Melbourne's hottest property these days is a kids reptile party.
The most common variant in this theme is the kid's reptile birthday party.
This is the so-called reptile show near me, featuring a mobile reptile show that comes to your home.
Mums and dads have often been to a kids birthday party featuring a clown, a magician, face painters, jumping castles and all the rest and are actively seeking out something different for their own child.
Some years back, the Snakeman Raymond Hoser invented the reptile party, registered the trademark and has been going gangbusters ever since.
Did I mention he also owns the reptile parties trademark as well, so that no one else could bootleg his idea.
Not legally anyway!
Although that has not stopped quite a few imitators trying to steal Hoser's idea.
Even after Hoser took out court orders stopping bootleggers and trademark infringers, the crooks just ignmore the law and keep going.
So what exactly is a reptile party?
A reptile party is not just reptiles.
Also included are non-reptile animals such as frogs and sometimes other things, but the snakes are invariably the main highlight.
Sure crocodiles have a wow factor, but invariably most people at most times are handing the snakes and want to.
For the hands on part of the show, this means pythons and lots of them.
Everyone wants to hold a snake and in terms of young kids the time for this is always "now".
They never want to wait. So at the reptile party, the idea is that all the kids can hold animals at the same time.
Reptile parties are educational and the presented will give the kids a rundown on safety, wildlife conservation and all the other things mums, dads and teachers think the kids should know.
The reality of course is slightly different, in that pretty much everything the kids are told, goes in one ear and out the other.
Same applies for school reptile shows, no matter how hard the class teacher tries to make the incursion educational.
But all is not lost.
What is really educational and what the kids never forget is the handling of the animals.
Each and every child at the reptile party, will remember the experience. This includes what the snake felt like, how soft the crocodile was underneath and exactly how they move and act.
This is real education that does not go in one ear and out of the other and makes the reptile party a hard act to beat.
Children's reptile parties are popular in all parts of Melbourne and nearby parts of Victoria, and contrary to popular perception are a safe kids party event.
The reptiles brought in are not venomous and therefore a bite is not going to do any significant damage.
Venomous snakes if brought in, must by law be surgically devenomized, so they too are completely safe.
Most of the animals are hand reared and tame like dogs and cats, although in reality, usually better behaved than either dogs or cats!
Even crocodiles, which have a shocking reputation for being nasty temperemental things are usually increadibly laid back and are quite happily handled by kids for hours on end.
They are also far more intelligent than people give them credit for.
To learn more about kids reptile birthday parties in Melbourne, visit the website at http://www.reptileparty.com.au and remember that you need to book well in advance to secure your spot as they are always in demand.
