have been on your mind a lot lately, as your child went through the ever-changing process of choosing who she wanted to be for Halloween.

Buying early can be the smart thing to do, Target had 40% off all Halloween costumes for one day in September, and surely you risk not being able to find the best characters in your child’s size if you procrastinate.

But, you also risk your child changing her mind, once, twice, or a dozen times when you purchase too early.

While all of the drama, excitement, and money that goes into choosing a Halloween costume can make us moms happy when the whole thing’s over, hopefully you’ll feel a little better knowing how good dress up play is for children.

The first bit of good news is, that Halloween costume you either spent at least 50 hours making or $50 buying, is not just for Halloween.

If you don’t already have a bin for dress up clothes, start one with this year’s costumes, and add to it throughout the year. 

Playing dress up is an activity younger kids enjoy on a daily basis if you give them enough options.

This doesn’t mean you have to buy expensive costumes to complete your collection.

On the contrary, your kids will most enjoy your old clothes and accessories; funny hats, shoes, and clothing they find at the thrift store; and silk scarfs they can twist into almost any piece of clothing or accessory.

While it’s fun for kids to take on the traits of their favorite superhero, princess, or villain during play, it’s even more fun for them to create their own characters that they can enhance with whatever traits they choose.

The fact that dress up play is fun for kids is enough of a reason to encourage it. But you may be surprised to learn that there are some real benefits to your child’s development that come specifically from dress-up play.

These five benefits make dress-up play not only fun, but also an important part of your child’s learning and growing process.

1. Brain Development: Your child’s memory and creative centers are tested and nurtured when she becomes involved in the dramatic play that comes with dress up. 

She’ll recall the stories of her favorite characters, create new stories that she’ll return to when developing new characters, and follow storylines that she and her friends make up along the way.

2. Problem-Solving: For children, “problem-solving” doesn’t have the same negative connotations it does for us adults. 

Problem-solving in dress-up play just means working out how to put together their costume just the way they want it, figuring out who will be the good guy and the bad guy, and how the story will end.

Fortunately, developing these skills at a young age will help your child when she gets older to make decisions that avoid problems, and to be able to effectively solve problems when they do arise.

3. Emotional Development: Any time your child takes on a role, it forces him to think about the emotions involved in the character he’s portraying.

Yes, being a superhero can teach empathy as your child becomes the rescuer of the less fortunate, or the caretaker when he has the doctor scrubs on.

Children will often process their fears through play too. Giving them a wide variety of dress-up opportunities allows them to play out any fears and anxieties they have to a more confident ending than exists merely in their mind.

4. Imagination and Creativity: For obvious reasons, dress-up play encourages, really requires, your child’s imagination and creativity.

Developing a strong sense of imagination and creativity in your child will give her an advantage in school projects, and will really give her a leg up when it comes to getting a competitive job or starting her own business.

5. Language and Motor Skills: Taking on the role of someone other than who they really are will cause your child to use words he wouldn’t normally use, developing both his vocabulary and sentence structure.

Designing and putting on the costumes will require him to manipulate zippers, buttons, and strings. If you’ve added in play silks, which really make the best costumes, he’ll also improve his motor skills by learning to fold and tie the silks to meet his costume’s needs.

Connecting With Kids Party Characters

Happy Halloween from all of us at Kids Party Characters. We hope your kids love spending the day as their favorite character, and that you now have perhaps a new appreciation for your child’s love of characters and how important becoming and creating characters is to his development.

Make sure to visit us at KidsPartyCharacters.com for all your children’s party needs, and to join us on Facebook for daily updates on the magic we bring to children’s parties, as well as our best tips on raising happy and healthy kids.

No Kids Party Characters in your area? Consider starting your very own business!

Being a Kids Party Characters franchise owner has many advantages, including the opportunity to work from home in a business your whole family will love. 

Find out more at KidsPartyCharacters.com, where you can schedule a free chat with owner Cheryl Jacobs to get all your questions answered about this fun and rewarding opportunity.

Kids Party Characters Podcast Presents: How to Teach Your Children About...

How and Why to Teach Your Child About Diversity

If you’re the parent of a child who’s old enough to talk, you’ve likely experienced at least one of those embarrassing moments at the store where your child encounters someone different than she is.

Maybe you were innocently strolling down the aisle when you encountered someone with dwarfism. 

You tried not to stare. Your child, on the other hand, blurts out, “hey, look how short that lady is!” 

Her words feel so loud to you, you wonder who handed her a microphone.

You smile in deep embarrassment, still trying to avoid eye contact, and rush into another aisle where you scold your child to never talk about other people like that.

If that is in fact similar to how you’re handling these horrifying moments, you’re missing out on great opportunities to teach your child important lessons.

When children point out differences, they do so out of curiosity, free from any prejudice or ill intent. 

Unfortunately, such prejudices can quickly attach themselves to these differences as your child gets older and is exposed to the many sadly inherent prejudices in our society.

The good news is, you have a powerful influence over whether your child embraces people of other abilities, appearances, and beliefs.

Let’s look at some of the best ways to make sure she does appreciate diversity, then we’ll talk about why this is such an important trait to instill in your child.

1. Embrace Teachable Moments

The younger you can start some informal “diversity training” with your child, the better.

Younger kids speak out more without a filter, are with you more so you’re right there to help navigate their questions, and are less likely to already have been exposed to any prejudice surrounding diversity.

But since we can’t go backwards, it’s obviously best to start now at whatever age your child is.

So let’s say you’re in the store and your child expresses excitement and amazement at “that really short lady right there!” 

You’ll want to die of embarrassment, but you can rest assured this is something she’s been dealing with all of her life, so don’t think your child is inflicting some type of unique pain on her.

Fact is, most adults are pretty comfortable with what ever their diverse trait is.

Instead of running away in shame, start by responding, “Isn’t it great that people are all so different from each other?”

You can consciously move away from the person as you continue with your lesson here, but she will likely appreciate the fact that you’re using this moment to give your child some life lessons.

Explain the cause of whatever the difference is and encourage your child to ask questions. 

Teach your child that physical diversity is beautiful and that what we really want to focus on when meeting people is who they are on the inside, something we can’t at all figure out by what we see in their physical appearance.

Some people will even respond to your child when he makes a comment about their difference.

This is the best possible teachable moment so don’t try to rush your child away from it.

The child who asks you, “Mommy why does that man only have one leg?” could be met with a powerful story from the man about how he was careless as a child and lost his leg in an avoidable accident. 

When these moments happen, thank the person for their generosity in helping your child learn to navigate the world.

2. Be a Role Model

Sometimes when we encounter older people who are racist, for example, we’ll give them a pass because that’s the way things were when they were growing up.

In other words, they don’t know any better because that’s what they were taught.

Despite all the outside influences from peers, other adults, and the media, you are your child’s biggest influencer and he will, for the most part anyway, adapt the attitudes you teach him about diversity.

This doesn’t mean you have to go around constantly pushing some diversity agenda.

It simply means that you let your child see you living a life that treats people equally no matter what their appearance is.

Say hello to the homeless people you pass by rather than crossing the street to avoid him, and refuse to tolerate insensitivity from others.

If someone tells an inappropriate joke, let your child know that way of thinking and talking is not okay. 

Openly stand up against all kinds of insensitivity to diversity that you see in real life and that you hear about on the TV, radio, or social media.

3. Read Good Books

Make it a point to read books by authors who look different and have different backgrounds than your child does.

Seek out books that will introduce your child to new places, people, and foods.

Choose some books that specifically address diversity, such as:

Special People, Special Ways by Arlene Maguire

This book presents a positive image of those with disabilities and shows that despite such differences, we all still have so much in common.

My Sister is Special by Larry Jansen

Especially good for younger children, this is a beautiful story of a boy learning compassion through caring for his little sister with Down’s Syndrome.

It’s Not What You’ve Got by Wayne Dyer

This book sends the message that money doesn’t define who you are and teaches that it doesn’t matter what others have and that abundance comes in many forms.

I’m Like You, You’re Like Me by Cindy Gainer

Here kids learn to appreciate the ways we are all alike, while still affirming our individual differences such as straight and curly hair, and large and small bodies.

I Don’t Want Curly Hair, by Laura Ellen Anderson

This is a great book especially if your child is uncomfortable with a physical trait she has. When a curly-haired girl meets a straight-haired girl, we learn that we often think we want what we can’t have!

This is a tiny sampling of hundreds of books that are out there. 

Oftentimes your local library will have special sections with all the books about diversity in them. You can also browse Amazon for more books than you’ll ever need on this important topic.

4. Make a Conscious Effort to Explore Diversity

There are many ways to seek out diversity, from listening to different music, exploring different foods, and attending cultural festivals, to volunteering at a special care facility or a youth center that serves kids who come from different backgrounds than your child.

You can buy a globe and teach your child about far away places, using books and TV shows to let her see how people in China, Africa, and France look, speak, and live.

The more opportunities you seek out to surround your children with others who look different than she does, the more she’ll grow up seeing how much we’re really all the same.

Why It’s So Important to Teach Your Child the Value of Diversity

Teaching your child about diversity has value far beyond the desire to see our children grow up as well-rounded humans.

And yes, we want them to be able to work with and deal with all types of people because more and more they are going to be encountering people with different appearances and abilities in their lives. 

We want our child to be the leader, the one who says and shows that it’s right to treat people based on who they are not what they look like or what their physical abilities are.

But it goes far beyond that.

Perhaps most importantly, we want our child to know that it’s okay to be the one who’s different. 

To stand up to bullies when they are the target or when they see another child being targeted.

To make good choices when “everyone else” is experimenting with sex, drugs, and alcohol.

To pursue their dream career even if it doesn’t mean the traditional path of college and working for someone else.

Teaching your child that diversity is a good thing, that each individual has value in who they inherently are, gives your child a solid base for becoming a strong individual.

This will serve her well as she navigates all the social challenges of school and childhood, as well as the grown up challenges to finding her own path for a happy life.

At KidsPartyCharacters.com we love diversity, which is one reason we have over 200 characters to choose from.

No matter what your child is in to, chances are we have it, even if it isn’t the latest fad all the other kids are choosing for their party themes.

Visit us at KidsPartyCharacters.com to book your child’s next party, and don’t hesitate to advise us of any special accommodations you need to make your child and all of his guests feel welcome and included.

Be sure to connect with us on Facebook to for daily updates on the magic we bring to parties, as well as parenting strategies for raising happy and healthy children.

Kids Party Characters w/ Unique and Meaningful Ways to Skip Gifts at Yo...

Unique and Meaningful Ways to  Skip Gifts at Your Child's Birthday Party

I know, I know, it’s near heresy to suggest not having gifts at your child’s birthday party.

Don’t even let her see you reading this article.

But let’s get real, who enjoys the gift part of a birthday party?

When you get an invite to a child’s birthday party, is figuring out what to get the child that he’ll actually use and doesn’t already have, and finding time to go purchase it, ever high on your list of things to do?

When you’re the party giver, is figuring out what to do with all those gifts, at least half of which your child will play with once, at most, ever a fun and satisfying task?

Both the giving and the receiving of gifts at a child’s birthday party are a hassle, if we’ll just allow ourselves to be honest for a minute.

Yes, I hear your objection, “But the gifts are the thing my child looks forward to more than anything on his birthday!”

We certainly don’t want to ruin Johnny’s birthday and set him up for a life of therapy to get over your selfish decisions.

But again, let’s be real. 

How many gifts does Johnny get each year that he’s not really interested in?

And even out of those that seem “cool,” after one month or even one week, how many of them is he still playing with?

Fact is, what he really wants is usually purchased for him by you or other family members or close friends.

So let’s at least seriously consider going with some version of a “your presence is the present” at your child’s next birthday party.

How to Talk to Your Child About Going the “No Gifts” Route

You may want to begin this delicate conversation by reassuring your child that you (and other family/friends) will be getting your child gifts for her birthday.

How it goes from there will depend somewhat on your child’s age and maturity level.

Focus on the positive, the fun things you are going to do for your child’s party, like letting her invite her favorite character from KidsPartyCharacters.com!

Talk to her about the overflowing number of toys she has in her room or toy room, and the fact that your gifts will in fact add to that collection.

Ask her if she remembers what she got for her birthday last year, and where those things are now.

Depending on who her guests will be and how well you know each family, talk to her about the possibility that gifting may be a burden on some of the families, and how you don’t want to put an additional pressure on the family by making them feel like they have to bring a gift.

If she's old enough to be a fan of the recent royal wedding, remind her that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle chose seven of their favorite charities and asked guests to make a donation to one of these rather than sending a gift.

And in the spirit of keeping things positive, let her help you come up with an alternative to gifting that can be more fun than a straight “no gifts, please” party.

Ideas That Still Have Your Guest Bringing a Gift

We’re all in the habit of bringing something to a birthday party, and despite the drawbacks to this that we’ve discussed, giving and receiving is fun and does teach kids lessons about grace and kindness.

If you want your guests to still show up with something in hand, consider these options:

- Have each guest bring a pet related item from a list of needs your local shelter likely has and have your child deliver the donations to the shelter.

- Have a book exchange and ask each child to bring a new or used book they’ve enjoyed and do a swap at the party. This way everyone goes home with a gift and you can ditch those cheesy gift bags.

- Ask everyone to bring a box of cereal and take the donations up to the local food pantry.

- Find an organization that helps kids in need and ask each child to bring a used item to donate to this organization. Ask that the child put some thought into what another child might really enjoy or benefit from.

This can open a really meaningful discussion at home or even at the party about how grateful we should be for what we have and how good it feels to help kids who don’t have as much.

If you go the donation route, make a thing out of having your child take the lead in delivering the donations. 

Take pictures and include one with your thank you note to the party guests.

You can also spend five minutes at the party talking about what the charity does that specifically helps people or animals, showing the children pictures if you can, so that they get a true sense of how their actions are making a difference.

“Giftless” Donation Ideas

If your child wants to have something in common with the royal family, or if you want to go the part donation, part gift route, consider setting your party up through one of the online services that takes all of the work out of it.

Basically how these services work is that each guest donates online to a charity you have chosen from those available on the website, and the company then takes care of delivering the money you’ve collected to the charity.

These sites are nice because you set everything up right on the website, from designing and delivering the invitations explaining the process, to collecting the money, to getting it to the charity.

These services also provide for your child to keep some of the money, and receive his share in a gift card that allows him to purchase what he wants.

At Kids Can Give Too, the child automatically receives 50% of the donations, and the charity gets the other 50% (with a 10% fee going to the website).

At Echoage, the default split is 50/50, but you can adjust it up to giving the charity 100% of the donations if you want.

The obvious advantage of this is the charitable contribution, but it also helps avoid amassing a room full of worthless $20 toys.

This is a nice option if, for example, your child wants a new bike. 

On the invitation you can say Sally’s been wanting this new bike and you can all help her get it while also donating to this awesome charity.

Throw a Party that Doesn’t Need Gifts

Yes, there are social lessons that come with the gift-giving ritual.

But an even more important lesson is showing your children that life is about creating magical experiences not accumulating more things.

The experience will always leave your child with more long-term satisfaction than any gift could.

Start making her party an experience she’ll never forget by letting KidsPartyCharacters.com handle all the entertainment.

With over 200 characters to choose from, your child will have a memorable experience simply choosing which one(s) to invite as her special guest.

We also have the extras to make your child’s party the most talked about event of the year such as cotton candy, vending machines, balloon twisting and face painting. 

Simply head over to KidsPartyCharacters.com and choose the right package for your child’s big day. We guarantee to deliver a show that will make gifts the farthest thing from your child’s mind.

Want to learn more about the magic we create at Kids Party Characters? Join us on Facebook for daily updates.

Build Your Business In-Person (Without Leaving the House!)

You’ve likely seen those work at home business opportunity ads that entice you with the proposition that you can work in your pajamas from the comfort of your home, or work with your baby on your lap while you run a profitable business.

The thought of not having to do much adulting throughout the day appeals to most moms. Getting everyone dressed appropriately and heading out the door can be the hardest thing you do all day.

And if you have to leave the house for work, getting a sitter, having everything ready for her, and getting the house respectable enough for guests, can be a deal breaker.

Let’s face it, with kids, it’s often easier and more appealing to just not leave the house when you don’t have to.

And too often, what’s advertised as “work from home” actually means work mostly from home.

Especially if you’re with a direct sales, or network marketing, company, one of the biggest ways they promote building your business is through setting up meetings in hotel conference rooms and in your own home. (Ugh, suddenly leaving the house sounds easy compared to preparing for a hosting a group of strangers in your home!)

Real Life is Better, Yet Impractical

Truth is, the most effective way to build relationships with people is in person. Even if you have “Facebook friends” that you chat with all day, and type your deepest and darkest secrets to, that friendship will rise to a whole new level when you meet in person.

When you think about running your business, the ideal way to build the know, like, and trust relationship that leads to sales would be to meet with each of your prospects in person.

Of course, unless you’re selling a $10,000 product and only need a few customers, this isn’t realistic at all from a time management perspective.

And, since many businesses have a market that reaches outside your local area, it wouldn’t be very smart to limit yourself to only potential clients who are within easy driving distance.

The Seldom-Used, Highly Effective Alternative

Fortunately, there are many easy and highly effective options for doing the next best thing to an in-person meeting, which is meeting online through the use of video.

Talking to a client, potential client, or team member live and in realtime is the next best thing to being there. And will get your relationship to a deeper level of trust than communicating without the use of video.

Anyone can be pounding away on the computer keyboard, but you know exactly what you’re getting when you can see the other person’s mouth moving as you’re chatting.

Another big advantage of using live video chats is that it sets you apart from other business owners.

Live video chats are not the “easy” way, or the “lazy (wo)man’s” way to do business.

They require the extra steps of looking at least a little presentable, and being focused enough to hold a conversation rather than the editing and pausing involved in a non-video chat.

But if you’ll schedule video chats with clients and potential clients, they’ll remember you as the only one who took that extra step.

And half the battle of winning the sale in today’s competitive marketplace is standing out and being memorable.

One survey conducted by Accenture showed that 72% of consumers have switched brands due to not receiving a value-added, personalized experience with a company. 

Obviously, people crave and expect a personalized buying experience, and there’s no better way to do it than through video.

Easy Ways to Successfully Use Video

If you’re thinking you don’t have the technical knowledge to make this work, or the money to buy the expensive software you’ll need to install, let’s quickly wipe out those excuses by looking at free ways to do video chats that even your five year old could manage.

Note: There are many, many ways out there to video chat, but these are the best and the easiest, so there’s no need to get bogged down in all the options.

Zoom: This is really the number one way to connect through video.  There are paid plans, but there’s an excellent chance you’ll never need anything beyond the free plan.

Zoom is an app that you can install and use for unlimited one-on-one video chats. The quality is great and you can even record the chat if you want to refer back to it, or send the recording to your client if there’s information she needs for future reference.

You can also hold Zoom meetings of up to 100 people. The free plan limits meetings between three or more people to 40 minutes, which surely does us all a favor and cuts down on much of the time-wasting activity that goes on in meetings. 

Facebook Messenger: Want to jump on a quick call with someone who doesn’t have Zoom installed? Simply go to Facebook Messenger and click on the video icon.

If you’re not connected with the person on Facebook, give him your messenger link to help him easily find you. 

Your link is m.me/[insert your Facebook user name here].

Facebook is also a good tool to use when you want to communicate with a larger group of people. 

Just go “live” either on your Facebook profile or in a group you’ve created and added your intended audience to. 

The audience will be able to interact with you through comments, and then you can set up Messenger calls for those you want to connect with further.

Facebook Lives are automatically recorded and remain on your profile or in the group, so they’re a good tool to use if you want to get out information others can access at their convenience.

Skype: Skype is more old school, so you may find some people have it installed who don't have Zoom. 

Because it’s all about making it easy and comfortable for the customer, you can suggest that they install Zoom for ongoing communications, but they may find it easiest to first connect on Skype.

FaceTime: We often think of FaceTime as something for family and friends, so perhaps not as “professional” as you want to appear with clients.

But again, depending on your existing relationship with the other person, and what’s easiest and most comfortable for her, don’t hesitate to suggest “jumping on FaceTime real quick” when you think the human connection might make a difference.

Mentor Opportunities with Kids Party Characters

Clearly, there are a lot of moving parts to running a successful business in a time-efficient manner.

Many people find themselves spending more than 20 hours a week on a business and still not making consistent money.

The temptation is to quit, and claim that “it doesn’t work.” But the reality is, putting in the time and not seeing a return simply means you’re doing too many of the wrong things.

At Kids Party Characters, owner Cheryl Jacobs has been there and done that. And fortunately, she figured out what does work and how it is possible to have a business while you’re still actively involved in raising your kids.

Cheryl’s created a fun and rewarding opportunity with Kids Party Characters that allows you to start your business without all the headache and heartache of failing until you figure it out. 

With membership in Kids Party Characters, you get everything Cheryl’s used to turn Kids Party Characters into a six figure business, including the right to use our 200+ costumes, as well as access to our acting coach and casting director.

You’ll also get an exclusive territory in which to book parties, as well as step-by-step training from Cheryl on how to set up your business for success.

Book a free, no-pressure chat with Cheryl right here and she’ll walk you through the details and answer any questions you have about this family-friendly business opportunity.

Want to learn more about Kids Party Characters? Join us on Facebook for daily updates about our magical parties, as well as more tips on the most effective ways to build a successful business while raising a family.

Kids Party Characters coming soon to Texas

There’s something you may not have noticed about Kids Party Characters.

But if you’ll look closely at our website, Facebook page, or Instagram feed, you’ll discover that we’re not just Kids Party Characters, but Kids Party Characters Global.

And the “Global” part of our name is very intentional.

When owner Cheryl Jacobs first founded Kids Party Characters, her vision was not just to bring unique, quality entertainment that kids would remember forever to the New York/New Jersey area, but to make her company truly global.

We live in different parts of the country and the world, have different languages, customs, and skin colors, but one thing all kids share in common is a love for fun and laughter.

Cheryl recognized this from the beginning and saw that when it came to children’s entertainment, there was no one anywhere providing the totally magical experience that would leave kids with lifetime memories of their parties.

Once she had her business up and running close to home, Cheryl began to travel the country and the world, seeking other like-minded entrepreneurs who were passionate about providing quality kids entertainment.

What Happened in Houston

One of Cheryl’s stop was at the Houston, Texas franchise show, where she met Chevonte Marshall.

Chevonte is a single mom with a beautiful five-year-old daughter.

The Kids Party Characters opportunity grabbed Chevonte’s attention because of her experience trying to hire a princess to come to her own daughter’s party. Unfortunately, she couldn’t find anyone available to provide the perfect celebration she envisioned for her daughter.


Chevonte committed to do something about this, and we're happy to announce that she's the newest member of the Kids Party Characters family and will soon have her very own Kids Party Characters business in Houston, Texas.

Having her own Kids Party Characters business is Chevonte’s way of making sure no other family experiences her frustration and disappointment.

Chevonte’s deep in setting up her business and getting training right now, but look for her grand opening soon, as one of the upsides to owning a license to Kids Party Characters is we have everything in place and ready to go for you.

This Could be You Too

Another great thing about Kids Party Characters is that it’s one of those rare opportunities to fill a need that’s clearly out there but that no other company is meeting.

Usually, starting a successful business means entering a crowded market and fighting to win customers from other established businesses.

With Kids Party Characters, Cheryl has created such a unique experience that as a member you’ll be able to offer potential clients features that no one else has as your unique selling points.

What exactly do you get with a Kids Party Characters membership?

An exclusive territory in which to book parties. We won’t be allowing any other memberships in Chevonte’s Houston, Texas area, it’s all hers.

You also get the right to use our 200 plus unique, hand-sewn costumes, meaning you’re almost guaranteed to have the character any child would want.

Another unique benefit is the access you’ll have to our casting director and acting coach, which means you won’t be sending characters who sit in the corner at parties. Your characters will be trained professional entertainers.

Finally, you get ongoing business training and marketing help from Cheryl Jacobs and the Kids Party Characters team.

We won’t just throw you out there and say “good luck.” Cheryl is a long-time, successful serial entrepreneur. She’s gone through the trial and error it takes to learn how to build a successful business so that you won’t have to.

Cheryl’s created a step-by-step training course that shows you exactly how to start your new business and make money from the beginning.

If you’re interested in bringing joy to children in your area of the world, book a no-pressure call with Cheryl right here and she’ll answer all your questions and help you figure out if Kid’s Party Characters is the right opportunity for you.

Whether you’re an experienced entrepreneur looking for a second income stream, a stay at home looking for a business you can run from home, or a single mom like Chevonte looking to make a difference to children, your very own Kids Party Characters business could be just the answer you’re looking for. 

Set up your call today and let Cheryl help you get on the right track.

7 Easy Halloween Crafts for Kids and Busy Moms

Looking for some Halloween fun this weekend to feed your kids' excitement about the upcoming big day? The good news and the bad news is, you can find everything online.

Good, and bad, because there's never a shortage of projects that look so fun and easy on Pinterest but somehow turn out to be a frustrating mess when attempted inside your household.

Good, and bad, because yes, you could spend all day looking online through the thousands of ideas to choose the perfect projects for your little angels, but who has that kind of time?

Kids Party Characters is here to make things a little easier for you today. We've collected 7 of our favorite, proven projects that are truly fun and easy, and don't require you to have a fine arts degree to pull them off without cursing in front of the kids.

We're sure you'll enjoy them as much as our kids have.

Monster Lollipops Kids in the kitchen can be a recipe for disaster. This project doesn't require a bunch of ingredients, so the kids can be very hands-on rather than requiring you to do all the real work.

They'll especially love putting the little eyes on these guys and choosing their favorite color combinations.

Use these treats around the house, or hand-deliver them to friends and classmates.

You'll find the simple directions on Happy Go Lucky.

Sandwich Cookie Spiders While we like to promote healthy eating here at Kids Party Characters, these are just too cute to resist, and easy for even the younger kids to make.

Let's face it, you're not going to make these every day, so you have our permission to indulge in this treat that your kids will likely enjoy making just as much as they enjoy eating.

The easy step-by-step recipe is at Positively Splendid.

Ghost Leaves Just because the cold air is settling in doesn't mean your kids shouldn't be outside, and don't still love being outside.

This simple craft gives them a great excuse to be out there, and they'll enjoy the search for the perfect leaves to turn into ghosts.

Use their creations to decorate your windows, front door, and their bedroom doors.

All you'll need is some white paint, a small paint brush, black marker, and scissors.

Get the details on Growing a Jeweled Rose.

Halloween Slime Kids seem to either love the feel of slime, or hate it. But since most fall on the "love it" side, we've decided to include this recipe to give you an excuse to make slime during the Halloween season.

The recipe is simple enough for even younger kids to do most of the work themselves, although you may want to supervise the use of the food coloring.

The instructions here also include a fairly easy way to make decorative jars to put the slime in, but unless your giving it for special gifts, you can just store it in a plastic bag and call it good!

Find the details on The Best Ideas for Kids.

Handprint Halloween Keepsake Before you pass over this one because you think it's just for toddlers with little hands, consider that there's a lot more your older child can do with his hand than just make a handprint.

The handprints are cute, and can be turned into ghosts or pumpkins, but your older child can use her fingers to press any spooky shape she wants into the clay too.

These are simple to make with air dry clay and kids love decorating them. So they're a great idea whether you end up with a handprint or some other handcrafted shape your child chooses.

You can also get a jump on Christmas and create some holiday-themed treasures if you want, then tuck them away to be painted the appropriate colors. You know that season will be here in the blink of an eye.

Get the easy instructions for this versatile craft at Non-Toy Gifts.

DIY Halloween Bags Making things your kids can actually use is more rewarding for them and saves you the hassle of having a house full of discarded crafts that you feel guilty about actually discarding.

These Halloween bags are an easy and practical craft that allow your kids to use their imagination and do their own thing.

The bags can be traditional like the one pictured, can be themed to match your child's costume, or can be whatever he feels like making at the time.

All the supplies are available on a budget with a quick trip to your local craft store.

Get the details and some suggestions to get your creative juices flowing at Make it Your Own.

Spooky Spider Soap Don't be scared off by the fact that you need glycerin soap base for this craft. You may not have seen it before, but it's readily available at all the big chain craft stores.

This craft is simple to make and your kids will enjoy the results of their efforts at bath time.

The younger ones may need a little help melting and pouring the soap, they'll have fun placing the spiders, as well as choosing the colors and smells for their soaps.

Find the instructions on Happiness is Homemade.


As you can see, there's a little something for everyone in these seven different crafts. They do all have two things in common -- they're easy, and they're practical.

Even busy moms can find time for these, and each one leaves your kids with something satisfying to consume and/or something they can actually use at Halloween time.

Be sure to connect with Kids Party Characters on Facebook, where we share our best tips for raising happy and healthy kids, as well as updates about the magic we create at children's parties.

And when it's time for your next party, head over to KidsPartyCharacters.com to see our collection of over 200 characters for your child to choose from as his special party guest, as well as party packages that include kid favorites such as face painting, balloon twisting, and cotton candy.

Kids Party Characters Princess Elsa presents: 3 Things You Must do Every...

Is Running a Business Harder Than Your 9 to 5?

Here at Kids Party Characters we talk a lot about the advantages of going from stay at home mom to work at home mom.

Having your own business can be not only very financially rewarding, but also personally rewarding for the sense of accomplishment it gives you and the relationships you build in the process.

Today we’re going to look at it from another angle, and consider whether moms who are currently working a traditional 9 to 5, or something similar, can successfully transition to work at home moms without losing anything. 

A related question for current stay at home moms who are looking to bring in some income and/or have a career is, are you better off just getting a job rather than diving into the often-crazy world of entrepreneurship?

The Advantages of Working for Someone Else

Having your own business can be hard, especially when you’re just getting started and feel like you’re out of your element.

There are some things entrepreneurs miss when they leave the 9 to 5, things that keep most people from ever making the move to entrepreneurship.

1. Known Pay on a Set Schedule

When you have a job working for someone else, there’s nothing ambiguous about when you’re going to be paid and how much that pay will be. You often have a contract that sets it out in detail, including health benefits and retirement benefits that entrepreneurs are never given.

This gives you peace of mind, and even if it’s not as much money as you’d like to get, at least you know what to budget for each and every month.

2. Guaranteed Time Off

While some companies are better than others about this, you always at least have the ability to call in sick and spend the whole day in bed when you need.

Usually you get paid time off when you work for someone else, especially after you’ve been there for awhile. This may include paid vacations, sick leave, and personal days.

And for moms, there’s the all-important maternity leave, which guarantees you’ll have a job after taking a few months off with your newborn.

3. Leaving it at the Office

Working for someone else means you put in your shift and go home, leaving your work at the office until the next day.

The physical act of walking away from your office, getting in your car, and driving home allows you to shift work off and family on. 

This is a luxury that’s hard to replicate when you work from home and can therefore feel like you never completely leave the office.

4. Limited Responsibility and Liability

No matter how important you are to your company, you aren’t the owner.

Unless things really go south, as long as you do your job, you’re going to have a job to come to every day. The success of the company doesn’t rise and fall on your shoulders.

And even if your company did happen to fold, you could take your skills to a similar company and pick up where you left off.

You are a piece to the puzzle, comfortably surrounded and supported by the other pieces, which can be a lot easier than being the whole puzzle yourself.

Could Running a Business Be Easier Than it Looks?

Admittedly, having a job may sound pretty appealing right now, which is why most people are employees and not business owners.

But obviously, you recognize the downsides of the 9 to 5 or you likely wouldn’t be reading this.

There’s the field trips and class parties you miss out on with your kids, the nasty commute to work, co-workers who drive you nuts, and being limited to earning what someone else thinks you’re worth, just to name a few uglies that come with the title “employee.”

While starting and running a business isn’t kids’ stuff, there are some pretty priceless advantages that come with it.

1. You’re the Boss

There’s not a lot more to be said about this one. You’re 100% in control of your business. 

Need two hours off to spend the day at the zoo with your child’s class? Done. No paperwork to fill out, no HR department to seek approval from.

Don’t like a client you’re working with? Fire him. No approval needed, no red tape to walk through.

Let’s look at some more specific advantages that come with being the boss.

2. You Can Delegate

As the boss, you decide what work you’ll do in your business, and what you won’t. If there’s a part of your job as business owner you don’t like, you simply get someone else to do it.

And no worries if you don’t want the hassle of taking on employees, the whole hiring and firing process is usually a big headache.

There is an over-supply of freelance workers that are willing to do any task you can imagine, even if it only involves paying for an hour of someone’s time.

You don’t have to be a rich and successful business owner to delegate, or outsource, the things you don’t want to do, or perhaps aren’t very good at doing.

You can have long-term virtual team members that you pay for a certain number of hours each week to take on these things, or you can pay by the project only when you need something specific done. 

This can mean you’re spending $20 a week on outsourcing when you’re just getting started if that’s all your budget can handle at the moment.

It also means you choose your coworkers, and “un-choose” them if you don’t enjoy working with them.

3. You Can Automate

One of the most beautiful things about your work at home business is that there are a lot of very smart, technically-oriented people that saw a huge opportunity coming with the growing popularity of working at home.

And these tech-savvy folks are constantly thinking of new ways to make it easier for us work from home moms by coming up with new and better tools that allow us to automate our business.

There’s no need to spend hours on the phone trying to reach clients. You can send one email that reaches all of your clients and prospects at the same time.

You can communicate with people through Facebook Messenger using an automated bot.

You can have an unlimited series of informational articles and sales messages sent to your customers and prospects by just having them enter their name into your database one time.  

People can schedule appointments with you online while you’re sleeping.

You can automate invoices and the payment of those invoices by setting a customer up in your system once.

Hopefully you’re getting the picture that there isn’t much you can’t automate in your business.

While this doesn’t mean you’ll never want to talk to your clients, that is the best way to build relationships, it does give you the freedom to have a business that runs on autopilot in many ways.

Imagine having your boss walk into your office while you’re busy playing Candy Crush, and explaining to her that it’s all good, you’ve automated your work. 

You’d clearly automate yourself right out of a job!

In contrast, you’re automating yourself right into more profits when you own your business.

4. You Can Regulate

One of the best things about owning a business is you can always be happy about the way things are going in your business.

You never have to deal with changes that come from higher up that make you morally uncomfortable or adversely affect the way you do your job.

If there’s a product or service you think you need to improve in your business, do it.

Something new you want to offer, or something you want to discontinue? Do it.

Is your heart pulling you to take a different direction in your business? Do it. 

Whether it means redefining your target market, repricing your products and services, or making exceptions to the policy for a dissatisfied customer, you can always do what feels right to you.

Which means you can always sleep good at night when it comes to issues of business integrity and the highest quality of service to your customers.

There is really nothing better than being able to make money in a way that aligns with your personal values and provides for an outstanding client experience.

What’s Right for You?

Starting a business isn’t for everyone, but it may be for you even if you have some initial reservations.

Whether it's "harder" than the 9 to 5 life basically depends on what you value.

Imagine yourself a year from now having a business you love that makes you a consistent income. Then think about how fast a year goes by.

Would the rewards for you and your family be worth spending a year taking some steps outside your comfort zone and working a little harder than you wanted to some days?

And that’s not to say it will take you a year to build a profitable business. It may take 90 days. It may take two or three years to get to where you really, really want to be.

But the time is going to pass anyway, and where will you be if you don’t take the leap?

And, Kids Party Characters owner, Cheryl Jacobs, has created a great work from home opportunity that’s designed to cut way down on the learning curve most beginning entrepreneurs must face.

Cheryl’s offering an opportunity for you to partner with Kids Party Characters and have your very own business, including an exclusive territory in which to book parties, the right to use our 200+ costumes, and access to our casting director and acting coach.

Basically, you get all the tools Cheryl’s used to turn Kids Party Characters into a six-figure business. 

On top of that, you get step-by-step training from Cheryl (who’s had a hand in starting 10 separate businesses) on the right way to get your business open and in profit.

Book a no-pressure chat with Cheryl right here and she’ll answer any questions you have about this opportunity and give you more details about how to get started.

Also be sure to join us on Facebook for daily updates on the magic we bring to children’s parties, as well as our best tips and strategies for running a successful work from home business.