Christmas Party Entertainment Ideas in Boston

A background-checked Santa performer, bearded or in a classic red suit, comes to the home or venue for a flat rate agreed before the visit. Keep it brief — photos and a gift handed out per child work better in a Boston living room full of cousins of mixed ages than a long sit-down chat does.

Boston’s face painters run a December design sheet — snowflakes, a candy cane, a reindeer nose — at the same hourly rate they book any other month. It gives every arriving guest something finished before the first game even starts.

White, silver and icy-blue balloons built into an arch or a cluster behind the food table or wherever Santa sits turns a Boston apartment or party room into a real photo backdrop. It’s a normal balloon-art booking, done in under an hour.

A booked magician swaps in December material — a vanishing ornament, a “which hand has the candy cane” routine — for the same flat per-show rate Boston families book in any other season. It sits well right after the Santa visit, while everyone’s still in their seats.

For a party that wants a character alongside Santa rather than in place of him, a separately booked costumed character in festive dress runs a short meet-and-greet and photos — useful once the guest list outgrows what one Santa visit can cover.

A character performer leads a short carol sing-along and a round of gift-themed games — a candy cane hunt, pass the parcel wrapped in Christmas paper — so there’s something happening in the stretch between the Santa visit and the cake.