Birthday Party Pets Details
Once you’ve performed thousands of live animal shows at parties, you know what works… and what doesn’t. It is Zooniversity’s goal to have every party guest leave our Party Pets program with pleasant memories that will long be remembered—and to make the management of the your party be as simple as possible for you. Please take the time to carefully read through this section to insure a fun and safe time for all.
How does Party Pets work?
We are not a petting zoo—we are a wildlife education company. Our Party Pets program is a quiet, sit-down part of your child’s birthday or theme party, designed for children who are turning 6 years old or older. Your party guests will all be seated in a large horseshoe shape and the birthday child gets to be the guest of honor as the zookeeper’s assistant. We bring out one exotic animal at a time and teach your guests about the animal. We adjust the curriculum for the age of the audience, but we usually cover where the animal comes from, what they eat, interesting behaviors, how they defend themselves, etc. We then offer the birthday child the opportunity to hold the animal with our assistance, so you can get some special party pictures! Next, we walk the animal around the circle and, as long as your guests are following our safety rules, they may gently touch the animal. We do this with all 6 exotic animals that you have selected. Our programs always end with an out-loud audience quiz—to reinforce the information delivered and to provide the children with a sense of accomplishment. The kids learn a lot, but more importantly, have lots of fun and make memories to last a lifetime!
You mean I get to choose the animals I want at my party?
Yes, you may customize your party by selecting one of our party program courses and choosing your favorite 6 animals from the options provided. If you prefer to totally customize your party, then choose our "Meet the Animals 101" program, which gives you the freedom to select any 6 animals to have at your party. If there are just too many decisions to make, simply ask for "Zookeeper’s Choice" and our staff will be happy to select the program and animals for you.
What are Zooniversity’s party safety rules?
As you know, animal programs generate great enthusiasm, but they also generate some unique challenges regarding party management. We understand a child’s natural curiosity and love of animals, but that must be balanced with the needs of the animals and the safety of the guests. Because our animals are exotic and not domesticated, it is critical that your guests follow some simple rules:
- they must remain seated,
- they must avoid loud or sudden noises, and
- they must follow the presenter’s instructions at all times.
The party hosts are required to stay and assist with guest management and will be expected to assist in handling disruptions, so our zookeepers can concentrate on the presentation and safe animal handling. We reserve the right to eliminate the touch portion or to not show the animals if the guests are disruptive or fail to follow the safety rules.
Is it safe to touch the animals?
We teach and enforce a strict set of safety rules and we maintain control of the animals at all times—so everyone is perfectly safe. No guest is forced to touch an animal, it their choice. All participants are required to use an FDA-approved hand sanitizer that we provide at the end of the program. In addition, we always recommend that the guests wash their hands with soap and water following the program.
What’s the set-up for the party?
We conduct the program indoors—no mess involved. We no longer offer outdoor presentations. The presentation room must be a contained indoor space, a patio or outdoor room is not a safe, controllable environment. Most party parents simply use their family room or living room and push back the tables and couches. Please select a climate-controlled, ground floor location (we cannot climb stairs safely with crates, but elevators are acceptable). Avoid rooms with large mirrors. Please do not decorate with helium balloons, hanging decorations or noise-makers, as they frighten some animals. For obvious reasons, children may not have food or drink in the presentation area. If there are household pets, please be sure they are secured and out of view and earshot of the presentation area.
How much space do you need?
We just need a floor space big enough for all the audience to sit in a big horseshoe shape, either on the floor or in chairs. Most parents simply push back tables and couches and clear some floor space—you do not need to cover your carpets, we don’t make a mess! If you happen to have a neighboring room (bedroom, den, laundry room, etc.) where we can store the animals, this will greatly help in keeping them calm and quiet before show time—and keep them away from prying eyes! Please provide two hard-back, adult-size chairs for the presenter and the birthday child as a center staging area.
How does the time scheduling work?
Be sure to book us at the time you want us to START the educational party program. We always suggest that you invite your party guests for at least 30-minutes prior to our start time to avoid the disruption of late arrivals. Please understand that we must stay on schedule, as we have other client commitments.
What should we do during the 30-minute arrival time?
Please, NEVER allow the guests to "just play" indoors or outdoors during the 30-minute arrival time—it turns the party into an unenjoyable chaotic event. Bounce houses are the worst for this and, invariably, someone always gets hurt in the excitement. Give yourself, your guests, the adults in attendance, and the wildlife educator, a big break by offering a calming craft project or adult-led organized games (see animal party ideas) before show time. Keep the party kids focused and having fun and your party will be remembered fondly for years to come.
What is the maximum number of guests?
All guests must be 3 years old or older to participate in the party. The maximum number of guests is 20 children. More guests overly stresses our animals and makes it difficult for us to maintain a safe, yet fun, party. Animal parties seem to bring out every uninvited sibling and neighbor. So, to help you manage the size of your party, we encourage you to add the following statement to your invitation:
Due to Zooniversity size restrictions, please do not bring additional guests.
Zooniversity strictly enforces audience size limits. Should you unexpectedly exceed the maximum number of children, you will be charged an additional $10/head overage fee.
Can children younger than 3 years old participate?
Party Pets programs are designed for children older than 3 years of age. Children younger than 3 years are not to be included and should not be present in the animal area—their sudden movements and shrill sounds can scare some animals. If you expect party guests younger than 3 years old, please provide them with a quiet play area away from the presentation space and inform the parents before our arrival of its location.
What about special needs guests?
Your special needs guests are welcome to attend, provided that they too can follow the safety rules, can stay seated, and can avoid making sudden movements or sounds. We suggest that you seat your special needs guests toward the rear of the horseshoe seating, in case they need to leave the presentation area. We request that you privately inform the presenter of their seating location, so we can politely assist them if needed.
Can we take pictures?
You are welcome to take still photographs during the show and flash photography is fine. Unfortunately, due to some unauthorized postings on the internet, we are no longer able to allow video or film recordings of our presentations. Our presentations are "our product," so we hope you understand that we need to be able to protect our product from unauthorized use or distribution.
Can parents and other adults stay and watch?
Parents and other adults are welcome to stay and watch, but they too must follow the same safety rules. They should be seated; not coming-and-going or opening and closing doors that can startle the animals. Chatting adults sometimes don’t realize they are disrupting the program and are making it hard for the guests to hear and for the presenter to speak over them. Please inform your adult guests that they are welcome to watch, but that chatting should be kept to a minimum. If your adult guests would like to share in conversation, please provide another area for them to visit. Our presenter will handle the children’s behavior, but we respectfully ask that you handle the adult’s!
What is the guest photo sitting?
As an additional service, we offer a very special photo sitting for your guests. We’ll pose each guest holding one of our tame and gentle education animals—you take the pictures. These make great take-home party favors or special additions to your thank you notes ($10 for up to 10 guests; $20 for up to 20 guests). If you add this service, please be sure to include either the chinchilla, rabbit, leopard tortoise or the bearded dragon as one of your animal selections, as they are experts as posing for the camera! And, to make it extra special, have your guests make animal picture frames as the before-show craft activity! This additional service must be ordered when you make your reservation.
You can make balloon animals, too?
Yes, as an extra service we can make balloon animals for your party guests before or after the educational program. We make more than 20 different kinds of animals and your guests may choose their favorite! ($20 for up to 10 guests; $40 for up to 20 guests; one per party guest, please). This additional service must be ordered when you make your reservation.
When will you arrive and will you need any help?
We will arrive 15-minutes before start time to set-up for the program. We would greatly appreciate a reserved parking space near the presentation space. When the animals arrive, it is exciting for everyone! We understand that the children will want to rush over to take a peek, but we ask that an adult occupy the children elsewhere while we unload and set-up, perhaps with a craft or activity away from the presentation area. After the animals are safely situated, we’ll be ready to start with a smile!
What is your payment process?
A non-refundable deposit of $100 (check or money order) is required to be sent within 5 days of making the reservation, in order to hold your date/time. The balance will be due on the day of the party (cash, check or money order). Gratuities for the presenter are not required, but are gratefully accepted if you feel your presenter did an outstanding job or exceeded your expectations. We do not accept credit cards.
