Then you need Fairy Poppilina…!
I’ve experienced my share of party entertainers, you do as the parent of small children whose social calendar is invariably peppered with invitations to variously themed shindigs. From superheroes to TV show characters, clowns and reptile handlers, we’ve seen a few!
This year, Denny requested a fairy party and with an impressive guest list of 7yo girls to entertain I decided it was time to pull out the big guns and hire a professional. Enter FAIRY POPPILINA or Poppy Stoker to members of the adult world. She is an entertainer like no other, beginning her experience with you from first contact. She directed us to the beautiful invitations available to download from her website which we printed out to distribute.
I have never known anyone to stay in character for the entirety of my interactions with them, she even faery rhymes in her emails and texts! It is incredibly endearing and also informative because in amongst the fairy-liciousness she includes all the important facts and figures. Part of her pre-party package includes a special delivery for the birthday child; a small box tied with a ribbon containing a handwritten note from Fairy Poppilina herself and some fairy dust to sprinkle on the day to lead FP to the party.
As any parent of a fairy-loving little will know, this delivery was met with great excitement and treasured in a safe place for the weeks leading up to the birthday event. Denny has been writing notes to fairies for most of her childhood and to receive such a gift from an actual fairy was beyond her wildest dreams! She took immense pride in finally being allowed to sprinkle some of the fairy dust (glitter) at our home threshold and strictly instructed all who entered to tread carefully so as not to disturb it. The rest of the girls quickly took up this mantra to the guests arriving after them, all filled with anticipation at the fairy’s impending arrival.
What an arrival it was! The sound of music could be heard in our driveway and opening the door there was Fairy Poppilina in all her brightly coloured fabulousness. Speaking in rhyme as is her custom she had Denny and her friends, who were all squeezed into the doorway agog, in fits of giggles from the start. Not two minutes after entering the house, she was already upside down, treating the girls to one of her famous headstands.
Her first port of call, headstand aside, was a theatrical bout of storytelling. The children looked on in awe as Fairy Poppilina donned puppets and other props to bring the tale ‘Never say no to a Princess’ to life. Some riotous dancing followed, music supplied by none other than Fairy Poppilina herself. All the girls were later allocated their own Fairy names, from Denny Dandelion to Tulip Twinkletoes!
Then it was onto pass the parcel. But this is not your ordinary pass the parcel. Sitting in a circle the girls were instructed to pass a box between them and when the music stopped, Fairy Poppilina would ask a question. Questions like, “would you rather ride to school on the back of an elephant or a motorcycle?” and “would you rather eat hot dogs or pizza for the rest of your life?” Once the girls had answered their question they were permitted to reach into the shimmery mass of sparkly bits in the box and retrieve a bubble ring (as in a ring with bubble mixture inside and its very own wand to blow them with!)
From quizzing to colouring, FP comes prepared with textas and pictures of unicorns and fairies for the children to colour in. (I supplied some towels to avoid any unwanted pen marks reaching the carpet.) The wealth of activities and ideas Fairy Poppilina brings with her on the day is truly incredible, leaving no moment unfilled, or child disinterested. She instinctively knows when a change of pace is required, whether to liven the tempo up or calm things down, making the party as a whole flow together beautifully.
The kids took a moment to sample some of the food laid out for them which gave me, on instruction from Fairy Poppilina, the opportunity to duck outside and hide the treasures she had brought with for a fairy treasure hunt. Pretty wands and little bags of fairy dust were distributed in hiding spots around our garden and out went the birthday girl and her friends to locate them, each thrilled with their fairy find.
Then it was time for cake with Fairy Poppilina presiding! Because what is a birthday wish without a fairy there to make it come true?!
Keeping the 17-some kids in attendance entertained for two hours (though her typical timeframe is 90 minutes), the magnificent Fairy Poppilina brought my 7yo daughter’s dreams to life and filled her party with boundless energy, fun, games and so much more. All I had to do was serve the food and drink and direct people to the toilet! I put the husband on sparkle clean up duty later on. I didn’t provide lolly bags for the party but with all the gorgeous gifts Fairy Poppilina bestows on the party guests, there is no need.
So, if you’re planning a party with a fairy theme, trust me when I say it won’t be complete without Fairy Poppilina there to make the day!
What you need to know:
Who: Fairy Poppilina – Fairy Entertainer
Phone: 0405 442 764
e-mail: pjstoker@bigpond.com
Typical party cost: $350 for 90 minutes
*Fairy Poppilina also takes her singing and storytelling into day-care centres, schools and libraries, so it may be worth letting your locals know to spread FP’s fairy fun far and wide!
Visit http://www.fairypoppilina.com.au/ for more information.