Planning your child’s birthday party and wondering how you’ll keep a houseful of little guests happily occupied? Craft activities are one of the easiest ways to entertain a group of kids at a party — they’re simple to set up, keep small hands busy, and often double as a take-home treat for guests to bring home. Here are 11 easy craft ideas for kids that are perfect for parties, tried and loved by parents.
#1. Colour Sort Craft and Party Game
Let’s start with a really easy one for younger kids. Get some egg cartons and have the kids paint them in colours of the rainbow. Once they’re fully dry, set them out on a table along with a big pile of colourful pom poms, and whoever sorts the pom poms into the correct coloured section wins a small prize!
Image via The Imagination Tree
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#2. Party Table Craft
Keep the little ones amused as guests arrive with this simple idea from Glorious Treats. Cover the table with a length of white paper, put out crayons, colouring pencils and stencils, and let their imaginations run while you finish getting the party ready.
Image via Glorious Treats
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#3. Clothespin Bunnies
This clothespin bunny craft is a lovely, complete little creation with fine motor practice built in. It’s perfect for younger children and gives each child their own “bunny” to take home from the party. Still Playing School has clear step-by-step photos using a few everyday items.
Image via Still Playing School
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#4. Polka Dot Vase
These polka dot vases from Meaningful Mama make a lovely party activity, and children love taking them home afterwards. Pick up some inexpensive small vases or jars, some glue, and lots of tissue paper cut into circles or squares.
Image via Meaningful Mama
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#5. Sweet Bracelets
We love this sweet bracelet idea from Lil’ Luna, and it’s wonderfully simple. Give each child a length of round elastic thread and let them thread sweets with holes (jellies, frosted cheerios) onto it to make their own bracelet.
Image via Lil’ Luna
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#6. Make a Birthday Tree
Here’s a lovely birthday tradition: making a birthday tree from recycled cardboard. The Imagination Tree has the full details on how to put one together.
Image via The Imagination Tree
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#7. Popcorn Craft Party!
Katherine Marie built a whole party around a popcorn theme, and we love this idea of painting popcorn with edible paint.
Image via Katherine Marie
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#8. DIY Sunglasses Craft
Kids will love making these easy DIY sunglasses, an idea from Martha Stewart. Use sequins, shells or coloured confetti to decorate — simply apply craft glue to the frame and press the decorations on for some groovy, personalised sunglasses.
Image via Martha Stewart
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#9. Paper Kite Craft
Let kids’ imaginations soar with this paper craft from How Stuff Works, which shows you how to make a whole flock of bird kites. Once they’re finished, let the children try them out outside — probably best suited to older kids.
Image via How Stuff Works
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#10. Kid Made Postcards
Here’s an idea that’s easy to do and educational too. Give each child a plain postcard and ask them to draw a picture that captures the party, and to write a short message to their parent or carer describing it.
Image by I Heart Naptime
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#11. DIY Lego Jars
Aren’t these jars adorable? Every child loves Lego, and with a few old jars you can put together a bright, cheerful take-home gift. You’ll need some baby food jars or other small jars, yellow spray paint, clear spray paint and a black marker. Wonderfully simple, and a real hit in loot bags.
Image via obSEUSSed
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Frequently Asked Questions
What age group are these party craft ideas suited to?
Most of these crafts work well for a mixed-age party, from toddlers right through to older primary school kids. The colour sort game, clothespin bunnies and sweet bracelets are especially good for younger children, while the paper kite craft and DIY sunglasses suit older, more independent crafters.
How many kids can do these crafts at once?
All of these ideas can be scaled up easily by setting out enough materials for each guest and running the craft as a shared table activity, so a group of any size can join in together.
Do I need to buy special craft supplies?
No — most of these ideas use everyday items you may already have at home, like egg cartons, paper, clothespins, jars and tissue paper, along with basic craft supplies such as paint, glue and crayons.
Can these crafts double as party favours?
Yes, that’s one of the best things about them. Several of these ideas — the polka dot vase, clothespin bunnies, sweet bracelets and Lego jars in particular — give each child something they’ve made to bring home as a party favour.
What if a craft gets messy?
A few of these activities involve paint or glue, so it’s worth covering tables and having wipes on hand. Choosing an outdoor spot or a garage/utility area for the messier crafts can also help keep clean-up simple.
Related Articles
If you enjoyed these ideas, you might also like:
- 15 Fun Toddler Party Games
- 20 Fun Kids Party Games & Activities
- The MyKidsTime Guide to Party Ideas for Kids Birthdays and Celebrations
- 10 Creative Kids Party Activities that are Perfect for Loot Bags
- No Teeth Harmed with these 60 Party Loot Bag Ideas
Loved These Ideas?
Save this article to come back to next time you’re planning a party, or browse our full collection of party ideas and themes for more inspiration on MyKidsTime.
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