For the safety and comfort of everyone involved, I don’t provide children’s entertainment in pub gardens or other public outdoor venues. Unlike private gardens, these spaces are open to members of the public, so there may be people I don’t know, including those who have been drinking or who may not be appropriate around a children’s party. There can also be issues with music and sound equipment affecting other customers or conflicting with the venue’s requirements. I’m always delighted to perform in private home gardens or at managed company events under a gazebo, where everyone is there for the same reason: to laugh, have fun, and enjoy a fantastic magic show in a safe, family-friendly environment.
Author: Ritchie Rosson - Magic Shows/Family Entertainer
Children's entertainer/magician based in London.
Best Sutton Halls for Children’s Birthday Celebrations
Good Shepherd, Carshalton Beeches
Queen Mary’s Ave, Carshalton SM5 4NP
Brilliant venue for a children’s birthday party. Modern facilities. Clean and warm. Nice kitchen and big car park. Lovely staff at The Church of The Good Shepard. Thank you Chris and the team.
Milton Rd, Wallington SM6 9RP
Car park right outside. Perfect size. Not echoey. Tables and chairs although not small children’s tables.
Carshalton beeches Baptist free church
Banstead Rd, Sutton, Carshalton SM5 3NL
Big car park. The hall is great for children’s birthday parties. I entertained at a two-hour party here today and the facilities are great. Good parking, nice clean hall and a separate area for food which makes it easy for parents to prepare the food and clean up out of sight. Only problem is there’s only 1 plug socket down the side of the room by the door.
320 Carshalton Rd, Carshalton SM5 3QB
Make sure to book the “Main Hall” not the “Sports Hall”. I actually haven’t been in that room but sports halls tend to be echoey.
Fantastic venue for a children’s birthday party. Clean, kind staff. Don’t think they have a kitchen so may need to bring your own pre prepped food.
The Lodge, Garden Hall, at, Honeywood Walk, Carshalton SM5 3NX
Great venue for a small event such as a children’s birthday party. Not echoey like some venues and parking on site.
Elmcroft Community Centre (smaller room)
570 London Road, North Cheam, SM3 9AB
Pro Tip: Book the small room (Hopkins Hall). It’s perfect. The big hall is very big and echoey.
107-109 Church Hill Rd, Cheam, Sutton SM3 8LJ
Brilliant venue for a children’s birthday party. Good kitchen, toilets, disabled access, parking right outside. Bob very friendly and helpful.
19 Devonshire Rd, Sutton SM2 5HH
Amazing friendly club. Lovely kind staff. Great facilities. Modern interior. Small car park outside and on street parking (check for restrictions; particularly midweek). We hired there for a children’s birthday party and Kerry and the staff could not have been more kind and helpful. Thank you.
Crown Road Baptist Church
71 Crown Rd, Sutton SM1 1SB
Great venue, not much parking though.
St Barnabas Rd, Sutton SM1 4NP
Attended several parties here. Great venue for a children’s/family party. Big hall. Very clean. Small car park and free parking on the street outside. Good kitchen. The lady opening for us was very kind and helpful and explained everything very well. I recommend if you have a children’s birthday party here; use the part of the hall with the stage, close the dividers. Set up the food in the bigger end as it’s very echoey in that side. The acoustics of the stage end are much better.
Please avoid booking the party in the halls listed below. They are very echoey and the sound bounces around the room, creating a “ball of noise”. This makes the show difficult to hear and can be uncomfortable for both children and parents.
Cheam Fields Primary
Stoughton Ave, Cheam, Sutton SM3 8PQ
4th Worcester Park Scout Group
Braemar Rd, Worcester Park KT4 8SW
The big hall is very echoey. There is a small one there, too, which is good for the party 🙂
For Prices & Availability:
Contact Ritchie Now!
Best Reigate/Redhill/Banstead/Dorking Halls for Children’s Birthday Celebrations
Surrey Event Venue for Corporate Events Conferences Meetings
Priory Farm Estate, Sandy Lane, Redhill, RH1 4EJ
Brickfield Rd, Outwood, Redhill RH1 5QX
Nutfield Centre – Conference & Banqueting Suite
Nutfield Lodge, Nutfield Rd, Redhill RH1 4ED
Colman Redland Community Centre
Colman Redland Centre, Croydon Rd, Reigate RH2 0NA
5 Church Rd, Reigate RH2 8HY –
Nice small hall. But quite small. Good for a part of up to 15 kids:
Banstead United Reformed Church
Woodmansterne Ln, Banstead SM7 3EX
Great venue for a children’s birthday party. Big car park. Easy access for wheelchairs and push chairs. Big kitchen. And very clean.
1 Institute Rd, Westcott, Dorking RH4 3NP
A little hard to find. Could do with a bigger clearer sign on the street. Great venue for a children’s birthday party. Good size hall with small stage. Big car park and great kitchen facilities. Lots of chairs and tables. Could be a little cleaner. (2020)
Please avoid booking the party in the halls listed below. They are very echoey and the sound bounces around the room, creating a “ball of noise”. This makes the show difficult to hear and can be uncomfortable for both children and parents.
St Philip’s Church Reigate
102 Nutley Ln, Reigate RH2 9HA
North Holmwood North Holmwood Village Hall
Spook Hill, North Holmwood, Dorking RH5 4JP
Woodmansterne Village Hall, Banstead
24 Carshalton Rd, Woodmansterne, Banstead SM7 3HR
For Prices & Availability:
Contact Ritchie Now!
Bouncy Castles
They are great fun for family events (with supervision for safety). But from my experience from entertaining at over 1000 birthday parties, when there is a bouncy castle, there are almost always children in tears and frequent accidents on them and they suck the joy out of the party. This firm of solicitors even has a page on their website just for dealing with bouncy castle injuries.
When I run a party, I have great control of the children and my reviews often comment on how amazed they were at the focus of the children I had. This is something I’ve developed from years of experience. When it comes to bouncy castles, nobody is really in control of the children and things often turn to chaos.
The companies drop them off unmanned and parents never seem to know how to manage the children. They all get on it at once and all the parents are stressed waiting for their little one to get bashed by a bigger child. At the last party where I did a show with a bouncy castle, a child was climbing onto the high sides of it (usually happens when the castle doesn’t have a roof) with a hard floor to the side of it. There were no mats on the side. I told the mum of the party, and she told the mum of the child climbing; to which she just laughed and let her daughter repeatedly climb there.
I want my parties to be brilliant fun and everyone super happy and to leave with big smiles.
If you are having a bouncy castle, the following guidelines are good to follow from this excellent article in The National Library of Medicine “Are inflatable play structures really safe for our children?”:
- ” There should be responsible adult supervision, paying close attention to the children at play at all times during its use.
- The equipment should be set up, operated and supervised by the hire company’s own staff.2
- A rotation system for different age or size groups should be used, together with the observance of an age limit for users. There are special inflatables available for adolescents and adults.
- A safety distance of 1 m to 2 m should be kept around the facility, leaving the entrance and exit points free at all times. At the access to the bouncer, there must be a ramp that covers the entire width of the entrance arch. Likewise, there must be some type of material that cushions possible falls, such as mats or foam. A simple carpet is not enough; also, curbs, benches, trees or other accessories should not be present in that area.
- The number of children using the bouncy castle must be limited to avoid overcrowding. This will allow each child to have safe space to play in.13,14
- It is forbidden to climb and/or hang from the walls of the inflatable.
- Children should not be allowed to use the bouncy castle in adverse weather conditions such as high wind or in wet weather (inflatables can flip over and slippery surfaces may cause injury). It is recommended to deflate the installation when winds exceed 45 km/h.
- All children must be made to remove footwear (always wear socks).
- Removal of hard or sharp objects such as jewelry, buckles, pens and other similar pocket contents.
- The castle must be adequately secured to the ground and sited away from obstacles such as fences or overhead power. They should be regularly inspected while in use.”
Ritchie’s Back at Lazer Lions Holiday Club
Ritchie Rosson’s magic shows are back at the awesome Lazer Lions Holiday Club this May half term on Wednesday 27th May at Grovelands School, Walton-on-Thames and Cleves School, Weybridge.
For Prices & Availability:
Contact Ritchie Now!
Health and Safety of Children’s Entertainment
I have added a new bit to my terms and conditions regarding child safety after a grim party experience recently.
I absolutely love 99.9% of my clients. I work with wonderful families every week. But this experience was deeply unpleasant.
I have performed at over 2,000 birthday parties in all sorts of venues over the last 15 years, but I am always learning. A family had me for a birthday party in their garden. For no extra cost, I took the time to visit their house in advance of the party to help them find the best spot for the show and noticed a dangerous sheer drop off the garden onto a concrete patio. Similar to this (AI pic).
This was to be a party for 17 children with many toddlers and other children under 5. I told the client that there must be some padding put on the concrete where the drops are. A few big cushions/duvets would have done the job. TADA!
On the day, I assumed they would have put down the padding done but had not. I politely asked the client again if we could put something there to make it safe, but she repeatedly and angrily told me “we have had loads of parties and nothing has ever happened!” I’m sure that people have ran across the motorway before and “nothing happened”. I persuaded the client to cut down the entertainment (at a £100 loss to me) eliminating the games part and having a static show but was very uneasy about the experience and the opposition to my concerns from this client so I have now added this to my T and Cs page to make it more clear.
🧒 Child Safety
The safety and wellbeing of children is of the utmost importance at all times.
The client is responsible for ensuring that the performance area is safe, secure, and suitable for children. This includes (but is not limited to) removing or adequately safeguarding any potential hazards such as drops, sharp objects, or unsafe garden features.
The entertainer reserves the right to pause or stop the performance if, in their professional judgement, the environment poses a risk to the safety of any child. No liability will be accepted for incidents arising from unsafe conditions that were not disclosed or addressed prior to the performance.
For Prices & Availability:
Contact Ritchie Now!
Worcester Park Magic!
Bring the kids to the awesome Fun Fest in Worcester Park this Easter and see Ritchie Rosson’s fun-filled funny magic show.
Fun Fest Worcester Park takes place at Malden Parochial CofE Primary School
The Manor Drive Worcester Park, Surrey KT4 7LW
More about Fun Fest here
Book a spot here
For Prices & Availability:
Contact Ritchie Now!
Best Kingston Halls for Children’s Birthday Celebrations
The Greenwood Centre, 1A School Rd, Hampton Hill, Hampton TW12 1QL
Fantastic venue for a children’s birthday party. Perfect size. Not echoey (like many halls). Clean, big kitchen, children’s tables and chairs. Lovely kind manager Maurice. Only downside; only a couple of parking spaces outside. Free parking on the street but might have to park a street or two away as busy on street parking.
Summer Rd, Thames Ditton KT7 0QQ
Brilliant venue for a children’s birthday party or family event. Car park right outside, clean, easy ground floor access, easy for chairs. The church car park is just next to the Church Hall. The postcode for the car park is KT7 0QQ. It is accessed from Summer Road. The turn is opposite Riversdale Road.
293 Park Rd, Kingston upon Thames KT2 5LY
Great venue for a children’s birthday party. Very clean. Good kitchen and a few parking spaces in the car park and easy to park on the surrounding streets.
1 Grand Ave, Tolworth, Surbiton KT5 9HU
Great venue for a children’s birthday party. Nice-sized hall and good kitchen facilities. Free parking on the street outside at weekends.
River Hill Estate, Worcester Park Road, Worcester Park KT4 7QB
Big car park
New Malden Baptist Church http://www.nmbc.org.uk/
1A Westbury Rd, New Malden KT3 5BE
Great venue 🙂 Lovely helpful Staff on site during the party. Although just a few parking spaces. Please save me one.
St John the Divine, New Malden
Kingston Rd, New Malden KT3 3RX
Good kitchen and facilities. Small car park outside but other parking down the street
Hampton Wick Baptist Church AKA Jolly Jumps
Hampton Wick Baptist Church, 11A Upper Teddington Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 4DL
Great hall for small party. (up to 25 guests) Lovely staff who can prep food for your party. Only a few parking spaces outside.
Please avoid booking the party in the halls listed below. They are very echoey and the sound bounces around the room, creating a “ball of noise”. This makes the show difficult to hear and can be uncomfortable for both children and parents.
Malden Wanderers Cricket & Lawn Tennis Club
20 Cambridge Ave, New Malden KT3 4LE
Echoey and little parking for guests
Tadworth Ave, New Malden KT3 6DJ
Echoey, and only a couple of parking spaces away from the venue.
For Prices & Availability:
Contact Ritchie Now!
Best Epsom Halls for Children’s Birthday Celebrations
I have some tips on booking a hall for your children’s birthday party here: Best tip is; avoid echoey halls as it creates a ball of noise
Stonleigh Methodist church – small room only
1 Stoneleigh Cres, Epsom KT19 0RT
There are two rooms. Make sure to book the smaller one with carpet as big one is really echoey making the show rubbish. Parking right outside. Not available on Sunday mornings.
The 2nd Ewell Rainsters Scout Group
106a West St, Ewell, Epsom KT17 1XR
Ruxley Ln, Ewell, Epsom KT19 0AF
Christ Church Rd, Epsom KT19 8NE
Bolters lane, the horseshoe, Banstead SM7 2BQ
The Ebbisham Centre, Epsom KT19 8AG
Please avoid booking the party in the halls listed below. They are very echoey and the sound bounces around the room, creating a “ball of noise”. This makes the show difficult to hear and can be uncomfortable for both children and parents.
Epsom Methodist Church
11-13 Ashley Rd, Epsom KT18 5AQ
For Prices & Availability:
Contact Ritchie Now!
Best Leatherhead & Ashtead Halls for Children’s Birthday Celebrations
Woodfield, Ashtead KT21 2RL
Little Bookham St, Great Bookham, Leatherhead KT23 3AF
I’ve entertained at several parties here. Nice small car park right outside, and on-street free parking too. Clean, big kitchen. Easy ground-floor access for buggies and wheelchairs.
Park Ln, Ashtead KT21 1EJ
99 The St, West Horsley, Leatherhead KT24 6DD
Woodfield Ln, Ashtead KT21 2BE
Please avoid booking the party in the halls listed below. They are very echoey and the sound bounces around the room, creating a “ball of noise”. This makes the show difficult to hear and can be uncomfortable for both children and parents.
The Ashtead Guide Hut
214 Barnet Wood Lane, Ashtead, KT21 2DB.
Echoey and parking is a nightmare