Ideas for 6 year old "art" birthday party?

[inkslinger]

My daughter is turning 6 and we are having an art themed party. I'm trying to think of activities and possibly favors for the guests. So far I'm going to cover tables with butcher paper for the kids to draw on, but I'm also trying to think of a few no-stress projects for the kids to do.

[ollyoxenfree]

Fun!

How about mixed media sculpture - you can collect different materials and let them build something. You can even have a recycle theme and use egg cartons, cardboard, empty yogurt containers etc. that you would normally throw away - as well as a few basic craft supplies (pipe cleaners, pom poms etc.).

Fabric art is fun too - you could give them each a t-shirt, apron or tote bag to decorate with fabric paint and some adhesive felt etc. It's a nice take-home instead of a loot bag.

Once they have finished their creations, I would have a "gallery" set up - a long table and some bulletin boards. You can have an art show to display their work for the parents when they come to pick up the children.

[inkslinger]

Originally Posted by ollyoxenfree

Fun!

How about mixed media sculpture - you can collect different materials and let them build something. You can even have a recycle theme and use egg cartons, cardboard, empty yogurt containers etc. that you would normally throw away - as well as a few basic craft supplies (pipe cleaners, pom poms etc.).

Fabric art is fun too - you could give them each a t-shirt, apron or tote bag to decorate with fabric paint and some adhesive felt etc. It's a nice take-home instead of a loot bag.

Once they have finished their creations, I would have a "gallery" set up - a long table and some bulletin boards. You can have an art show to display their work for the parents when they come to pick up the children.

Great ideas, thanks! I especially like the gallery idea, the kids will love that!

I'm also going to have a local bakery do the cake...one of those photo transfer cakes with a picture that she drew on it.

[eepster]

We gave "Made By Me" trains as favors for DS's b-day, along with some stickers, glue and crayons. They were quite easy and open ended though, so I think they would work well as a group project.

This was the best price I could find.

[kittygrrl523]

I'm seconding the fabric art suggestion. DS had a tie-dye birthday party and is so proud of his creation!

I really think the "puffy paint" style paints are a great option too. You can get t-shirts, aprons, hats, and the like at Michaels...and you can watch the papers for 40%off coupons. Packs of "wife-beater" style tanks are another option...

Hope the party is a smashing success!!!!!

[musikat]

My son had an art theme for his 6th birthday as well. We did it at Michael's Craft store, though. Each child made a treasure box.

I like the puffy pain t-shirt idea, too. My boys love that activity!

The cake sounds reall cute. I did an artist's pallete cake, but this year put a photo transfer of my son on the cake. He loved it, and I'll bet your daughter will love seeing her art on a cake! Is it a surprise or does she know you are doing it?

[hakeber]

Oooh, I run an eco-crafts club with my students and if you did some prep before hand you could do some neat projects.

When is the party?

If you can find #6 recyclable plastic (usually like the boxes take out food comes in or cakes from supermarkets) they make EXCELLENT shrinkie-dink material, so they or to be safer you, can cut out (fairly large -- they shrink like CRAZY) funky shapes and let them decorate them with permanent magic markers (Sharpies have the best colors I think) and make sure you punch a hole in the top and then shrink them in the oven (very low for about three to five minutes or so) and then buy some jewellry making stuff like earring hooks or necklace cords and clasps, or bracelet strings and let them have a piece of take home jewellery...here's a tutorial: http://www.instructables.com/id/Dood...Recycling-6-p/

Or doing flower mobiles from the bottoms and tops of soda bottles...you just cut them in flower shapes and paint the insides in fabulous colors like flowers, then poke tiny wee holes through the sides and string them on fishing wire and hang them in mobiles...so cute!
http://www.easy-child-crafts.com/pla...le-crafts.html

Actually this site has LOADS of eco-crafty ideas: http://www.artistshelpingchildren.or...ideaskids.html

and this one
http://www.easy-child-crafts.com/index.html

For other favors if you want you could give out those mini tubs of playdoh or maybe those mini palettes of watercolors like you could find at the dollar store.

Would it be crazy to have a build your own mini pizza for the food?

[aprons_and_acorns]

So many good ideas already! I just wanted to add this website because it's chock-full of children's arts and crafts ideas:

The Crafty Crow