Planning a birthday party for kids can be fun and challenging. Keeping the kids engaged while ensuring they have a good time can be the difficult part. To make a kid’s birthday more special, consider incorporating entertaining activities to celebrate their big day. One way to do this is by using simple and easy craft ideas for parties. Making handmade birthday decorations or personalized party favors can be a creative and enjoyable experience for kids.
DIY t-shirts
Letting kids decorate their own t-shirts is a fun DIY activity for a birthday party. While they decorate them, they not only enjoy themselves but also create unique party favors. There is a wide variety of t-shirts available for crafting, so one can choose a specific type accordingly. However, make sure that there are appropriate sizes available for each child. If not, some common sizes may run out, leading to the need to spend more on purchasing t-shirts of the wrong sizes.
A better idea is to have each kid bring their own t-shirts (mostly plain color) in their preferred size. Provide DIY party supplies like fabric paints, stencils, tape, paper bags, aprons or smocks.
At the party venue, set up a designated area with a large, flat surface for the decorating activity. Place the t-shirts here and insert a paper bag in each of them to prevent paint from soaking through to the other side. Allow the kids to choose their favorite colors and stencils. Use tape to help them secure the stencils in place on their shirts. If required, assist the kids with painting within the stencils. As an alternative, let them use their handprints or fingerprints to decorate the shirts.
Party hats
Party hats are an essential part of any kids’ party. Instead of purchasing ready-made hats from a store, consider letting the kids create their own. This activity allows them an opportunity to express their creativity, stay engaged, and have fun together, making the birthday celebration even more memorable for everyone.
This activity can be organized right before cutting the cake, which also provides a great photo opportunity with each child wearing their unique, self-designed hats during the cake cutting.
To set this activity, prepare small kids’ party craft kits that include plain paper party hats, stickers, gems, glitters, markers, foam shapes or pom-poms, glue, and scissors. If plain paper hats are not available, get thick paper from a craft shop and fold them into conical shapes.
Encourage the children to decorate their hats using the various supplies in the kit. They can create colorful designs, write their own names, or draw something that matches the theme of the party.
DIY masks
Kids love to play pretend and dress up as their favorite characters. Having them create their own masks at the party can be a great way to encourage their creativity. Provide pre-cut masks in the shapes of popular superheroes, cartoon characters, animals, or any other fun designs. For older kids, let them cut their own mask shapes. Alternatively, if there are unique party themes involved, the kids can make masks based on those themes.
To support this activity, provide other supplies such as cardstock or sturdy construction paper, markers, stickers, glitters, feathers, elastic bands or ribbons for the straps, glue, and scissors. Once the masks are decorated, the kids can wear them and pretend to be whoever they want. This activity is a wonderful way for kids to have fun and express themselves.
Balloon art
Kids of every age can stay entertained with this creative and interactive activity. However, for younger kids, it’s a good idea to have a few adults supervising them. Simply set up a craft station at the venue where the kids shape and twist balloons into fun objects, characters, and animals. These creations can then serve as DIY party decorations. At the end of the party, the kids can choose to take their own creations home as part of the party favor bags.
For this activity, make sure to provide long, twisting balloons, as they are easier to shape. Offer a variety of balloon colors and types and supply markers to enhance their creations.
Friendship bracelets
Making friendship bracelets is one of the most popular and classic kids’ party activities. Along with being simple and fun, this activity provides a great opportunity for kids to bond and interact as they create their bracelets.
To get started, provide the kids with some basic supplies like colorful yarn, beads, or embroidery thread and scissors. Teach them some fundamental knotting techniques that are useful in making bracelets. Encourage the kids to create as many bracelets as they would like to trade with each other during the party.
Make a slime station
Many kids enjoy playing with slime, making it a popular birthday party activity. Although it can get messier at times, the fun that it brings is worth it.
To organize this activity, prepare pre-make slime for each kid, which can be either white glue-based or clear. Along with this, provide them with safe supplies depending on the age of the children, such as glitter, food colors, sequins, and foam beads. Then, set up stations where the kids can form groups and mix their own slime in containers. Ensure each kid has been given enough time to knead their slime thoroughly so that it comes together well.