So you have a creative kid and they have their heart set on an art-themed birthday party. It’s great to have a child who knows what they want and can tell you exactly what their dream party looks like, but how do you go about making those dreams come true? Unless you’re an art teacher yourself, you might find yourself wandering the aisles at Michaels Crafts, aimlessly looking for inspiration.
This blog is here to save you from that fate. If you’ve decided to throw an art birthday party without the aid of a professional art teacher, that’s an absolutely doable project. It’s actually not too hard to throw an art party and these tips should point you in the right direction, or at least give you some inspiration for art party activities that will have your kid jumping for joy.
Painting a Self-Portrait
One great thing about an art-themed birthday party is that it allows for each party guest to go home with more than just a goody bag. Depending on how old your child will be, there are a number of ways for kids to paint a self portrait. For very little kids (preschool-kindergarten age), ask for a photo of the kids ahead of time and print them out in black and white. Then provide paints and have the children “paint” a self portrait to take home. For school-aged kids, you can rent easels and provide water-based paints to use for a self portrait or get a bunch of magazines, newspapers, colored paper, and more for the children to use instead.
Making a Collaborative Mural
A collaborative painting is something truly special for your birthday kiddo—a work of art created by all of their friends. You can use a giant sheet of paper for this and set up craft materials at different points alongside the mural-to-be. Then let the kids get creative together. Just make sure to lay out the piece of paper on a drop-cloth or tarp of some sort to minimize cleanup (especially in the event of paint spillage). After the birthday party, your child will have a gorgeous painting to hang in their room as a memento of the special artsy time they shared with friends.
Personalized Aprons and Brushes
Parents of your art party guests will appreciate having aprons to protect their children’s clothes, which provides you with an opportunity to create a special party favor. Buy simple cloth aprons and personalize them with fabric paint. Another option is to add personalized paint brushes to the gift bags children receive at the end of the party. These are easy ways to make your art birthday party stand out from the other celebrations your child’s friends attend.
Sponge Painting and Sidewalk Chalk
If you’re not up to renting easels or setting up materials for a collaborative mural, you can still have an art party that’s creative and fun. For a summer art birthday party, you could have an outdoor sidewalk chalk party—all that takes is buckets of chalk and some outdoor space. For some extra pizzazz, consider having chalk stations (one for drawing flowers, one for drawing space aliens, and so forth). For an indoor art party, perhaps in the cooler months, sponge drawing is an easy win. This is especially great for younger kids, and all you need is some acrylic paint, jars or cups with water, and sponges in a variety of shapes. You can easily make this activity seasonal as well— paint a pumpkin in fall or a menorah in wintertime, for example.
Artsy Decorations for the Win
Every great artsy birthday party needs birthday decorations to match! You’ll have balloons and streamers, of course, but beyond those staples you can get art-themed napkins, plates, cake or cupcakes, signs, and more. These will bring an atmosphere of creativity and celebration to your art party from the first moment your party guests walk in the door. Think about bright colors when choosing birthday decorations! The more hues the better when it comes to art-themed festivities.