Cake decorating activity for 3yo birthday party - any suggestions?

[FunnyBird]

Our little group of 3yos from our NCT group are having a joint birthday party.
We've agreed as an activity to get them decorating cakes.
And I've said I'll bring some little fairy cakes and bits and pieces
OK, the cakes don't phase me, and I reckon I can get some silver balls and sprinkles and flowers etc.
But I can't work out how to share icing between 7 three year olds, and I'm too tight to think buying them each a gel icing pen is worth it.
At home, I would make butter cream and slap that on and hand the cakes over for them to stick stuff on. But I think the icing will dry if not fresh.
Anyone tried this for an activity? Any ideas?

Anyone tried this

Save yourself some hassle and buy a tub of Betty Crocker buttercream. It doesn't taste too bad and besides the cakes probably won't be eaten.

At play group I helped at we just did icing (water and icing sugar) in small bowls with teaspoon each. . We made it in a bigger bowl,kept stirring it so it doesnt dry out and then spooned a tiny bit into each child's bowl... White icing doesn't stain clothes but some of the coloured stuff does...

Brilliant. I have loads of left over yoghurt pots I could use do they each get a little pot. And that sort of icing will be nice and sticky! I never manage to get the quantities right, but that won't matter.
If it dries out, I can just make more.

Sounds like an activity they will do for five mins at that age so yet are right not to buy too much stuff

If you do gel icing or writing icing they will all just suck it out of the tubes. I bought 50 disposable piping bags from Lakeland. Filled with a bit of water icing sellotaped the top shut and snipped the bottom when we were ready to use them. They were excellent and we still have plenty left unused 4 years later. Decant sprinkles into small bowls or side plates so if they get tipped over there are less to pick up and also they are easier to share.

I wouldn't bother with cakes TBH - at that age it's the sticky, sweet stuff that's more fun so a couple of cheapo packets of rich tea biscuits work just as well and are alot less fuss

Good suggestions. Thanks.
I'm sure it won't keep them occupied for long - but it's my contribution to the party effort, so I want to make sure I pull my weight.

I would make icing sugar with water and make maybe 2 sieveful's of icing sugar then divide up. Maybe the muller corner yoghurt pots could have the little bit with icing and the big bit with the sprinkles.

I've done this at all my dc's parties so far and it's always v v popular. I would also use Betty Crocker (and I'm a massive snob about pre-made cake stuff but that stuff tastes fan and is sooo easy to use!). It doesn't dry out and you can easily add a bit of colouring to make the cakes look more varied.
I would just use choc buttons, jelly tots and sprinkles. I wouldn't use silver balls as they're quite hard to eat. Also, maybe make one or two up yourself with a face or flower pattern or whatever so they kind of know what you mean.

When older - look out for the candy eyes you can get. They're fab for Halloween/alien cakes!