If you're kids are really into dancing and you are up for it, dance parties can get pretty serious with a bit more effort (and expense). You can make the jump anytime, but events like birthdays and Christmas are great times to add a new dance party item to the mix.
Budget: $100-250
It's easy to get carried away here so think about what you really want to add. From experience, the first thing I did after ordering 2 10W UV light bars was to order the 2 38W UV floodlights (See the UV Light page for more details). I definitely felt a bit less certain as I was ordering items in this range. Its just hard to know what you need at this stage. Hopefully my guides can help you.
A Fog machine can be a fun addition at this stage. So far, my small fog machine has been pretty gentle on consuming fog juice, but it is a cost each time to use it, and it's something I can't just grab at the dollar store like Glow sticks. That said, a fog machine makes the lights really pop. Get more details on the fog machine page
Depending on which speakers you started with and how many kids are dancing, an upgrade to your sound might be in order. I am amazed at the amount(and quality) of sound that my Visio sound bar and subwoofer produce. For a dance party with 10 kids, I'd probably switch from the Bluetooth speakers over to the sound bar.
I would suggest trying out any new addition to your dance party mix separately to see how your kids react. Sometimes that isn't possible when events like Christmas or Birthdays result in the kids getting multiple new pieces of equipment. That said, it's not impossible.
This year, the kids received a mirror ball and UV lights for Christmas. Instead of trying them both at the same time, I hooked the mirror ball up in my office for them to see. We didn't have a dance party on the agenda and so instead, I used the UV lights to do a snowball fight where we tried out the UV Face Paint that I included with the lights.
Go with their experience trying out whatever you add. Midway through the snowball fight, my eldest decided they really wanted to paint my face so I was part of the snowball fight. He took a 5 minute break to cover my whole face.
Nothing ruins a dance party faster than a smoke alarm going off. I speak from experience, the first time I used a fog machine indoors, I set off the smoke alarms. It wasn't intentional, but the room was not large (10' by 14' or so) and when the green light lit up, I hit the button and held it until the light went out. A little fog goes a long ways and a LOT of fog, well it sets of smoke alarms.
With that said, test all your new equipment in the space that you're going to be using it. Fog machines are amazing. If you are indoors, it probably takes less than you expect to give the look you want. If you are outdoors, you may be amazed at how quickly the wind makes the fog disappear.
If you add UV light, be aware that directly looking at the lights isn't good. having any UV lights bounce off a surface is important. Lastly, as always, think about your kids hearing and make sure to have some good hearing protection for them.
The more gear you add, the longer it can take to setup. Remember that you don't need all your gear for every dance party. I'm up at the semi pro level, but most of the time my kids ask, I grab 2 dance party lights and my Bluetooth speakers and get them going. Occasionally I have a retro night with the first two lights I bought way back in the pandemic.
Think about your equipment at this stage like a toolbox that you can select from. Rarely do you need to grab every tool in your box, but select the right tool for the occasion makes it super fun and easy.
Beyond the Serious stage is the Semi-Pro stage. Making the jump up really involves both your kid(s) really enjoying the dance party concept AND you really enjoying it. My current gear is as much a statement about me as it is about my kids having fun with it.
Cover Photo by Marcela Laskoski on Unsplash