HoHoHo Merry Xmas!

HoHoHo Merry Xmas to all!

Another year has come and gone, but not before filling our stomachs full of good food, stockings full of sweets and wrapping paper full of presents. We all love xmas, especially at Partytrap. Every year we get to entertain hundreds of children in different venues and have so much fun. However one of the most rewarding experiences is the annual Christmas party we take part in at the Wonderland Ward at Mater Dei.

Steffi & Dr. Silly Lilly

Our dj Stef C

We have now gone into our 4th year taking part along with other talented local artists. While getting the chance to speak to some of the children who are unable to join the party....it really drives home the xmas message. While people are at home hoping to get an xbox, an ipad or anything really, the letter to santa that these children write is a simple one ' I hope to get better and go home to play with my sister'. I for one, and I think I can speak for most of us here, was so touched, and always go home re-evaluating the meaning of Christmas and respecting the beauty and depth of a child's mind.

I would also like to take this time to show my appreciation to Claire Grech one of the nurses in the pediatric wards at Mater Dei who is so dedicated and who strives to make this party a special one for each and every child.

Claire Grech - one of the most dedicated workers I know

I won't blabber on much more, but from all of us at Partytrap we wish you a very merry Christmas and a fantastic new year!

The partytrap elves

Dealing with children's seperation anxiety

Whether you are a parent, aunt, granny, granpa, teacher, carer or child, I'm sure we have all experienced or at least witnessed the heart-breaking scene of a child throwing a tantrum and refusing to leave his/her parent's side when being dropped off at school. It's also good to say that as well as being emotional, this scene can also get very tiring when it happens on a daily basis.

Seperation anxiety usually begins in infants between 4-6 months, then re-emerges at 18 months after the child has learnt to differentiate between the mother/father and other care-givers. As opposed to adults, young children do not have the capacity to understand that when you leave, you will be back. If young children have not developed what Piaget calls object constancy, there is a great chance that he/she believes you have disappeared forever. No wonder that poor little kid latches on so hard! There are a few ways in which you as a care-giver can help the child ease into this and reduce the anxiety

Peak-a-boo

Despite being a fun game, peak-a-boo serves a much deeper purpose. Playing peak-a-boo with your child allows you to develop a strong relationship in which the child experiences a few seconds of anxiety at the thought of losing you, but is relieved quickly when you show your face again. This eventually sends the message that even though you have disappeared, you do eventually come back.




Explain your day and why you are leaving
With most children, especially those over 3, it has found to be helpful if you explain why you are leaving and what most of your day involves for example explaining that you are going into your office, and then will write some things on paper ect. This helps the child to get a concrete idea of what you are doing. It is also vital to give the child a rough estimate as to what time you will pick him/her up. This gives them a goal to focus on.

Transitional objects

These are objects that the child picks as a form of 'security' such as blankets, dolls, pieces of your clothing, soft toys ect. This is their way of keeping a part of you with them and helps ease the transition of you not being there. Don't be too quick to remove these objects as it does help them to cope.


In summary, always remember that such tantrums all stem from anxiety and fear that you will abandon the child. The easiest thing is to reassure them that this is not the case, and that you will be back, even if you are leaving for a little while. Also, it helps to know that despite maybe feeling irritated by the tantrums, they ultimately occur because the child finds it unbearable to think of a world without you. So amidst all the frustration, there is a silver lining :)

Trick or treat?

Halloween has fallen upon us again. The time when children state that what they most look forward to is the sweets. I in fact have noticed over the years, that the bit they most enjoy out of Halloween is the thrill they get out of being slightly scared that at least one mythical story might be true, despite never admitting it :)

This year, why not try something different? We've come up with a package that will not only promise to keep your children entertained, but truly offers the Halloween experience.

All good things come to an end...

It is now the 13th of September, a new week, and yet one that is totally different. For a start for the past ten days my morning did not begin with hearing the voices of the kids saying "bongu" or "good morning, look what I've got today". I miss those days and would trade anything to have another week at the Summer Club.

I can only comment up to the date of performance week, since that was my last day before leaving, however what a journey it has been. It is safe to say that all the lessons, workshops, games, trials of patience and encouragement paid off. The children had a fantastic time, nearly as much as we did. Dress rehearsals are often misleading, many things crop up last minute, last minute fears, problems with hair and make-up and blanking out. Nearly most of these things dissipated on the day and the kids really shined, and I think I speak for everyone who worked at the Summer Club this year, that I've never been more proud of a group of young children.



I thoroughly hope you, but most especially the children have enjoyed their 8 weeks at the Summer Club, it has been an experience for all of us and will always cherish the special moments, the times when a child says something that is so unexpected and funny, he/she actually renders you speechless for a few seconds. These are the moments I will take with me.

Boost creativity and confidence in children

The fantasy land of a child is simple, and still remains the same despite living in the era of PlayStation's, Nintendo and electronics - fun, mess, time and love. Nowadays many of us find ourselves feeling the pressure that being a parent can bring, to give the best to your child, to bring him/her up in the right way, to send them to the appropriate activities, have discipline but not too much. In reality - who can keep up with these unrealistic expectations? Nothing short of a superhero, and I'm sure it would still have flaws.

The key to bringing up a creative, confident and most importantly, a happy child, is to go back to your roots - remember what it was like when you were 3 and what was fun. Ultimate fun and freedom does come with a mess unfortunately, so be sure to cater for that in a controlled environment. Here are 5 tips for the week that help boost the confidence and creativity that help in moulding a happy child and adult :


1- Work from the theory of different types of intelligences.
Sternberg believed that children have different types of intelligences, creative intelligence is gained by encouraging children to question their experiences and what is taken for granted to try and look at alternate links and possibilities.

2- Encourage playing using different mediums that simulate all 3 types of learning
Everyone has a different learning style ; some are visual learners meaning they learn best through colours, flashcards, and visually stimulating material. Auditory learners on the other hand work best with things such as music, songs, rhymes ect. Kineasthetic learners learn 'by doing' and experiencing the things they need to learn by touch. Encouraging play on all 3 levels will help your child develop abilities in all 3 areas and help find his or her strength.

3 - Children will make a mess - let them!
True creativity requires lots of time, dedication and room and freedom to make a mess. As long as the appropriate rules are put in place before play, you should not find difficulty. Usually many children will abide by the rules as long as you clearly state them and the consequences should they be broken.

4 - Praise, praise and praise again!
Even if it's just a master piece of a big blob of black paint, that piece of paper is your child's creation. This is also an opportunity to get to know your child, how he/she is feeling and a small part of their personality: be inquisitive, ask about the colours, the characters, who they are and why they were chosen. You'll be surprised how much you can learn about your child just from a simple drawing or scribble.

5 - Teach the art of imperfection
Often when we only praise someone on their successes, it can send the message to both children and adults that they are entitled to love and praise only when they succeed. This is where the tantrums start; when a child loses a game or does a drawing that appears to be 'not as good'. Children have a very strong need of approval from adults and can often feel like they are letting us down. Loosing in games and rejection are things children need to learn how to deal with effectively from an early age and this can be done by simple reactions towards their play, drawings and games. Children test us all the time, its one of their charms :)


Children are basically simple. In today's world there are a lot of pressures to do this and that, but in reality all children truly need are their basic needs to be met; love, time and faith :)

Princesses, gardens, forests and... now it's time for a break!

Buskett Eco Tour for Partytrap Summer Club kids

This Summer was that bit more hectic for Partytrap following the launch of Partytrap Summer Club. Last week we organised the first ever Eco Tour for the little ones with the professional help of Merill Eco Tours. A group of around 25 kids enjoyed an unusual half day in the limits of Buskett, where we eluded the soaring August temperature thanks to the shady trees. The kids spent most of the time participating in fun games related to the surrounding environment.

Preparing for the 'Ball' - Face Painting

This month was also very popular for Princess Themed parties. Our latest appearance was fittingly at Palazzo Parisio & Gardens in Naxxar; where tiny princesses running around in a real palace made the experience that little bit more enchanting!

Tatiana - our own Belle

More to come... after the holidays!!

Enjoy

The joys of Partytrapping

Lately I came across a quote from Pearl S. Buck, a renowned Pulitzer and Nobel Prizes winner, which caught my attention, it said: "to find joy in work is to discover the fountain of youth". I would take that a step further and say that "one needs to do his or her best to find joy in... anything!". But of course a large chunk of our life revolves around work, so that is surely a great starting point to pursue happiness.

The past five years at Partytrap have been full of different experiences, but what (in my opinion) kept us going is the fact that we were lucky enough to find something which we really like doing, and turning it into a job. For some of us it's a full-time commitment, for others it's a pretty demanding part-time work, but although all of us have our weak moments, I'm quite sure that we rarely 'dread' going to work.

A couple of weeks ago we organised a summer get-together - a BBQ at the beach to kind of put us all in the mood for this 'holiday season'. It was purely a social event, but what did we end up doing? Yes... 'work'! We went through the songs and dances we perform with children, we staged (for the thousandth time) Turu's scripted sketch, and most of all we enjoyed ourselves. 

It's things like these which remind me of the importance of putting enjoyment at the forefront of anything we do. Who said work should be boring? Who said 'play' is a thing we should do only in our 'free time'? (click here for a really inspiring clip on the evolution of play). At Partytrap we have all of these things in common, and especially: we love to have fun, and we derive enjoyment from entertaining others. Keep it up Partytrappers ;)

Partytrappers and friends (some of us couldn't make it on this occasion)

Children vs Animators

A hot summer's day, an air of excitment and low murmurs of children saying "bye mummy"...the bell rings and in they run. After two successful and fun packed weeks of the Partytrap Summer Club, I honestly can't tell whose enjoying themselves more, myself or the kids.

Today there was something different with the children from the moment they came in. At first I was confused with the difference in their behaviour, wording and approach but after a few minutes a little boy's word's said what we had all been thinking "I'm so excited to do the concert today, I've been practicing with mama all weekend you know" - it was motivation! Within two weeks these children have gone from just coming to have fun and going with the flow, to being excited and motivated to give off a good performance and make the people they love proud of them.

Its refreshing to see them so excited about everything they are doing, they are not only becoming motivated themselves but in turn are keeping us more motivated every day by simply picking up on their fantastic energy!

Welcome to our blog :)

For a long time we have felt that even though at Partytrap, interacting with people is key, we wanted to further this into new directions and engage with people on different levels. Welcome to the Partytrapper's Blog. I hope that this page will be both informative, fun, friendly to use and interesting.

As an animator, it is often frustrating going home after a party or event; children full of energy and bursting with smiling faces, make us feel young again and sometimes we really forget that we would be at work! As a team we regularly meet up and the common pastime among us animators is reminiscing on the fun we would have had with the children, their energy and enthusiasm as well as the funny moments that are found in any good event. I look forward to being able to blog about these moments, the exciting things that happen and of course about the warmth a child can bring to any one that crosses his/her path.

Also watch out for blogs containing delicious recipes we would have tried out, cool craft ideas and practical tips on ways of enhancing creativity and confidence in your children :)