The best advice I got in for a shy child, which I do have a shy child, or as we like to say "slow to warm up", is to prepare them well in advance. Particularly if you are going to a birthday party, or a very social setting. Give them as much notice as possible about what that experience is going to be like. Tell them how many kids will be there. Will there be a magician or a face painter. Set their expectations. The second tip is, make sure you get there early. Get there before the crowds arrive. Get them time to acclimate before the volume raises and the place gets very noisy. The third tip is, acknowledge their feelings. Say to them, "I know it's going to be scary. I know you're going to be unconformable at first. The first five minutes are always uncomfortable, but you'll get passed it." And so the forth tip, that's worked really well with my shy child, is, tell them a success story. Tell them a story from his past, "Remember when you went to that other party, and you were afraid? But at the end of the party you had a good time." And so relating an experience, a success story from a past experience really helps a shy kid.