We all have tricks up our sleeves for various things in the facepainting business and today I wanted to address the topic of how to keep children still, while facepainting.
It’s one thing to be a painter, but painting on a ‘moving canvas’ is definately another, wouldn’t you agree?
First of all the most important thing is to make sure the child has a comfortable seat to sit in. If they’re uncomfortable they’re more likely to fidget. Make sure the chair is at the right height and close to you so they don’t have to stretch or strain to get be close enough to paint.
But what do you do to makesure the fidgety kids stay still while you’re facepainting? Todays post is an ‘open mic’ post, so that means I want you to share what facepainting techniques and tricks you use to keep children still…
Do you tell stories? Do you use humor? What works for you?
Add a comment to share your ideas 
Can’t wait to hear from you all!
Philadelphia Tivoli
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{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
I place my hand on the top of thier head. I steadys them and me! Then I work as fast as I can so they don’t have to sit to long.
Great tip, thanks Therese!
I usually tell a story that I make up about the character the child is having painted on them. I googled short stories on the web and found I could adapt them to fit whatever theme I offer at any one time. It only takes a short while to do and is worth the extra time spent researching as it generally keeps the children in the queue quiet as well.
Story telling, that sounds like fun Karen, thanks for your input.
at my last ‘gig’ i painted a detailed dragon design on myself before i left the house. As I painted the kids they all had something to look at and it kept their faces facing me too. It also shows off your talents to parents!
thats a really good idea vicki, thanks for sharing!
I always explain to each child what im doing, like on a tiger i tell them when im about to paint their nose or when i put the stripes on. To keep their attention i get them to guess the next colour il use, this lets them move around a bit inbetween painting.
I let the kids know the more still they are, the better the design will look. Instead of faces, I suggest painting arms & legs of younger children as they seem more comfortable when they can see what’s going.
Corny as it sounds, I sing. Whether the lil’ one is watching me with interest and joins in or is watching me like I just stated Harry Potter is the tooth-fairy, it keeps them still while I finish up. If you struggle with holding a tune, try playing music…my kids always go for the latest hip-hop.
Great tips Hannah and Angel Bug! And how talented are you, Dahleen?… a face painter and a singer? I think thats a great idea!
Thanks for sharing guys, keep it up
For very young children or those who may be getting their first face painting, I paint a “stripe” of plain water so they will be expecting the wetness and texture of the brush
I GENERALLY KEEP REMINDING THEM TO SIT STILL SO THEY WILL LOOK THE BEST BUTTERFLY OR TIGER IN THE PARTY, KIDS ARE REALLY COMPETITIVE FROM AN EARLY AGE SO THIS USUALLY WORKS, MOST OF THE TIMES ITS THE PARENTS SAYING OOOH LOOK AT YOU THAT MAKES THEM TURN SUDDENLY AND ENDS UP WITH A BLACK STRIPE ACROSS THE FACE THAT WASN’T SUPPOSED TO BE THERE, WHAT REALLY BUGS ME IS KIDS THAT DO NOT WANT THEIR FACES PAINTED, BEING HELD IN A HEAD LOCK BY PUSHY MUMS , I REFUSE POINT BLANK TO PAINT IN THIS SITUATION. YOU CAN SEE THE KIDS SAYING THANKYOU WITH THEIR EYES. KIDS ARE GREAT I FIND THE PARENTS HARD WORK.
I put a large mirror behind my right shoulder (I’m right-handed) so they can watch. It also keeps their chin up. I also tell them alot- let them know what I’m doing, about how far along I am, and how great they are doing holding nice and still. (I love the story idea-got any specifics u could share?-although it wouldn’t be beyond me to make it up as I go) I might try to play a game with annoying adults where they needed to turn around and not look while I’m working so they’ll be “surprised”- good luck! but most of all have fun!
Has anyone considered having the children tell YOU a story about their character they are getting?