Precious the Clown is a children's clown for children ages 2-6. Precious is gentle, silly, warm and friendly, and is the alter-ego of Joan Shea of Oakland, California.

Precious the Clown performs at children's birthday parties, preschool and community events, with the needs of young children in mind. Children under the age of six years are often shy and sometimes scared of people in character. With training in early childhood education, Joan has designed a performance that eases childrens' fears, delights their imagination, and holds their attention.

Precious paints on her face in front of the children, showing them step by step how a person can put on a clownface. Then she entertains the children with puppets and toys, each of which has a simple routine that involves lots of interaction between her and the children, such as singing songs that they know.

Precious the Clown ends her performance by making balloon animals out of the long skinny balloons. Each child receives a balloon creation and a sticker.