Blog - v33 | Electric Zoo

March 31, 2020

‘Teddy’ Bear with Us!

This Crazy Covid 19 Crisis has the whole world in turmoil, we are no exception! This Blog is a Huge Thank You to you all for Bearing with us!

Before the Covid 19 Pandemic we – like so many others in our Industry were looking forward to getting ready for another Party Season.

We were all set and so excited to launch our latest addition to the Electric Zoo Family, Our Electric Knights….

We were really lucky we managed get them into the country before the Lockdown. We went on a bit of a crazy road trip to pick them up, all ten of them. Bringing them through Customs was such a laugh. We couldn’t fit the Ten of them in the van in their individual boxes so we packed them standing up covered in plastic. Can you imagine the fright the customs official got when she looked inside the van.

Little did we know then that they would become our Covid 19 fighting machines! We might be delayed with our Launch and it might be a little while before you guys can book them for your Birthday Parties…

But rest assured they are making themselves useful. Because they can be operated with a remote control, we can send them to the doors of Elderly Mammies in need with their shopping and also to the doors of the bored kiddies of Ireland! They will continue the Fight until we can meet you again!

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You for (Teddy) Bearing With Us

Amanda our Panda sending you all a Virtual Hug!

Keep Safe, Keep Well and Keep your Distance until we can Hug Again!

October 30, 2019

How to ease Pet Anxiety at Halloween!

Some of our Electric Zoo animals…not to mention our Zoo Keepers, get a bit jumpy around Halloween! Our headquarters in Tallaght sounds like a war zone with all the Fireworks going off! And it’s been going on for weeks now!

Do you have Pets that get a bit anxious with all the loud noises?

Here’s 3 very simple and handy tips that might get them through tomorrow night!

Put your Pets bed under a table and cover the entire table with a dark blanket. Basically making a dark, cosy cave with their familiar bed and/or favourite toy will make them feel more safe and secure!
Play some loud Rave music. We kid you not. The repetitive boom, boom, beat can block out the loud bangs from Fireworks. And if you have a sneaky dance…well that’s just an added bonus!
Lastly, don’t be overly fussy with your Pets. If you fuss too much, they will pick up that something out of the ordinary is happening and their anxiety will increase.

Let us know if you have tips of your own to share and don’t forget to have a HAPPY & Safe Halloween!

October 24, 2019

Pet Expo 2019

We’re back at the Swords National Show Centre for one of our favourite events of the year!

It’s always a great day out for all the family, including the four legged or winged or scaled family members! And boy, over the years we’ve seen them all!

One of my particular favourites was meeting twin ferrets in matching jumpers!

Where do you buy a sweater for a ferret I hear you ask!? Why at Pet Expo 2019 of course! The largest amount of Pet vendors under one roof!

Electric Zoo bringing the Fun to a Previous Pet Expo

We will be outside again this year ready to entertain the kids! Chances are you’ll need some fresh air at some point…if you get our meaning!?

So join us in the sunshine… We are eternal optimists here at Electric Zoo…and let’s Celebrate all Creatures great and Small!!!

Especially the Electric kind 😉

Check out our Facebook page for a chance to win two tickets to this years Pet Expo! Winner will be picked before 11am tomorrow!

October 16, 2019

Top tips to get your kids more active!

Our Friends from Babysits.ie got in touch and offered to guest blog for us! We said, Yes Please!

Are you running out of ways to encourage less ‘screen time’ with your kids?

Marie from Babysits got in touch with us and loved what we do! The below guest blog is full of handy tips and hopefully the first of many collaborations!

Benefits of playing outside
Nowadays it can be extremely difficult to encourage children to play outside. Children are becoming extremely reliant on technology, therefore they forget basic skills such as social interaction. Day out activities can be extremely beneficial for kids. Here are some benefits to playing outside and ideas on how to encourage outdoor activities.

Playing outside encourages the development of children’s learning abilities. So much can be learnt through interaction and play such as social skills, language skills and much more. For example organising a day with Electric Zoo can help children to learn motor neuron skills and hand to eye coordination! Not to mention giving them their first driving lesson whilst interacting with other children! It encourages physical activities in a fun way.

Playing outside can improve and maintain children’s health. Once outside children become a lot more active due to all the space and freedom. Bringing your children to the park not only encourages physical exertion, it can teach the children about nature and the environment. All children are not fortunate enough to grow up in an area full of green fields and trees therefore the park is a great idea.

When children are encouraged to play outside, they are often not under extreme adult supervision. This helps them to learn independence whilst interacting with friends. They learn to share, negotiate and how to take turns when playing games. These are all extremely important skills which you cannot learn in front of a TV or smartphone.

Another benefit of the outdoors is vitamin D, this can help to improve your children’s mood and improve their overall attitude. The outdoors helps children to burn off excess energy, helping them get a better sleep at night, leading to a more focused student in the classroom. It also helps to build a strong immune system resulting in healthier children that are less likely to pick up classroom bugs.

Children have amazing imaginations and are always willing to explore new fun activities. Understandably it can be difficult for parents to find the time to bring their children outdoors to the park or zoo. Why not hire a babysitter for an evening and ask them to bring the children outdoors. There are so many possibilities for fun outdoors, it would be a pity for your children to miss out!

August 14, 2019

Aran Island Adventure!

Since starting our Entertainment business Electric Zoo four years ago, life has been one long Adventure. But still there are certain events that really stand out!

When I got a request a few months ago to take part in the Inis Meain sports day, I knew instinctively that this was an adventure not to be missed!

Months of planning later, we found ourselves hitting the road at 6am with a van containing 3 of our Mechanical Horses, 4 Electric Zoo animals, 2 archery sets, Face paints and enough balloon’s to open a shop! A most ambitious load, considering that the Ferry from Ros a Mhil port to Inis Meain is a passenger ferry only. All cargo must be loaded by hand.

We were met by the lovely Maureen, one of the islanders, who gave us a hand getting our Zoo on board. It was regretfully decided that one Electric Zoo animal would have to stay behind in the van as space on the ferry was a precious commodity. Talk about Sophie’s Choice…!

All aboard the Aran Island Ferry

Batten down the hatches

We need to give a special thanks to the Crew of Aran island Ferries for all their help with getting us loaded and unloaded so seamlessly.

Inis Meain is such a beautiful place. Like stepping back in time, with views of the sea every way you look. The people are so friendly and welcomed us with open arms!

The Fun day was a game of two half’s! The afternoon was all about the kids, Face painting, Balloon’s and lots of turns on the Electric Zoo animals. We made sure every child went home with one of our walking animal balloon’s two!

The evening though was all about the Grown Ups! These islanders sure know how to let their hair down and boy are they competitive…who needs the Galway Races!

We had as much fun as the locals!

We got the early morning Ferry back to the mainland the following day! I’m convinced our animals looked a little melancholy leaving the great friends they made…

And if I’m being completely honest, they weren’t the only one’s sorry to leave…

Our Aran Island Adventure is one we won’t forget in a hurry! Hope to see you all again soon! Special thanks to Maureen and our wonderful B&B hosts!

May 30, 2019

Mad May and Electric Zoo in the City!

May coming to an end is always a little bitter sweet for us here at Electric Zoo. It’s the Christmas of the Entertainment Industry in Ireland with the plethora of First Holy Communion’s. It’s great Fun, but absolutely Manic! Sure, we wouldn’t have it any other way!

One of our Communion Girls enjoying our Archery

This May we also had some Community Fun days too! It was our fourth year to take part in Dublin City Councils “Pets in the City”.

Our friends in the DSPCA were there again too. They always put on a great show with dog agility demonstrations and lots of free advice.

Another of our Fun Days was with Portlaoise Educate Together National School. We were delighted that our animals helped raise some much needed School funds!

The kids made us some amazing posters which made our day!

So it’s goodbye May, HELLO SUMMER!

Hope to see you all at an event soon!

April 26, 2019

Electric Zoo at Wells House!

We spent a wonderful Bank Holiday Monday back with our old friends at Wells House and Gardens in Wexford.

It is our fourth year running staging events with Wells House and we are beginning to recognise some familiar faces who make sure to visit us when we’re there!

The sun made an appearance too! With our wooden floor this meant we were able to set up in the fresh air! We have a prime location on the grass directly in front of the beautiful Victorian Mansion that is Wells House. As backdrops go, it’s pretty impressive!

We had a steady stream of customers with a lot of children having multiple turns!

But all good things must come to a end and soon it was time to pack up for the day! While Dave packed away the floor, the animals were more than happy to pose for photos in front of the house!

Great news though, we are back in Wells House on the next Bank Holiday Monday!!! Which is just weeks away – May 6th! We hope to see you all then!

March 29, 2019

Mothers Day for cash strapped “Adult” Children!

I read somewhere recently that it takes most people around mid March to get their finances back on track from the madness that is Christmas! So is it a tragic coincidence or a sick Universe that decided to have Mothers Day fall at the end of March?

However, we at Electric Zoo are not only experts in Children’s and Corporate Entertainment, we are experts in treating our Mothers on a budget. And yes, I hear what you’re saying, as Adults we should be at a stage in our lives where we have enough money to not have to budget, especially when it comes to our Mothers. But nasty things like mortgages, rent, car insurance and a social life conspire against us.

One of our Awesome Electric Zoo Mammies!

So here is 3 top gifting ideas for “Adult” children on a shoestring…

Nothing says I love you more than a photograph of you and your Mammy.

Please be aware that this gift idea comes with a warning…pick a photo where BOTH of you look good! Remember it’s not all about you! Go to any chemist and print out said photo and get them to laminate it for you. So far you’ve probably spent €2/€3 – right!? Now, here’s the best bit, go to THAT kitchen drawer, you know the one, where all the crap gets dumped. Or as I like to call it, the drawer where “Fridge Magnets go to die”. Find the latest casualty and pick off the magnet. With super glue stick the magnet onto the back of your laminate and hey presto! You’ve got a personalised Fridge Magnet of you and your Mam! If at this stage you have glued your fingers together it is beneficial, as you are peeling away a layer of epidermis from your thumb, to remember the pain your Mother went through bringing you into the world.

Give broken Fridge Magnets
a new lease of Life!

Nothing says I love you more than the gift of Time

By this I don’t mean “doing time”…that’s a whole other blog! But at the risk of getting maudlin – our Mammies will not be around forever so making memories is what it’s all about! This can genuinely cost nothing. Are you forever dashing in and out of your Mams house saying, “I can’t stay long…!”? Why not set some time aside and stay long! Have the chats over a cuppa – and YOU make the cuppa!

Alternatively, if the funds can be stretched a little, why not treat her to Afternoon Tea? And yes, I know some places, particularly in Dublin, can charge a fortune for this. But I found an absolute gem of a place. Gallaher & Co. Bistro on D’Olier Street. They do Afternoon Tea for €29 per person that includes a Cocktail! Bargain! And if served by the dishy (my Mothers word), manager Cian – Bonus! At this point, it is hugely beneficial to remind yourself constantly of all the times you embarrassed your Mother growing up; as she openly flirts with afore mentioned “Dishy Cian” – as he is now known in our house.

Lastly, and again if funds can stretch a bit, how about a Matinee live show? You can get some really good prices for the afternoon performances. One of our favourite theatres is Smock Alley in Temple Bar which is currently showing some really interesting plays by Jimmy Murphy. His latest The Seamster’s Daughter (perfect theme for Mothers Day, see what we did there?) is on sale today with the bargain price of 2 tickets for €20, Monday – Wednesday. Hurry though, that offer ends by end of day today!

We would love to hear your opinion on any of the above, especially if you and your Mam enjoy any of them. Have no fear that we have ruined any surprises for our Mams this Mothers Day. They are proud of us but not proud enough to figure out reading our Blog! Obvs! They are Irish Mammies after all!

We would like to finish by taking the opportunity to Thank all the wonderful Irish Electric Zoo Mammies who 9 times out of 10 are the one’s to book us for their Children’s Birthday Parties and other Events!

We think you are Awesome! Happy Mothers Day to you all!

March 26, 2019

May is Crazy Communion Season

Has your household gone Communion Crazy!?

Electric Zoo – Communion Entertainment that will keep the whole Family happy!

Here’s our top tips to help you “Keep Calm and Carry on!”

Pick a child friendly venue. This might sound really obvious – but just because you a booking a “Communion Party” with your restaurant or function room – don’t assume they will be ok with your excited Child and their young guests bouncing off the walls! We would always recommend – where possible – you pick a venue that your are familiar with, one that you may even have some rapport with the staff.
If you are planning to have entertainment or bring in suppliers please, please, please check that this is ok with your venue. Far too often, we have seen parents who have spent good money on hiring popcorn or candyfloss machines only to be told on the day that the Hotel etc. will not allow them. Here at Electric Zoo we always try to do a site visit before the event and touch base with the manager of the venue. We also have full Public Liability Insurance and can indemnify the venue if they wish.

Again this might seem obvious but Kids are muck magnets. If you are planning on keeping your child in their Communion dress or suit for the whole day, invest in a loose fitting long sleeve shirt. This can be slipped over their outfit while they are having their dinner and will avoid you being on “baby wipe alert.” One that buttons up as opposed to pulling over their heads will also help keep their hair in check too!
Don’t go overboard and over budget on the day. Remember it is their Communion day NOT their wedding! And trust us a Diva is not something you want to turn your child into at this tender age! Let them pick ONE form of entertainment that will suit all ages! And em, did we mention Electric Zoo is fun for ages 4 to 84?!

Be Careful not to Create a “Communion Diva”

Lastly, enjoy your day with Friends and Family, take a deep breath and go with the flow!

October 12, 2018

Electric Zoo provide corporate entertainment for Facebook Ireland

Hey, we had an amazing event last week at Clonee Facebook Data Center. We provided 8 animals, face painters and baloon modellers. This is part of our new corporate packages that you can check out by giving us a call or email. We always provide the best corporate entertainment in Dublin.

Facebook Ireland were thrilled with our great animals.

We were recommended to Facebook in Clonee by their colleagues in the Facebook headquarters in Dublin.

We had previously provided our Electric Zoo for their “Take your Kids to Work Day” last month.

As a surprize we also provided one of our Mechanical Horse cycles too. These are just for teenagers and Adults and require quite a bit of leg power! You soon realise how fit you are by giving them a go! It’s a seriously good quad workout. I hope everyone who took part wasn’t too stiff the next day!

We’re really looking forward to taking part in their Corporate Children’s Christmas party where we’ll be bringing some of our Electric Zoo Reindeers. Amanda our Panda will be there too as she was specifically requested by one of the Facebook gang! We can’t wait to dress them up in their Santy hats for the Festivities!

We still have some dates available in December if any of you out there would like to book us for YOUR Corporate Christmas party! Kids are optional as our Zoo will wow all ages and bring something really unique to your Office party! Give us a call today to discuss options!