4th birthday party - craft ideas please

[chicaguapa]

Hi,

DD is one of the youngest in her little group of friends and has been to a number of 4th birthday parties already. They've all had children's entertainers of some description but I don't want to do that for DD, mainly because DD hates joining in with things like that.

So I was thinking of hiring a village hall and having a messy time/ craft session as DD loves getting messy and I don't let her do it enough at home.

I'm looking for ideas and tips really. Do I set out a specific craft activity ie making masks or just put loads of paint, glue, sticking shapes on a big table or have separate islands (a la nursery) with painting on one and sticking on the other? Any other tips/ things that have worked (or not worked)?

I wasn't really going to do food as in my experience the kids don't eat it anyway. I was just thinking of producing a cake at the end and singing happy birthay, then putting a slice in each party bag. Do you think that would be okay?

There will be about 10 children all between the ages of 3.5 and 4.5.

Looking forward to tapping into the great minds of experienced mums...

Maybe have a theme and have activities round that, e.g. fairies and make wands etc. Decorating biscuits is also popular

I'd get some big sheets of cardboard and cut out templates of eg mermaids, fish, starfish and supply loads of paints/glue/glitter/diamonds

oh and some fairy cakes with tubes of icing to decorate for themselves

I have run a few kids art and crafts groups, plus a rainbow guide group so used to the kid crafts!

The older they get, the more they expect the food tbh. I would do some, but I agree they often eat little. How about pizza or something simple like that?

It's easiest doing these things if there is a theme. So you could make the masks to wear for the party, decorate their own pre-printed place card, iced biscuits (tubes of ready mix icing, bowls of sweets) always works. I often do one table of sissix cuts (little die cut shapes of paper, look under sissix or punchies on ebaby for loads really cheap, or I could give you a contact who does bags for a quid if you CAT me).

If it's girls, then a big bowl of beads and they can make a necklace- teyhy love that!

Try Baker Ross website for inspiation (would recommend the cone puppets, easy and cheap!)

What fab ideas! What's sissix though? That has completely passed me by! Are they shapes for sticking?

They're paper shapes for cardmaking- literally just that, fish, angels, wagons, cars- all sorts. tehy're perforated on detail, so a bit more usable than punched out shapes IME. Not always adhesive but a tub of PVA (I like Anita Tacky Glue from art shops, The Range etc) is washable and easy.

What about doing T-shirt decorating? You could get some plain ones fairly cheap from somewhere like Adsa or BHS, then get some fabric paints/pens to decorate with.

Then they can all take them home at the end of the party.

I looked into the t-shirt painting but thought the children might be a bit young to produce anything other than splodges. Well dd is anyway.

MaloryTowers - what did you call it on the party invite? Obviously the parents need to be warned it could get a bit messy!

I am a doing a crafty party for dd, including decorating crowns and making party bags, using bits from this site. party pieces

I am also doing fruit kebabs, decorating fairy cakes as well as having play dough out, beads and string for necklaces and free colouring.