Do you have any children's birthday party craft ideas?

@CanadaGal (4304)
Canada
February 12, 2008 12:37pm CST
My twins are turning 7yrs old on February 17th, and I'm having their kids party in our house on Saturday the 16th from noon to 4pm. I want to do a fun and easy craft with the kids, but I'm not sure what to do. I have TONS of craft supplies, and all I know is that I don't want to have anything to do with paints. When the kids first arrive, they will be asked to decorate a prize bag that has their name on it. I've done this at every party for my kids. I have a bunch of gluesticks and foam pieces and stickers for them to put on their paper bag, and of course crayons and markers to colour with as well. But this year, I want to add another craft for the kids to do and take home with them. But I'm a bit stumped as to what to do, so I'm coming to mylot for advice. There is no theme per se to this party. There will be 10 kids here, all 6 or 7 yrs old. 8 boys and 2 girls. The invitations sent out were spiderman, the cake is pirates of the caribbean, and the decorations are mostly blue and green (colours I've assigned to the twins since they were babies, to tell what belonged to whom). The craft will be done AFTER lunch and likely inbetween some of the games, just to keep it interesting. The various craft supplies I have on hand are: wooden letters foam letters assorted foam shapes coloured feathers construction paper galore yarn cloth brown paper bags (lunchbags) googly eyes (mostly small) stickers pipe cleaner paper plates (large and small) clothes pins (both styles.. .with and without the springs) popsicle sticks crayons and markers stapler, gluesticks, and white glue Do you have any ideas for an easy craft for the kids? I would greatly appreciate suggestions, because my mind has gone completely blank on ideas (aside from decorating party hats... but I was hoping for something other than that, as the kids just made hats at school last week to celebrate 100 days of school).
5 responses
@tinkerick (1257)
• United States
12 Feb 08
Hats. If you know how to make folded hats out of newspaper they can decorate them. If you don't know - let me know and I'll search for instructions. OR you can just cut strips of construction paper and make Indian hats (er..forgot what they're called but I'm sure you know what I mean) Hand puppets. Since you have paper bags, let them make decorated hand puppets out of them. Paper plates stuck together with beans in between make great rattles. Kids like to decorate them too. Hope this helps spur your creativity a bit. -Tink :)
1 person likes this
@tinkerick (1257)
• United States
12 Feb 08
Headbands - that's the word I was looking for! and 1 more thing - since you have clothespins and small googly eyes - they can make clothespin characters. Animals can be made with 2-3 clothepins and people with one.
1 person likes this
@CanadaGal (4304)
• Canada
12 Feb 08
Lol.. yes.. headbands is the word! ;)
• United States
13 Feb 08
OK...you can flame me for this, as it is not really a craft, per se, but kids get a kick out of it. HOW TO MAKE A WEENIE MAN: take a weenie (hot dog, frank, whatever) cut it from one end, up about 1/3 of the length, so the bottom third is now two "legs" The other end will be the "head" so to make arms, start 1/3 from the "head" and make a cut on each side, at a slight angle inward as you cut from the "hands" up to the "shoulders" When you cook it, the legs and arms will curl out and open, forming a figure. Add mustard dot eyes, and a ketchup mouth...and you have a "weenie man" If you are really patient you can make 4 cuts that run from the bottom, up the weenie 2/3 to 3/4. Basically you make a North South cut, then an East West cut, and then two more cuts at 45degrees to the previous ones. This makes 8 "legs" When you cook it, (boil or microwave) the curling of the long parts makes a "weenie octopus" OK...yeah it's silly, but my brother and I got a kick out of it when we were little, so just though to pass it on. You can also boil red cabbage, save some of the purple juice, add it to an eggwhite, start it frying, and carefully pour the yellow yolk onto the center...when it cooks you will have "green eggs" (Apologies to Ted Geisel) HAVE FUN
@CanadaGal (4304)
• Canada
13 Feb 08
I've done the "octopus" weiners with mac and cheese for my boys. Only we call them spiders. Then when they add ketchup, it's blood. Yah.. I have all boys. lmao! We are having hotdogs for lunch, but I think I'll keep from turning them into little people...hahaha.. it might freak out some of the kids. ("Hey kids... if you act up, I'm gonna do this to you and feed you to the giants" :P )
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
12 Feb 08
doesn't use what you have listed as having on hand but a relatively inexpensive project that will serve as entertainment and favor is to buy inexpensive tshirts (dollar store usually has them) or have each child bring one t-shirt with him (make sure to tell them it will be marked on) purchase fabric paints (or markers or crayons - make sure they are for fabric ie won't wash out) now let the kids decorate their shirts, get some fabric glue and they can use those googly eyes too! or if you feel like it, make tie dye shirts instead may be less expensive than the fabric paints.
1 person likes this
@CanadaGal (4304)
• Canada
12 Feb 08
I really like that idea for older kids. My older son will be 9 in May, and wants to have a sleepover. Maybe it's something those boys can do that night. Then they can dry overnight before the kids go home.
@zabmer (36)
• India
12 Feb 08
Its party and fun time for the kids.Its not a craft class.So its not necessary for the kids to make any particular thing which you may suggest.The stuff you have collected is good and safe just give it to them and let them go wild with there imaginations.Tell them to make what ever each one likes say birds toys robots flowers fishes worms animals kites cards table chair stars.You will be surprised to see all the best craft ideas they have in them.Do try this and the next party will always be looked forward to come to with fresh ideas as they will enjoy this pretty much.So don't worry be funny and have fun.
1 person likes this
@CanadaGal (4304)
• Canada
12 Feb 08
You are absolutely right. I'm so used to having things planned out and organized, but that's not necessary here. I LOVE the idea of just putting out various supplies, and let them come up with something ingenious. :D
• United States
12 Feb 08
Well with your list of items you could do several different things. Make puppets out of the paper bags using yarn, fabric, googly eyes, and some of the other stuff you have listed. You could also do pinwheels. Use the paper plates and cut them before the kids arrive. Cut each plate into 4 quarters...going not quite to the middle of the plate. Then take the bottom corner of each quarter and fold it towards the middle of the section so that it is facing up...do that with each side...and you can also staple about a half inch in from the bottom of the folded part to keep it in place. (I hope I am explaining this right for the visual effect...if you need me to describe it better I will.) Then punch a whole in the center of each plate. Then rest can be done with the kids get there. Pinwheels continued: After kids arrive Have the kids pick a piece of construction paper out and roll it into a tube. Staple each end and use a little tape in the middle. Poke a whole through one end with a pencil or scissors, then use a pipe cleaner to attach the plate to the roll. If you curl the end of the pipe clean and stick it through the plate it should leave a little round center and should keep it from going through the plate. Then just curl the other end around itself on the back side of the roll. Make sure it is not too tight or the plate won't spin. Then the kids can decorate their pinwheels how ever they would like. You could do book marks, paper woven place mats, memory books (construction paper, yarn and small cut out pieces of white paper glued inside each page.) If you have a ton of construction paper memory books are good, because they are kind of like scrap books. And if you have a digital camera on hand you can take some pics of the kids at the party and print them up on plain printer paper for them to glue into the pages of their scrap books! So while they are making their books you can print the pics of them with the cake, eating lunch, playing games and then they are ready to be glued in! Hope that helps you out a little. :)
1 person likes this
@CanadaGal (4304)
• Canada
12 Feb 08
I had thought about puppets at one point but had forgotten. That used to be a favourite of mine when I was a kid. :)