Invitations:
If you are going to have an Art Themed Birthday Party, why not start out the experience by making invitations? If you have some stamp sets, use cardstock and make some cute invites. If you don’t have a stamp set, you could also decorate the invitations with stencils and stickers. Make sure you note on the invitation for the children to bring an old t-shirt or smock to wear, so that they do not ruin clothing with the art projects you do.
Decorations:
If you have any children’s easels, set them up. Also take some of your child’s recent artwork and hang it around the room like a gallery. Use Art Paper rolls to decorate the table with paint brushes and paints in the middle so that the kids can color the their seating area. If you have young children or do not wish to use paint, you could also put markers and crayons in the center as well. If you have enough room, you will want to set up stations for your various art projects to keep the chaos under control.
Activities:
Here are some suggested activities for your stations. You probably want between two and four crafts depending on age and attention span. Also save a station area for your food. I will explain that part in a bit.
- Coloring pages: You can print these for free from Crayola.com
- Play-doh Station: Let the kids create using modeling dough by making your own and getting some fun tools or save yourself some time and get a kit like a Clay Play kit from Melissa and Doug.
- Decorate Your Own Door Hanger: It is fun and also doubles as a party favor
- Spin Art: The kids get to spin their own design onto cards.
- Beading: Again, another fun idea that is also a great party favor.
- Sand Art: If you don’t mind the potential mess, this is an activity kids always enjoy
- Paper Plate Crafts: The DLTK’s website has a lot of fun ideas for paper plate crafts from masks to puppets.
- Paper Bag Puppets: Using these templates from DLTK, the kids can make fun puppets to take home.
Food:
This is where that extra station will come in handy. The food served is edible art in the form of Decorate Your Own Cupcakes and Sundae Bar
Cupcakes: For this, you need plain cupcakes and whipped topping (like Cool Whip).
Ice Cream: Pick One or two flavors for the kids to use and colorful bowls if available.
Using small cups (think paint cups) to hold the toppings, include fun things like sprinkles, colored sugar, gummy bears, crushed graham crackers, Skittles, crushed candy bars, and M and M’s.
The kids will have a blast creating and eating their “art!”
Treat Bags:
You can use the artwork the kids made as the treats or fill treat bags with things like play-doh,mini stamp sets, crayons, coloring books, and notepads.
I hope you found this tutorial helpful. If you have tried this party, I would love to hear about it!
