Party Ideas & Themes
Backyard party entertainment
The best venue is the one you already own. Backyard parties keep the budget for what kids actually remember — the entertainment — and the right pro brings the whole show to your lawn.
- Vetted & insured
- Money held until after the party
- Free cancellation to 7 days
Bonded & insured · $10M public liability cover · 100+ five-star Google reviews
The entertainment that makes it
What actually works at backyard parties — and why parents book it.
The headlinerMagic Showsfrom $265A magic show is the backyard anchor — thirty to forty-five minutes where every kid is sitting down, facing the same way, and completely hooked. Schedule it as the centerpiece.See magic shows pros
Face Paintingfrom $125/hrOpen-air face painting is the easiest station to run outside — natural light, no furniture to move, and painted faces make the backyard photos.See face painting pros
Balloon Artfrom $160/hrA twister works the crowd wherever it gathers — no setup, no power, just a steady stream of swords, dogs and flowers across the lawn.See balloon art pros
Party Charactersfrom $220/hrBackyards give characters room to work — garden treasure hunts, big group games, and a grand entrance through the gate instead of a hallway.See party characters prosYombu-wide starting rates — each service page shows live local prices city by city.
Entertainers
Magic Shows pros parents book for backyard parties
Plan it like you've done this before
Field-tested advice from thousands of parties — the stuff that actually moves the needle.
1Give the entertainment a stage
Pick the flattest, shadiest corner and face the audience away from the sun. A blanket 'stage line' for shows keeps little ones from wandering into the act, and a table near an outlet covers most face-painting setups.
2Always have a weather plan B
Decide in advance what happens if it rains — garage, covered porch, or living room. Entertainers are used to the mid-party venue shuffle; they just need to know the backup space exists.
3Structure beats free-for-all
Even in a backyard, a loose schedule saves the day: arrivals and free play, then the entertainer as the centerpiece, then food, then cake. Forty-five minutes of unstructured lawn time is where parties go feral.
4Think about the neighbors
A quick heads-up next door buys a lot of goodwill — or an invitation for their kids. Keep amplified sound modest and wrap the loud part by early evening.
How it works
From chaos to confirmed in hours
No quote forms that vanish into a void. Real availability, real prices, booked online.
A 60-second form: date, time, how many kids, and where it's happening. No phone tag.
We ping vetted local entertainers and confirm who's actually free. Most parents have confirmed options within about 2 hours.
Compare confirmed entertainers, book in one tap, and your money is held safely until after the event.
Your entertainer shows up prepped and ready — and you get the hero-parent credit.
Tell us about the party — we'll check who's free
One 60-second request and we'll line up vetted magic shows pros with real availability for your date — usually in about 2 hours.
Free to ask · no commitment · vetted & insured pros
Backyard parties — FAQs
What entertainment works best in a backyard?
Almost everything — that's the joy of it. A magic show makes a great scheduled centerpiece, while face painting and balloon art run as drop-in stations around it. If space is tight, a single roving entertainer beats a staged show.
What does the entertainer need from me?
Very little: a flat spot, shade if it's hot, and for face painters, a small table and two chairs. Ask when you book — every pro will tell you their exact setup, and most bring everything themselves.
What happens if it rains?
Have an indoor fallback (garage, porch, living room) and tell the entertainer about it — pros move the show inside all the time. If you need to cancel outright, the cancellation policy is shown clearly before you pay.
How many kids can a backyard party handle?
A typical yard comfortably hosts 10 to 20 kids with one entertainer. Beyond that, add a second station (face painting plus balloons is the classic pair) so the group splits naturally instead of mobbing one line.
No fine print
Trust you can actually check
No invented names, no invented stars — just the real numbers and real words behind every Yombu party.
“Oli the magician was amazing! So great with the kids, so funny, and he had all the adults scratching their heads in confusion trying to figure it out.”
“We had Maggie for face painting she was fantastic—the kids adored her, she worked beautifully and quickly, and was such a cheerful presence at the party.”
Sally McBride · Houston
“We had Natalie join our party to make balloon animals for the kids and she was AMAZING. All the kids were mesmerised.”
Anna Brown · San Diego
“Our daughter had a memorable 5th birthday and the entertainment made the party! I was impressed by the attention to detail.”
Alessandra Assante · Jacksonville
Bonded & insured · $10M public liability cover · 12 cities and growing
The quotes above are verbatim from our public Google reviews of Yombu parties. Brand-new entertainers simply say “New to Yombu” until their first review lands.
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