crafts

Art-Themed Birthday Parties

Being creative and exploring the arts is a great way for kids to develop new skills and talents while having fun doing so. Break away from the same old birthday party themes and go for an art-themed party for your kid’s next birthday. The kids will have a blast doing something new and will have their very own creation to take home once the party’s over! Check out these three fun artsy ideas…
Painting Class

A painting class birthday party is great for almost any age since the level of difficulty can be geared toward the group. There are many businesses which cater to such parties, or you can host one yourself. The party/class leader will supply easels and paper to each child along with a variety brushes and non-toxic paint sets. It’s a good idea to have a main theme, a set-up to use as a model to base the painting off of, or the kids can paint whatever comes to mind. I suggest a theme that the birthday boy or girl picks, such as the circus, pets or music. Play some inspiring background tunes as the kids paint away. A clever goodie bag gift for a painting party is a frame for the kids to display their art or some colorful hooks to hang it up at home. Another giveaway idea is a set of watercolor paints and brushes so the kids can continue their painting fun when they get home.

Jewelry or Safety Box Decorating

Kids love to have their own special hideaway for their prized possessions. A box decorating party is a unique way for the kids to personalize jewelry boxes or special boxes for small toys, special mementos, and other things kids like to keep safely stowed away. Each child can get a small wooden box which comes with a small lock and key for keeping whatever they put inside safe and sound. Seat the kids around a few small tables and on each, place out dishes of shiny rhinestones, colored buttons, bows, small metal letters and other small trinkets the kids can glue to their boxes after they paint or stain the wood and it dries. Be sure to use non-toxic paints and glue for the party for safety. Give each kid a special keychain for their box key as a party takeaway. Their special creation will be treasured for a long time to come and will always remind them of your child’s special birthday party.

Sneaker Art

Before a sneaker art party, find out the size of each attendee’s foot and purchase low-priced canvas sneakers in their size. Give the kids a variety of puffy paints, sparkly markers, colorful laces and sequins and rhinestones to clue onto the sneakers. The kids can decorate their pair however they like and can even write their names on their sneakers. You can even suggest the parents collect the shoes their kid wears to the party so each child can head home proudly in their new sneaker creations. Hand out extra laces and spiffy socks as goody bag gifts. The kids will run home in original style and will look forward to showing off their new kicks at school or camp!

Note: This type of party can be done with canvas baseball caps or T-Shirts too.

Is your kid a little artist in the making? Have you tried an art-themed birthday party? What did you choose to do with the kids? See more ideas like these at All My Children.

By: Melissa A. Kay

Decorate T-Shirts with the Kids

Kids love to create their own works of art, but how cool would it be if they could wear it too? Now they can when you decorate T-shirts with the kids. Let their personal style shine through right on their very own clothing. Here are four ideas for making T-shirts the kids will want to wear all the time. Use inexpensive shirts like Hanes or plain white or light-colored T-shirts that you’ve had for a while. Stretch the shirt over a large board, part of a cardboard box, or ironing board so the surface is smooth and flat as you decorate. Let’s go!

 

Rockstar T-Shirts

Your child will feel like a star in his own rockin’ T-shirt! You can use special markers or pens created for fabric which you can find at any craft store. You can help stencil or make outlines of stars, microphones and music notes. If your child has a favorite singer or band, you can write their name across the shirt, as well as a lyric or two from a favorite song. Use the pens and markers to color in the designs. Once that is dry, which should not take too long, you can use a fabric glue to outline the stars and apply fabric glitter or sequins to really make the shirt have that rock and roll edge. The kids will love this unique shirt and everyone will wonder where you got it. Rock on!


Sport-T

Get sporty on a T-shirt! It’s easy to create balls used in various sports and design with your kid’s favorite team’s colors or his star player. A sports-themed T-shirt would look great designed with puffy paints which are sold at any craft store. Make large circles to become soccer balls in black and white, tennis balls in a light green, or make oblong oval brown footballs. The kids can make any sort of designs all over the sleeves and empty spaces in the team’s colors and even put their favorite player’s team name or number on the back of the shirt once the front is dry. What a fun way to support the home team and cheer on the game!


Big Sister or Brother T-Shirt

Is your son or daughter about to be a big sibling, or is he or she already? We’ve all seen the “I’m a Big Sister (or Brother)” T-shirts, but wouldn’t it be great for your child to make his own? You can stencil out the words, “I’m a Big Brother” and your child can use fabric markers or puffy paint to go over the words in his favorite shades. You can draw stick figures of a big sibling with a new baby to decorate as well. Let your child decorate with all his favorite things that he plans to share with his new sibling, such as favorite toys, the family pet, and plenty of hearts and xoxo’s!

 

Chef T-Shirt

Is your kiddo a little chef in training? Why not make a special T-shirt to designate him the mini-chef of the household? It can even be worn while helping in the kitchen in lieu of an apron. You can decorate with simple designs like forks and spoons, fruits and veggies, and some of his favorite dishes. Write something cute like, “Kiss the Chef” across the top. Use puffy paint to line the shapes and fill in with colored fabric markers. He’ll love helping out in the kitchen when he’s got his special chef T-shirt to wear. Bon apetit!

What would you like to design a T-shirt with? Have you tried any of these ideas? Share with us, we’d love to hear what you have created. For more fun ideas like this, visit All My Children Daycare.

By: Melissa A. Kay

Dry Pasta Art Ideas

Pasta is a tasty Italian food staple, but dry pasta can be used for some creative arts and crafts projects too. Kids love the fun they can have with the variety of different shapes and textures. They can make beautiful art with the pasta you already have sitting at the back of your cupboard. Try out these fun dry pasta art ideas the next time the kids are looking for something new to do. Use cheap brands as not to waste the more pricey pastas you may want to save for a meal. Remember, this pasta is not to be consumed, it’s for art only.

 

Hairdos

Take a sheet of sturdy paper, cardboard, or poster board and draw a large face on it. Or, your child can draw the face herself. Color in as usual, but leave off the hair. That’s where the dry pasta comes to play. Use non-toxic glue to create the basic outline of the way the hair will look. For long hair, use sticks of dry spaghetti and pat gently onto the glue lines. Make bangs by breaking the spaghetti into smaller lengths. For curly hair, try fusilli pasta for a bouncy look. You can even create eyebrows and mustaches with smaller pasta shapes like macaroni or fine bits of angel hair pasta. Let the glue and pasta dry completely and your child will have a fun pasta hairdo creation!

 

Necklaces

It’s very easy to make dry pasta necklaces and you can even beads for some added flair. Simply give your child a piece of sturdy yarn or thick string and tie a very large knot at one end, big enough so the pasta won’t slide off the string. Necklaces work best with pasta shapes such as rigatoni, ziti, penne, or even macaroni. Experiment with varying shapes and sizes for a unique look. If you have some colorful beads, the kids can alternate between the pasta and beads. This idea also works well to create bracelets and headpieces. Once all the pasta and beads are on the string, tie up both ends securely and the kids can slip the necklace over their heads. When they aren’t wearing the necklace, hang them on a hook in their bedroom as a handmade art piece!

 

Rainbows with Dyed Pasta

You can actually dye dry pasta into a rainbow of different colors! It’s easy to do. Simply place about 1/8 cup of rubbing alcohol with a few drops of food coloring into a zip seal bag. Add the dry pasta, shake it up, and let it sit for a few hours. Once the color sets in, your child can create colorful artwork with the pasta. She can glue the pasta to a piece sturdy paper in the shape of a rainbow or a field of vibrant flowers. You can stick to a theme, like Valentine’s Day by using only red dye and creating Cupid’s arrows and heart shapes. Create a field of grass with green dyed spaghetti broken into small blade-length pieces. The kids will love the rich hues and endless pasta-bilities!


Glittering Snowflakes

Bring the joy of a winter wonderland indoors as a work of art. Simply roll dry pasta in glue and dip and roll in blue and silver glitter. Once dry, glue the pasta onto sturdy paper in star shaped designs to become glittering snowflakes! The kids can draw snowmen and other winter backgrounds on the paper before applying the dry pasta. You can also use glittered pasta for necklaces with a little “bling” to them!

Have you and the kids ever made dry pasta art? What did you create?

For more fun activities like this, visit All My Children Daycare.

By: Melissa A. Kay

5 Fun Indoor Activities When It’s Cold Outside

Who wants to go outside when it’s freezing? And why should you when you and your kids can have just as much fun playing inside while feeling warm and cozy! These 5 ideas for indoor activities with the kids may make the snowman a little jealous, but you’ll be having so much fun, he’ll understand (and probably wish he could join you!).

Try Indoor Camping You’ve heard of camping in the great outdoors, but the wintertime chill makes it close to impossible. Why not take the fun of camping right into your own living room? You can purchase a kid’s tent online or even create your own by cleverly pinning bed sheets to the tops of chairs and the sofa. Snuggle inside with the whole family and tell stories with a flashlight in the dark. The family pet can even join you. The best part? Make some s’mores!

Bake Something Sweet Ahhhh… the smell of chocolate chip cookies rising in the oven or the mouth-watering aroma of a loaf of banana bread puts any thoughts of the cold weather in the back of your mind. Kids love to participate in baking, and depending on their age, there’s a role for everyone. Even the littlest child can help stir the batter or help with scooping. Baking memories will last a lifetime even if the sweets only last a few minutes! Write down the recipe and make copies for your child to take to their daycare or school. The staff at All My Children encourage sharing and working together. Preparing snacks together is a great way to collaborate.

Make it a Movie Day When it’s too chilly to get the whole family out the door and to the local theater, bring the fun of film to your own living room. Let the kids vote on their favorite flick from a group you’ve approved of and cuddle on the couch with a big family-size bowl of popcorn. Since you’ll be stuck inside all day, you can probably get to watching a few movies. The kids won’t even miss getting outdoors as they enter into fantasy land on the TV screen.

Hold a Mini Fashion Show Kids love dressing up, so why not make it even more fun? You can be the MC of a kids’ fashion show right in your own home. Let the kids pull out all their favorite looks, including costumes, and even a few of your scarves and hats. They’ll feel like stars as they “walk the catwalk” right down the hallway of your home. Play some fun music and let the kids strut their stuff.

Create Crafts Kids love to use their imagination and what better way to show off their talents than by creating some unique crafts. As they are cozied up indoors, looking out the frosty windows can provide inspiration. It’s fun to draw snowmen, snow angels, and snow-covered trees. If you have some glitter, let the kids add some winter sparkle to their creations. Surprise grandma and grandpa by sending them the kids’ works of art as a special gift they’ll always treasure. Day Care Centers and schools like All My Children cultivate curiosity and creativity. Have your child bring in her creation to share during show and tell. With these fun ideas, kids will want the winter to last forever. Luckily it won’t, but while it lasts, it’s important to make the most of it.

What do you do with the kids when you’re stuck inside? Share with us!

Read more about topics like this, advice for your growing family, to hear from parents like you, and more at All My Children.

Author: Melissa A. Kay